16 states received a failing grade in new report.
By Noelle Skodzinski
Sixteen states with some type of legal medical marijuana program received a grade of F or F+ in a new report, “Medical Marijuana Access in the United States: A Patient-Focused Analysis of the Patchwork of State Laws,” by Americans for Safe Access, a national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.
Those states receiving a failing grade are:
- Alabama
- Florida
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Just three states received the top score of B+:
- California
- Illinois
- New Mexico
Nine states received Bs or B-minuses:
- Arizona (B-)
- Colorado (B)
- Hawaii (B)
- Maine (B-)
- Maryland (B)
- Massachusetts (B)
- Nevada (B)
- Oregon (B)
- Washington (B)
The grades were based on: how well the state’s medical cannabis program “meets the needs of patients in five categories. … Up to 25 bonus points were awarded to states that made statutory or regulatory improvements, or prevented harmful changes from taking effect.”
The five categories that were evaluated for grading purposes were:
I. Patient Rights and Civil Protection from Discrimination
II. Access to Medicine
III. Ease of Navigation
IV. Functionality
V. Consumer Safety and Provider Requirements
View the full report from Americans for Safe Access here.
