The short answer: Not yet as a federal prescription — but physicians in 41 states can legally recommend medical marijuana to qualifying patients right now.
A medical marijuana recommendation is a physician certification that a patient has a qualifying condition under state law. It is legal in 41 states plus Washington D.C. A federal prescription requires FDA-approved drugs sold at licensed pharmacies. Marijuana is not FDA-approved, so it cannot be federally prescribed.
Two overlapping legal barriers prevent physician prescribing. First, marijuana is currently Schedule I under the federal Controlled Substances Act — the most restrictive category, reserved for substances with no accepted medical use. Physicians can only write federal prescriptions for substances with accepted medical uses. Second, even if marijuana is rescheduled to Schedule III, prescription drugs must be approved by the FDA. Marijuana itself has not gone through the FDA approval process.
Rescheduling will formally recognize marijuana's accepted medical uses at the federal level. Cannabis businesses will be able to deduct business expenses on federal taxes. Research barriers will be reduced. However, physicians will not automatically be able to write federal prescriptions — that requires FDA approval of specific marijuana products, which is a separate and longer process.
In 41 states plus Washington D.C., licensed physicians can issue a medical marijuana recommendation — a written certification that a patient has a qualifying condition allowing them to apply for a state medical cannabis card and purchase from licensed dispensaries. Physicians can also conduct thorough medical evaluations, guide treatment decisions, and provide documentation.
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.