Medical cannabis may be available in some form in 47 states, but only 15 received B or better grades in Americans for Safe Access' 2020 State of the States report.
Just one state earned an A or A-: Oregon.
Eighteen states were given F ratings.
Here's the breakdown:
A
None
A-
Oregon: 24,015 patients, 290 dispensaries
B+
California: 1.58 million patients, 650 dispensaries
Hawaii: 30,811 patients, 13 dispensaries
Illinois: 121,775 patients, 55 dispensaries
Maine: 36,368 patients, 44 dispensaries
Massachusetts: 88,053 patients, 140 dispensaries
Michigan: 246,039 patients, 264 dispensaries
Nevada: 14,663 patients, 66 dispensaries
New Hampshire: 8,302 patients, 4 dispensaries
New Mexico: 82,147 patients, 109 dispensaries
RELATED: Lining Up for Legal Weed in Massachusetts
B
Maryland: 108,455 patients, 102 dispensaries
Montana: 36,422 patients, 355 dispensaries
New Jersey: 8,302 patients, 4 dispensaries
Ohio: 125,087 patients, 51 dispensaries
Oklahoma: 125,087 patients, 2,073 dispensaries
RELATED: Why Oklahoma's Medical-Marijuana Program Works
B-
Arizona: 245,533, 131 dispensaries
Arkansas: 71,163 patients, 22 dispensaries
Colorado: 83,306 patients, 449 dispensaries
District of Columbia: 6,792 patients, 8 dispensaries
North Dakota: 3,380 patients, 8 dispensaries
Washington: 46,573 patients, 163 dispensaries
C+
Connecticut: 44,327 patients, 17 dispensaries
Delaware: 11,173 patients, 6 dispensaries
New York: 121,203 patients, 38 dispensaries
Pennsylvania: 297,317 patients, 80 dispensaries
Rhode Island: 17,994 patients, 3 dispensaries
RELATED: Curaleaf Busted for Selling Ground Flower in New York
C
Alaska: 404 patients, 93 dispensaries
Florida: 348,658 patients, 250 dispensaries
Guam: no patients or dispensaries
Vermont: 5,209 patients, 5 dispensaries
C-
Minnesota: 36,962 patients, 8 dispensaries
Missouri: 22,706 patients, no dispensaries
D+
Northern Mariana Islands: no patients or dispensaries
Louisiana: 4,350 patients, 9 dispensaries
D
Puerto Rico: 112,363 patients, 101 dispensaries
Utah: 2,814 patients, 3 dispensaries
D-
U.S. Virgin Islands: no patients or dispensaries
F
*Alabama: no patients or dispensaries
*Georgia: 145,111 patients, no dispensaries
Idaho: no patients or dispensaries
*Indiana: no patients or dispensaries
*Iowa: 4,770 patients, no dispensaries
*Kansas: no patients or dispensaries
*Kentucky: no patients or dispensaries
*Mississippi: no patients or dispensaries
Nebraska: no patients or dispensaries
*North Carolina: no patients or dispensaries
*South Carolina: no patients or dispensaries
South Dakota: no patients or dispensaries
*Tennessee: no patients or dispensaries
*Texas: 2,405 patients, no dispensaries
*Virginia: 5,209 patients, no dispensaries
*West Virginia: no patients or dispensaries
*Wisconsin: no patients or dispensaries
*Wyoming: no patients or dispensaries
RELATED: The Battle for Medical Marijuana in Nebraska
ASA's Conclusion
From the Americans for Safe Access' report: "Since 1996, states have developed medical cannabis programs through citizen initiatives, comprehensive and piecemeal legislation, regulations and executive action. Somewhat surprisingly, while the majority of medical cannabis programs continue to adapt to the needs of patients, there is not one in the country that perfectly meets the needs of patients. While 2019-2020 brought many changes for more than four million patients across the country, unfortunately we've seen a plateau in overall improvements program to program. States are recognizing the value of developing robust medical cannabis programs that serve a variety of patient health conditions, improve ease of patient access and offer patients legal protections related to employment, housing, education and family law. However, many states with limited and even comprehensive medical cannabis programs have dedicated much if not all of their appetite for cannabis reforms to adult-use access during the 2019-2020 year, while failing to make much-needed improvements to their medical programs. This year’s report illustrates this phenomenon, with most states that maintain medical programs debating only adult-use options before pivoting to address COVID-related emergency measures."
ASA identifies the following patient issues:
• Poor access
• Insufficient legal protections
• Medical program challenges
• Product availability and cost
• Product testing and labeling
Read the full report here.
