A look at medical marijuana laws in the U.S.

Late last year, Congress cleared the way for the District to enact a 1998 ballot measure that legalizes the possession, use, cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana. The D.C. Council is now crafting legislation to implement the voter-approved initiative. Nationwide, 14 states have legalized marijuana use for medical purposes. Here's a look at how the programs compare:

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State	Medicinal marijuana statutory language	Patient registry	Allow dispensaries	Specify conditions
Alaska	Measure 8 (1998); SB 94 (1999); Statute Title 17, Chapter 37	A-Yes	No	A-Yes
California	Proposition 215 (1996); SB 420 (2003)	A-Yes	A-Yes	No
Colorado	Amendment 20 (2000)	A-Yes	A-Yes	A-Yes
D.C.	Initiative 59 (1998); LR 720 (2010)	Being considered	Being considered	Being considered
Hawaii	SB 862 (2000)	A-Yes	No	A-Yes
Maine	Question 2 (1999): LD 611 (2002); Question 5 (2009)	A-Yes	A-Yes	A-Yes
Michigan	Proposal 1 (2008)	A-Yes	No	A-Yes
Montana	Initiative 148 (2004)	A-Yes	No	A-Yes
Nevada	Question 9 (2000); NRS 453A NAC 453A	A-Yes	No	A-Yes
New Jersey	QSB 119 (2009)	A-Yes	A-Yes	A-Yes
New Mexico	SB 523 (2007)	A-Yes	A-Yes	A-Yes
Oregon	Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (1998); SB 161 (2007)	A-Yes	No	A-Yes
Rhode Island	SB 791 (2007); SB 185 (2009)	A-Yes	A-Yes	A-Yes
Vermont	SB 76 (2004); SB 7 (2007)	A-Yes	No	A-Yes
Washington	Initiative 692 (1998)	No	No	A-Yes