In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a final order reclassifying state-legal medical cannabis to Schedule III. The federal government now acknowledges cannabis’ medical value and that is safer than Schedule II drugs, such as oxycodone. At long last, millions of state-legal medical cannabis patients are no longer criminals under federal law.
Polls consistently show the vast majority of Americans support allowing seriously ill patients to use cannabis for medical purposes with their doctors’ approval. Most states have enacted laws to protect patients and to provide safe access to medical cannabis. Forty-one states and Washington, D.C. now have comprehensive medical cannabis laws on the books. Eight additional states have laws on the books that acknowledge the medical value of medical cannabis but fall short.
Below you will find a wealth of materials to educate you about medical cannabis issues, including information to make the case for allowing medical cannabis — such as summaries of studies, lists of supportive organizations, state-by-state polling, and rebuttals to common concerns. You will also find summaries of various aspects of state medical cannabis laws and information on the federal government’s policy.