California’s Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, was the first statewide medical marijuana initiative to pass in the United States. Prop. 215 doesn’t legalize marijuana. It ensures that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes.

The medical use of marijuana must be deemed appropriate and recommended by a physician who has determined that the person’s health would benefit from the use of marijuana. Doctors prescribe marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief. Prop 215 encourages the federal and state governments to implement a plan for the safe and affordable distribution of marijuana to all patients in medical need. Due to California initiative 215, marijuana dispensaries have opened throughout California to provide patients with medical marijuana.