Conditions

Medical conditions commonly studied or qualified for cannabis use, with plain-language summaries and citations.

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  Limited evidence

  Progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. Cannabis has limited evidence for managing spasticity, sleep, pain, and appetite loss in ALS patients; no evidence to date demonstrates disease-modifying effects.

  Qualifying in 35 state(s)

• Alzheimer's Disease

  Limited evidence

  Progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia. Cannabis has limited evidence for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (agitation, sleep disturbance, appetite loss); no evidence demonstrates disease-modifying effects.

  Qualifying in 27 state(s)

• Anxiety Disorders

  Limited evidence

  Group of mental health conditions characterized by excessive fear or worry that interferes with daily life. Cannabis evidence is mixed. Low-dose CBD shows limited evidence for symptomatic relief, while higher-dose THC can paradoxically worsen anxiety.

  Qualifying in 18 state(s)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

  Insufficient evidence

  Neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication and restricted/repetitive behaviors. Cannabis has insufficient high-quality evidence for treating core autism symptoms; limited evidence exists for managing severe behavioral symptoms in specific subgroups.

  Qualifying in 26 state(s)

• Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)

  Moderate evidence

  Severe weight loss, muscle wasting, and loss of appetite associated with chronic illness. Cannabis and cannabinoids have moderate evidence for stimulating appetite and inducing weight gain in HIV/AIDS-associated and cancer-associated wasting.

  Qualifying in 30 state(s)

• Cancer

  Moderate evidence

  Group of diseases involving uncontrolled cell growth. Cannabis and cannabinoids have substantial evidence for treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and moderate evidence for improving sleep disturbance among cancer patients; antitumor effects remain investigational.

  Qualifying in 42 state(s)

• Chronic Pain

  Strong evidence

  Pain persisting beyond expected healing time, lasting months or longer. Cannabis and cannabinoids have substantial evidence for treating chronic pain in adults.

  Qualifying in 42 state(s)

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

  Limited evidence

  A chronic neuropathic pain disorder that typically develops after a limb injury, characterized by disproportionate pain, autonomic dysregulation, motor changes, and trophic skin changes. Cannabis has limited evidence in CRPS specifically, with stronger indirect support from the substantial NASEM finding for cannabis in chronic neuropathic pain.

  Qualifying in 0 state(s)

• Crohn's Disease

  Limited evidence

  Chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting any portion of the gastrointestinal tract. Cannabis has limited evidence for symptomatic improvement (pain, sleep, appetite) in Crohn's patients but no evidence for inducing or maintaining clinical remission.

  Qualifying in 38 state(s)

• Endometriosis

  Limited evidence

  Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent inflammatory disease in which tissue resembling the endometrium grows outside the uterus, causing pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and infertility. Cannabis has limited evidence for symptomatic management of endometriosis-associated pain; no cannabinoid product is FDA-approved for endometriosis.

  Qualifying in 0 state(s)

• Epilepsy

  Strong evidence

  Neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Cannabidiol (CBD) has strong evidence for reducing seizure frequency in two rare childhood epilepsy syndromes (Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome) and is FDA-approved as Epidiolex for those indications.

  Qualifying in 44 state(s)

• Fibromyalgia

  Limited evidence

  Chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive symptoms. Cannabis has limited evidence for symptomatic improvement in fibromyalgia patients; pain and sleep outcomes are most commonly reported.

  Qualifying in 16 state(s)

• Glaucoma

  Insufficient evidence

  Group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, usually associated with elevated intraocular pressure. Cannabis transiently lowers intraocular pressure, but the effect duration is too short to be clinically useful; the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Glaucoma Society do not recommend cannabis as glaucoma treatment.

  Qualifying in 35 state(s)

• Hepatitis C

  Insufficient evidence

  Viral infection that causes inflammation and progressive liver damage. Cannabis has insufficient evidence as a treatment for hepatitis C itself, though it is qualifying in several state programs for symptom management during interferon-based regimens, which are now largely obsolete.

  Qualifying in 18 state(s)

• HIV/AIDS

  Moderate evidence

  Viral infection that progressively weakens the immune system. Cannabis and cannabinoids have moderate evidence for improving appetite and weight gain in HIV/AIDS-associated wasting, and limited evidence for symptomatic relief in HIV-associated peripheral neuropathy.

  Qualifying in 39 state(s)

• Huntington's Disease

  Limited evidence

  Inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorder causing movement, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Cannabis has limited evidence for managing chorea, sleep, and pain in Huntington's patients; no disease-modifying effect.

  Qualifying in 16 state(s)

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  Limited evidence

  Group of chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Cannabis has limited evidence for symptomatic improvement but no evidence for inducing or maintaining clinical remission.

  Qualifying in 25 state(s)

• Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)

  Limited evidence

  Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue across multiple organ systems. Cannabis has limited evidence for symptomatic management of lupus-associated pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance; there is no high-quality trial evidence that cannabinoids modify the underlying autoimmune disease.

  Qualifying in 0 state(s)

• Migraine

  Limited evidence

  Recurrent moderate-to-severe headache, often with nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Cannabis evidence is limited but observational and small-trial data suggest reduced headache frequency and acute-attack severity in some patients.

  Qualifying in 14 state(s)

• Multiple Sclerosis Spasticity

  Strong evidence

  Patient-reported muscle spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis. The 2017 NASEM consensus report found substantial evidence that oral cannabinoids improve patient-reported MS spasticity symptoms in adults.

  Qualifying in 42 state(s)

• Muscular Dystrophy

  Limited evidence

  Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited genetic disorders causing progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Cannabis has limited evidence for symptomatic management of pain, spasticity, sleep, and appetite in muscular dystrophy patients; no cannabinoid product is approved as disease-modifying therapy.

  Qualifying in 0 state(s)

• Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

  Strong evidence

  Nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy. The 2017 NASEM consensus report found conclusive or substantial evidence that oral cannabinoids are effective antiemetics in adults receiving chemotherapy.

  Qualifying in 31 state(s)

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

  Insufficient evidence

  A chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by intrusive obsessions and compulsive behaviors. Evidence for cannabis or cannabinoids in OCD is insufficient: there is no high-quality controlled trial data supporting cannabis as an OCD treatment, and some risk that cannabis may worsen symptoms in subsets of patients.

  Qualifying in 0 state(s)

• Opioid Use Disorder

  Insufficient evidence

  Chronic relapsing disorder involving compulsive opioid use despite harmful consequences. Cannabis has insufficient high-quality evidence as an opioid-substitution therapy; some state programs nonetheless qualify OUD patients for medical cannabis access as an opioid-alternative pilot.

  Qualifying in 18 state(s)

• Parkinson's Disease

  Limited evidence

  Progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement. Cannabis has limited evidence for symptomatic relief of tremor, sleep disturbance, and pain in Parkinson's patients; no evidence of disease-modifying or neuroprotective effect to date.

  Qualifying in 29 state(s)

• Peripheral Neuropathy

  Moderate evidence

  Damage or dysfunction of peripheral nerves, commonly causing burning pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the hands and feet. Cannabis has moderate evidence for reducing chronic neuropathic pain in adults, including peripheral neuropathy from diabetes, chemotherapy, or HIV.

  Qualifying in 16 state(s)

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  Limited evidence

  A trauma- and stressor-related disorder that follows exposure to a traumatic event. The 2017 NASEM consensus report found limited evidence that nabilone is effective for improving sleep outcomes in PTSD; broader symptom relief evidence remains limited.

  Qualifying in 41 state(s)

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

  Limited evidence

  A chronic autoimmune disease causing joint inflammation, pain, stiffness, and progressive joint damage. Cannabis evidence is limited for disease modification but moderate for chronic-pain and sleep-disturbance symptoms common in RA.

  Qualifying in 15 state(s)

• Seizure Disorders

  Strong evidence

  Neurological conditions involving abnormal electrical activity in the brain that produces seizures. Cannabidiol has strong evidence for reducing seizure frequency in specific syndromes (Dravet, Lennox-Gastaut, and tuberous sclerosis complex) and is FDA-approved as Epidiolex for those indications.

  Qualifying in 41 state(s)

• Sickle Cell Disease

  Limited evidence

  Inherited red blood cell disorder causing chronic anemia, vaso-occlusive pain crises, and end-organ damage. Cannabis has limited evidence for managing chronic and acute sickle-cell pain; clinical trials are ongoing.

  Qualifying in 20 state(s)

• Spinal Cord Injury

  Moderate evidence

  Damage to the spinal cord resulting in temporary or permanent changes in motor, sensory, or autonomic function. Cannabis has moderate evidence for reducing spasticity and managing neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury patients.

  Qualifying in 15 state(s)

• Terminal Illness

  Moderate evidence

  Illness expected to result in death within a defined prognosis window (often six to twelve months). Cannabis has moderate evidence for managing common end-of-life symptoms (pain, nausea, anorexia, anxiety, sleep disturbance) and is a qualifying condition under most state medical cannabis programs without further diagnosis-specific gating.

  Qualifying in 36 state(s)

• Tourette Syndrome

  Limited evidence

  Neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics. Cannabis has limited evidence for reducing tic severity in adults with treatment-resistant Tourette syndrome.

  Qualifying in 19 state(s)

• Traumatic Brain Injury

  Limited evidence

  Injury to the brain caused by external force, ranging from mild concussion to severe disability. Cannabis evidence for TBI is limited; observational data suggest possible benefit for chronic headache, sleep disturbance, mood symptoms, and chronic pain following TBI.

  Qualifying in 16 state(s)

• Ulcerative Colitis

  Limited evidence

  A chronic inflammatory bowel disease causing inflammation and ulceration of the colon and rectum. Cannabis evidence for UC is limited; small trials and observational data suggest symptomatic improvement (pain, appetite, sleep) without clear effect on disease activity or mucosal healing.

  Qualifying in 16 state(s)