How to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card: Step-by-Step Instructions
Step-by-step instructions to apply for a medical marijuana card: check eligibility, gather documents, get certified, submit your state application, and renew.
Short answer
No national list exists. Each state writes its own qualifying condition list for a medical cannabis card. About 38 states and the District of Columbia run comprehensive medical programs. Most publish a fixed list of conditions. A few states let a physician certify any condition.
How to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card: Step-by-Step Instructions
Conditions on most state lists
These conditions appear on the majority of state lists.
- Cancer
- HIV or AIDS
- Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
- Multiple sclerosis
- Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- Glaucoma
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Chronic pain or severe pain
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Parkinson's disease
- Terminal illness
- Wasting syndrome and severe nausea
- Muscle spasms
Conditions that qualify in a few states
State legislatures add conditions one bill at a time. The result is a patchwork.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Medical Cannabis Card Approved?
- Opioid use disorder: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Mexico
- Autism spectrum disorder: about 10 states
- Sickle cell anemia: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois
- Tourette syndrome
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Migraine
- Anorexia
- Huntington's disease
- Alzheimer's disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease, listed apart from Crohn's in some states
States without a fixed list
California, Colorado, Oklahoma and Massachusetts let a certifying physician treat conditions outside a published list. California law covers any chronic symptom that limits major life activities. Colorado repealed its condition list in 2018. Oklahoma accepts a physician's judgment. Massachusetts law includes a catch-all for other debilitating conditions.
What Doctors Can Issue a Medical Cannabis Card
CBD-only programs
Several states run narrow low-THC programs. Their lists are shorter and often cover seizure disorders or terminal illness. A low-THC card does not carry the same possession limits as a full medical card.
How to get a card
- See a physician licensed in your state. The doctor reviews records that show the diagnosis.
- Get written certification. Some states require the certification to state a dose or product type.
- Submit an application. Most states ask for a photo ID, proof of residency, the certification and a fee.
- Pay the fee. State fees run from $0 to about $200. Several states waive fees for veterans or low-income patients.
- Wait for the card. Review times run from same-day approval to 30 days.
A diagnosis alone does not qualify a patient in most states. A physician must certify that the patient has a listed condition. A clinic fee is separate from the state fee in most cases.
Renewal
Most states issue a card valid for 1 year. A few issue 2-year or 3-year cards. Renewal requires a new physician certification and a new fee. Expired cards carry no legal protection.
What a card does not cover
A card from one state has no standing in another state. Cannabis remains a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. No federal agency recognizes a state card. Employers, landlords and schools set their own rules. Federal law at 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3) bars users of controlled substances from buying or possessing firearms.
Questions to ask a certifying clinic
- Which conditions does my state list?
- Is the clinic fee separate from the state fee?
- How long does the state take to process an application?
- Does the state accept telehealth visits for certification?