On November 7, 2000, the state of Colorado passed Amendment 20, legalizing the medical use of marijuana for persons suffering from debilitating medical conditions. On June 1, 2001, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, CDPHE, officially opened the Medical Marijuana Registry program. By November 2011, 161,483 new patient applications were received by the registry. 80,558 patients had been approved for medical marijuana cards. - National Geographic
