A look at marijuana laws around the US and the globe

Some states have made the drug legal for medical purposes; others have removed jail sentences for carrying small amounts; and some let adults 21 and older use it for any reason.

Eight states allow people with certain medical conditions to use marijuana, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-legalization group that tracks state pot laws.

The drug cannot legally be prescribed in any state, because it has no accepted medical use under federal drug law.

Seventeen states, many in the South, have passed laws opening the door to marijuana use as long as the drug is extremely low in THC, the intoxicating ingredient.

A few states both have approved marijuana use by sick people and removed jail sentences for recreational users.

Cannabis possession is illegal in most countries under a 1925 treaty called the International Opium Convention.