Under the program, individuals can apply to the state Department of Public Safety to be placed on a newly created marijuana registry. Patients eligible to use marijuana are those who suffer from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and have positive status for HIV. Patients in end-of-life care or who have debilitating symptoms not relieved by conventional treatment are also eligible.

Applicants also must submit a digital photograph, physician verification of their medical condition, and a $100 administration fee. Although 43 applications have been requested, none have been returned.

"The state of Vermont took a unique approach in trying to meet everybody's needs," said Francis Aumand III, director of the department's Criminal Justice Services. "They made this a regulatory function rather than a health-department function."

Currently, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether states have the right to set medical-marijuana policies.

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