Programs that lawfully dispense marijuana and other cannabis products to medical patients who present a medical marijuana identification card or written certification from a physician verifying that they have one of the medical conditions that qualify for the program (generally cachexia or wasting syndrome, cancer, severe chronic pain, epilepsy and other disorders characterized by seizures, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by muscle spasticity, Crohn's disease or nausea) as well as a statement that the benefits of using marijuana for medical purposes outweigh the health risks.

Programs that register people with specified debilitating medical conditions for a program that allows them to alleviate their symptoms through the limited use of marijuana under medical supervision. Patients must have written certification by a physician that they have one of the medical conditions that qualify for the program (generally cachexia or wasting syndrome, cancer, severe chronic pain, epilepsy and other disorders characterized by seizures, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by muscle spasticity, Crohn's disease or nausea) as well as a statement that the benefits of using marijuana for medical purposes outweigh the health risks. In most areas, a medical marijuana card is issued which enables patients to obtain marijuana and other cannabis products for medical use. Some registration programs also provide telephone verification of an individual's patient status if a medical marijuana dispensary, law enforcement officer or other officials have questions. Medical marijuana programs are only available in states whose electorates have passed ballot measures that remove state-level criminal penalties on the use, possession and cultivation of marijuana by patients and/or their registered caregivers. Qualifications for the program and other requirements vary by state.

Individuals who are at risk or have tested positive for infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), or have developed AIDS which is caused by the HIV virus and impairs the function of the body's immune system leaving affected individuals vulnerable to illnesses that would not otherwise occur.

A syndrome, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that is marked by muscular weakness and atrophy with spasticity and increased action of the reflexes due to degeneration of the motor neurons of the spinal cord, medulla and cortex.

Any of a broad group of malignant neoplasms which are either carcinomas which have their origin in epithelial tissues or sarcomas which develop from connective tissues and those structures which had their origin in mesodermal tissues (the muscular, skeletal, circulatory, lymphatic and urogenital systems and the linings of body cavities). Cancer is invasive and tends to metastasize to new sites spreading directly into surrounding tissues or through the lymphatic or circulatory systems.

A recurrent paroxysmal disorder of cerebral function that is characterized by sudden, brief interruptions in or complete loss of consciousness, motor activity and/or sensory phenomena. The seizures are caused by disruptions in the electrical and physiochemical activity of the brain.

A disease of the eye that is characterized by an increase in intraocular pressure which results in atrophy of the optic nerve and possibly blindness.

A chronic, slowly progressive disease of the central nervous system in which the myelin sheath which covers the nerves hardens, resulting in difficulties with muscle control, involuntary movements of the eyeballs, speech problems and tremor. Multiple sclerosis is marked by a history of remissions and exacerbations.