Compassion Center Actively Serves The Following States:
Headquartered in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Compassion Center carries out global objectives, advancing interprofessional education, patient advocacy and healthcare innovations. One of those objectives is to leverage technology, and human kindness, to deliver our programs in place so underserved, categorically complex and terminally ill patients can receive the same high standard of care that the Compassion Center has become known for. Operating through MSOplus and Integrative ECS, Compassion Center is reintegrating medical cannabis into mainstream healthcare, improving patient outcomes and reducing the harms that opioids have on the local communities in which we serve.
PLEASE CLICK ON YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCE FROM THE LIST BELOW, AND LEARN WHAT THE NECESSARY STEPS ARE FOR BECOMING, AND STAYING, A MEDICAL CANNABIS PATIENT.
Alabama *** Low THC Only*** PROGRAM UNDER DEVELOPMENT – NOT ACCEPTING PATIENT APPLICATIONS AT THIS TIME (Verified 11/9/2023)
Year Est: 2021
Medical Cannabis Law:
SB 42 in 2021 Pending (Died in Committee)
State Bill link: https://legiscan.com/AL/text/SB46/2021
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)? No
Alabama State MMP Application: N/A
Qualifying Conditions:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Cancer-related cachexia, nausea or vomiting, weight loss, or chronic pain
- Crohn’s Disease
- Depression
- Epilepsy or a condition causing seizures
- HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss
- Panic disorder
- Parkinson’s disease
- Persistent nausea that is not significantly responsive to traditional treatment, except for nausea related to pregnancy, cannabis-induced cyclical vomiting syndrome, or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Sickle Cell Anemia
- Spasticity associated with a motor neuron disease, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Spasticity associated with Multiple Sclerosis or a spinal cord injury
- Terminal illness
- Tourette’s Syndrome
- A condition causing chronic or intractable pain in which conventional therapeutic intervention and opiate therapy is contraindicated or has proved ineffective
NOTE: State law further requires recommending physicians to cite documentation indicating that “conventional medical treatment or therapy has failed” prior to issuing a medical cannabis recommendation.
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
- State resident
- 19 or older
- Certified by registered physician
- Has qualifying condition
- Registered with the Commission
- Has been issued a valid medical cannabis card
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
- State resident
- Certified by registered physician
- Has qualifying condition
- Has caregiver who is parent or guardian
- Patients ages 18 or younger are limited to low-THC cannabis products (less than 0.3%).
Minors are eligible for the affirmative defense and parents of minors who would be eligible are also covered by the affirmative defense regarding possession of CBD for the use of those minors. Additionally, state and local governments cannot initiate removal proceedings to remove a child from the home of a parent based solely on the parent or child’s possession of CBD that is eligible for the affirmative defense.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Alabama
State Licensed Dispensaries? Yes. State Licensed Dispensaries will be available however are not yet opperational.
Grow at Home? No. It is illegal to grow your own cannabis in the state of Alabama.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration: tablets, capsules, tinctures, gel cubes, creams, suppositories, transdermal patches, nebulizers or liquids/oils for use in an inhaler only.
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration: cannabis flower material or cannabis-infused edible products, raw plant material, any product administered by smoking, combustion or vaping. A food product that has medical cannabis baked, mixed, or otherwise infused into the product, such as cookies or candies.
Patient Possession Limits:
- Permitted to possess a maximum of 70 daily dosages of medical cannabis at one time.
- Cannabis products are capped at a maximum of 50mg for the first 90 days.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
THC: products must contain no more than 0.3% thc
CBD: products containing CBD are allowed through the Medical Marijuana Program Parameters for other Cannabinoids not specified in Alabama Law at this time.
Employment Protections for Qualifying Patients:
No protections in place at this time.
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
- State resident
- Registered with Commission (usually with the medical cannabis patient application)
- Issued a medical cannabis caregiver card
- At least 21 years old (unless parent/guardian of a registered qualified patient)
- May purchase and possess medical cannabis, but may not use medical cannabis unless he/she is also a registered qualified patient
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Alabama:
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) is in the process of reviewing license applications for integrated facilities, cultivators, processors, transporters, and testing laboratories. Due to litigation concerning these licenses, this process has been delayed. A time period for the issuance of licenses is unknown at this time. The Board of Medical Examiners may not issue Medical Cannabis Certification Permits to physicians until the AMCC has issued at least one license each for a cultivator, a processor, a secure transporter, and a dispensary.
NOTE: State law further requires recommending physicians to cite documentation indicating that “conventional medical treatment or therapy has failed” prior to issuing a medical cannabis recommendation.
Arizona (Verified 11/2/23)
Year Est: 2010
Medical Cannabis Law:
Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (Proposition 203)
Current Rules for Medical Marijuana in Arizona (2023):
https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/licensing/medical-marijuana/az-medical-marijuana-rules.pdf
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
Yes, the act provides a limited reciprocity to ‘visiting qualifying patients’. In order to qualify, the patient: (1) must not be a resident of Arizona (or has resided in Arizona for less than 30 days), (2) must have been diagnosed with a medical condition recognized under the Act, and (3) must possess a medical marijuana registration card or its equivalent that was issued pursuant to the laws of another state. The out-of-state registration card has the same force and effect as a card issued in Arizona except that the visiting qualifying patient may not purchase medical marijuana in Arizona.
Arizona State MMP Application:
All applications are submitted online by logging into the azdhs.gov website
Qualifying Conditions:
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s Disease
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV or AIDS
- Nausea
- Persistent Muscle Spasms
- PTSD
- Seizures
In addition, the law provides a mechanism for adding other debilitating medical conditions to the above list through a petition and review process administered by ADHS.
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
To apply for a medical cannabis card in Arizona, patients must fill out the forms and submit them online; there is no paper submission option. The forms can be found on the AZ Department of Health website. There is a patient application fee for a registry ID card of $150, but this fee can be reduced to $75 with proof of enrollment in SNAP, or food stamps.Your doctor can only recommend medical cannabis after they have completed a full assessment of your medical history.View the checklist of application requirements here: https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/licensing/medical-marijuana/patients/adult-patient-application-checklist.pdf?v=20231002
Arizona Department of Health Services Medical Marijuana Individual Licencing
Patient / Caregiver Handbook: https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/licensing/medical-marijuana/mmlms/individual-application-and-portal-guide.pdf
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
If the patient is under 18 years of age, both the patient’s doctor and a reviewing physician must examine the patient and provide a certification, and the patient’s custodial parent or legal guardian must apply on behalf of the patient and act as their designated caregiver. The custodial parent or legal guardian is responsible for acquiring the medical cannabis and controlling the patient’s dosing and frequency of use. The Arizona Department of Health has created a checklist for minor patients. https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/licensing/medical-marijuana/patients/patient-under-18-application-checklist.pdf?v=20231002
Becoming a Caregiver:
Patients may designate a caregiver to assist with acquiring, cultivating, and using medical cannabis. A designated caregiver must be at least 21 years old and cannot have been convicted of a violent felony or a drug-related felony occurring in the last 10 years or that would not have resulted in a conviction if the Medical Marijuana Act had been effective at the time. Patients and designated caregivers are permitted to cultivate cannabis only if there is no dispensary within 25 miles of the patient’s home, and they have been granted permission by the state. A patient can only have one designated caregiver and a person can be the designated caregiver for no more than 5 patients.
A designated caregiver with a registry ID card can possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and, if they have permission to cultivate, up to 12 marijuana plants, keeping in mind that the sum total of medicine and plants between the patient and the designated caregiver may never exceed 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis and 12 cannabis plants. For instance, if the patient has 1 ounce of usable cannabis in her possession and 2 cannabis plants, the designated caregiver may not exceed 1.5 ounces of usable cannabis and 10 cannabis plants.
Patients and designated caregivers can grow cannabis indoors in an enclosed, locked space, such as a closet, room, greenhouse, or other enclosed area equipped with locks or other security devices that permit access only by a cardholder.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Arizona
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Yes, state-licensed non-profit dispensaries may produce and dispense marijuana to authorized patients on a not-for-profit basis
Grow at Home?
Any adult over the age of 21 may grow cannabis at home. The space where the grow will take place must be designated ahead of time and must also be a secure enclosed space. Individuals are limited to six plants at any stage of growth, if there are multiple adults in a household, the limit becomes twelve plants.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration:In addition to dried marijuana flowers, Arizona’s marijuana laws also permits other forms of the drug including extracts, concentrates, hashish, edibles, topicals, salves, and capsules.
Patient Possession Limits:
No more than two and one-half ounces of usable marijuana per 14 day period
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Medical patients in Arizona get a host of benefits. No landlord may refuse to lease to or otherwise penalize a person solely for his or her status as a medical cannabis patient or designated caregiver, unless housing the patient would cause the landlord to lose a federal benefit. Employers may not rightfully terminate a qualified patient from her/his employment solely because of their status as a registry ID cardholder or a positive drug screen. However, employers are not expected to accommodate the medical use of cannabis in any workplace. In addition, an employer may refuse to hire or terminate an employee based on their status as a registry ID cardholder if the employer stands to lose a federal benefit by continuing to employ the patient. Patients suspected of impaired driving will have an affirmative defense for any cannabis use.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Arizona
A medical professional recommending medical cannabis must be a licensed physician (MD or DO) or a licensed Naturopathic or Homeopathic physician. The law and rules specify requirements for issuing written certifications for patients with a debilitating medical condition (“qualifying patients”) for the medical use of marijuana. The written certification must be made on the form provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services (“ADHS”). A physician is required to:
- Make or confirm a diagnosis of a debilitating medical condition (as defined below) for the qualifying patient;
- Establish a medical record for the qualifying patient and maintain the qualifying patient’s medical record;
- Conduct an in-person physical examination of the qualifying patient within the last 90 calendar days appropriate to the qualifying patient’s presenting symptoms and the debilitating medical condition the physician diagnosed or confirmed;
- Review the qualifying patient’s medical records, including medical records from other treating physicians from the previous 12 months, the qualifying patient’s responses to conventional medications and medical therapies, and the qualifying patient’s profile on the Arizona Board of Pharmacy Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program database;
- Explain the potential risks and benefits of the medical use of marijuana to the qualifying patient, or if applicable, the qualifying patient’s custodial parent or legal guardian;
- If the physician has referred the qualifying patient to a dispensary, disclose to the qualifying patient, or if applicable, the qualifying patient’s custodial parent or legal guardian, any personal or professional relationship the physician has with the dispensary;
- If the written certification is being made for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, that the physician has reviewed evidence documenting that the patient is currently undergoing conventional treatment for PTSD; and
- Attest that, in the physician’s professional opinion, the qualifying patient is likely to receive therapeutic or palliative benefit from the qualifying patient’s medical use of marijuana to treat or alleviate the qualifying patient’s debilitating medical condition.
The law requires that qualifying patients under 18 obtain an additional certification from a reviewing physician. The DHS form of this certification requires that the reviewing physician:
- Conduct a comprehensive review of the qualifying patient’s medical records from other physicians treating the qualifying patient;
- If the physician has referred the qualifying patient to a dispensary, disclose to the qualifying patient, or if applicable, the qualifying patient’s custodial parent or legal guardian, any personal or professional relationship the physician has with the dispensary; and Attest that, in the physician’s professional opinion, the qualifying patient is likely to receive therapeutic or palliative benefit from the qualifying patient’s medical use of marijuana to treat or alleviate the qualifying patient’s debilitating medical condition.
Any physician acting as a medical director for a dispensary is not permitted to provide written certifications. More information on the physician’s role in Arizona’s medical marijuana program is available on the DHS website.
California: (Verified 11/13/23)
Year Est:1996
Medical Cannabis Law:
1996: Voters approved the Compassionate Use Act, allowing for the medical use of marijuana.
2003: California’s legislature expanded the state’s medical marijuana law to allow patients and caregivers to collectively or cooperatively cultivate marijuana.
2015: California’s legislature enacted a licensing and regulatory system for medical marijuana businesses.
2016: Voters approved a ballot initiative legalizing marijuana for adults and establishing a regulated marijuana market, yet workers can still be fired if they test positive for cannabis metabolites, which stay in one’s system for weeks. That will finally change starting January 1, 2024!
2017: Licensing and regulatory system for medical marijuana businesses is paired with similar regulatory system being developed for non-medical, now under one agency.
2018: First legal sales for adult consumers began.
2022: California lawmakers passed and Gov. Gavin Newson (D) signed a bill — AB 2188 — that will protect most employees who use cannabis while they’re off the clock. This makes California the seventh state to provide some form of workplace protection for cannabis consumers.
AB 2188 does not allow employees ‘to possess, to be impaired by, or to use, cannabis on the job.” It even goes on to clarify that there is nothing in the contents of it that “affects the rights or obligations of an employer to maintain a drug- and alcohol- free workplace…”
Medical Marijuana Statutes:
Cal. Health & Saf. Code, §11362.7 (2003)
Cal. Health & Saf. Code, §§ 11362.7 – 11362.83 (2003)
California Compassionate Use Act 1996, Cal. Health & Saf. Code, § 11362.5 (1996)
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
NO
California State MMP Application:
The California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program (MMICP) was established to create a state-authorized medical marijuana identification card (MMIC), along with a registry database for verification of qualified patients and their primary caregivers. Participation by patients and primary caregivers in this MMICP is voluntary. The MMICP web-based registry allows law enforcement and the public to verify the validity of a qualified patient or primary caregiver’s MMICP as authorization to possess, grow, transport, and/or use medical marijuana within California.
MMIC Form Link: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/CDPH%20Document%20Library/ControlledForms/cdph9042.pdf
Qualifying Conditions:
Anorexia
Arthritis
Cachexia
Cancer
Chronic Pain
HIV or AIDS
Glaucoma
Migraine
Persistent Muscle Spasms
Severe Nausea
Seizures
**Any debilitating illness where the medical use of marijuana has been “deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician”
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
If you wish to become a patient in California, first visit your doctor and ask them to recommend cannabis to treat one of the eligible conditions listed below. Once you’ve done this, you are eligible to buy medical cannabis in California, just bring your doctor’s recommendation with you! If you wish to acquire a registry ID card that will serve the same role as your recommendation, you will need to fill out an Application/Renewal Form. You must reside in the California county where the application is submitted. You will need to provide current documentation with your application as follows:
- A copy of your medical recommendation.
- Proof of identity. This can be a valid California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) driver license or identification (ID) card or other valid government-issued photo ID card.
- Proof of residency, such as:
- Rental or mortgage agreement,
- Utility bill, or
- California DMV motor vehicle registration.
You must apply in person at your county program. There, you will be asked to:
- Pay the fee required by your county program (not to exceed $100). Medi-Cal beneficiaries will receive a 50 percent reduction in the application fee (not to exceed $50), and the fees shall be waived for indigent patients who are eligible for and participate in the County Medical Services Program.
- Have your photo taken at the county’s program office. This photo will appear on your MMIC.
Your county program will need to take your photo, which will appear on the Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC). Also, certain verifications will need to be completed in person. A registry ID card can make things easier for patients at dispensaries and may be used in many other states that offer reciprocity to visiting patients.
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Minors may apply for themselves as qualified patients if they are lawfully emancipated or have declared self-sufficiency status. If the minor has not declared self-sufficient status or is not emancipated, the county program is required to contact the minor’s parent, legal guardian, or person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the minor. This is to verify information on the Application/Renewal Form. An emancipated minor or the minor’s parent of a qualified patient may apply as a primary caregiver. If a minor declares status as a self-sufficient minor or is an emancipated minor, their county health department may require additional documentation. Contact your county’s program for more information on additional required documentation
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
A primary caregiver must be at least 18 years old and should consistently assume responsibility for the housing, health, or safety of a patient. They can be the primary caregiver of more than one patient only if the patients live in the same city or county as the primary caregiver. IDs are not required in CA but are available at the CA Department of Public Health website.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in California
State Licensed Dispensaries? Yes, operational
Grow at Home?
Yes, Any individual over the age of 21 is technically allowed to grow up to six plants according to California law. The grow site must be out of visibility from the public. Individual jurisdictions across California are allowed to ban outdoor cultivation, but not indoor cultivation. Be sure to check your local rules before setting up an outdoor grow.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration are unrestricted in California.
Patient Possession Limits:
No possession limits specified; amount must be “consistent with the patient’s needs.”.
General Adult Use Legal Possession amounts are up to one ounce of flower and/or up to eight grams of concentrates.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Benefits & Protections as a Patient in California:
As a registered patient in California, you will have an affirmative defense in court if you are arrested for the possession of cannabis. If you require an organ transplant, your patient status will prevent a hospital from refusing the transplant due to your status as a cannabis patient. If you are facing the loss of parental rights, your cannabis use as a medical patient will not be used against you in the legal process.
In 2022, lawmakers enacted legislation (AB 2188) that makes “it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalize a person, if the discrimination is based upon the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace” as determined by a positive drug screen for the presence of the carboxy THC metabolite. This applies to patients and non-patients. However, the law does not take effect until September 1, 2024.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in California:
Medical professionals recommending medical cannabis must possess a license to practice medicine or osteopathy in California issued by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. This license must be in good standing and meet the following requirements:
- Take responsibility for an aspect of the medical care, treatment, diagnosis, counseling, or referral of the applicant (patient).
- Perform a medical examination of the applicant (patient).
- As a result of the medical examination, document in the patient’s medical record that the patient has a serious medical condition and that the medical use of marijuana is appropriate.
- Have the patient sign an authorized medical release of information. The county program cannot process the patient’s application without the appropriate authorization for release of medical information.
- Provide to the patient copies of the medical records stating that he or she has been diagnosed with a serious medical condition and that the medical use of marijuana is appropriate.
Medical Board of California’s Guidelines for the Recommendation of Cannabis for Medical Purposes:
https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Download/Publications/guidelines-cannabis-recommendation.pdf
Florida (Verified 11/16/2023)
Year Est:2016
Medical Cannabis Law:
2014 Florida enacted SB 1030, which created a registry ID card system that would allow patients with cancer, seizure disorders, or severe or persistent muscle spasms to possess and use only cannabis products rich in CBD and low in THC. SB 1030 also established a state licensing system for dispensaries, where patients can obtain legal access.
2016 the Florida legislature passed HB 307, which expanded the program to terminally ill patients and allowed dispensing organizations to produce products with higher levels of THC than were previously allowed. That same year Florida voters approved Amendment 2, which amended the state constitution to create a comprehensive medical cannabis program with significantly expanded qualifying conditions.
2017: emergency session the legislature passed SB 8A, which provides a framework for patients to access cannabis more quickly. Rules for implementing SB 8A were promulgated by the Florida Department of Health in July of 2017. Stripped from Amendment 2 was language permitting the inhalation of cannabis from the burning of cannabis flower, however
2018 county court decision and subsequent 2019 state legislative activity culminated in the state authorized smoking of cannabis.
2019, the Florida 1st District Court of Appeals ruled that the forced-vertical integration language of 2016’s Amendment 2 is unconstitutional; however, when the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments on the case in May of 2020, they reversed the decision. The COVID emergency measures adopted during 2020, included declaring cannabis businesses essential, authorizing use of telehealth visits for
program registration renewals, and both curbside pick-up and delivery.
Florida 2023 Medical Marijuana Statutes:
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
NO
Florida State MMP Application:
Florida Medical Marijuana Consent Form: https://trinityreleaf.com/getattachment/866a8ec0-5d56-4e67-9956-63d6017bc09b/Medical-Marijuana-Consent-Form-(PDF).aspx
Qualifying Conditions:
ALS
Cancer
Crohn’s disease
Chronic nonmalignant pain*
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
PTSD
Seizures
Terminal illness (patients diagnosed with no more than 12-months to live)
Other debilitating medical conditions comparable to those enumerated
*Defined as “pain that is either caused by or originates from a qualifying medical condition”
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
If you have one of the qualifying conditions below, seek an appointment with a physician qualified to recommend cannabis in the state of Florida. Once the physician has confirmed the diagnosis and recommended cannabis, they will enter your information into the state registry run by the Medical Marijuana User Registry or MMUR. Once this step has been completed by the physician, applicants will receive an email from MMUR including a patient ID number and directions on how to complete the application. This application includes a $75 fee and can be completed online or printed and mailed in.
Understanding the Registry: Initial Patient & Caregiver Application Instructions:
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Individuals under the age of 18 must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian. In addition, a minor must also seek a recommendation for cannabis from two qualified physicians. Patients under the age of 18 may not consume cannabis through smoking unless they are diagnosed with a terminal condition.
Medical Cannabis Caregiver Requirements:
When visiting their doctor, a patient may request that they add a caregiver in their application through the MMUR. Caregivers must be at least 21 years old at the time of the application and must not be a physician or have a financial stake in a licensed treatment center.
Once their patient has designated a caregiver in their MMUR application, prospective caregivers will be sent an email including an application for their caregiver ID. This application can be submitted electronically or by mail and includes a $75 application fee. Once the application is approved, caregivers will be notified by email.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Florida
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers are open and operational, follow the link to access a list:
https://knowthefactsmmj.com/mmtc/
Grow at Home?
Not allowed in Florida at this time.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration & Possession Limits:
- Edibles: Daily dose amount is 60mg THC, with a 4,200mg THC 70-day supply limit
- Inhalation (e.g. vapes): Daily dose amount is 350mg THC, with a 24,500mg THC 70-day supply limit
- Oral (e.g. capsules, tinctures): Daily dose amount is 200mg THC, with a 14,000mg THC 70-day supply limit
- Sublingual (e.g. sublingual tinctures): Daily dose amount is 190 mg THC, with a 13,300mg THC 70-day supply limit
- Suppository: Daily dose amount is 195 mg THC, with a 13,650mg THC 70-day supply limit
- Topical (e.g. creams): Daily dose amount is 150mg THC, with a 10,500mg THC 70-day supply limit
- Marijuana in a form for smoking: Daily dose amount is 2.025 grams
*A qualified physician may request an exception to the daily dose amount limit, the 35-day supply limit of marijuana in a form for smoking, and the 4-ounce possession limit of smokable marijuana if warranted.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Florida’s Medical Marijuana Program originally only allowed for cbd products with low thc only. This has since been adjusted to include higher content of thc if recommended by a patient’s doctor.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Employers in the state of Florida are not allowed to discriminate against patients for their use of cannabis off of the jobsite; however, this is not the case in the case of federal employers or those who might lose federal funding because of employee cannabis use.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Florida :
To recommend medical marijuana, physicians in Florida must:
- Hold an active, unrestricted license as a physician under Chapter 458 of Florida Statutes or as an osteopathic physician under Chapter 459;
- Have treated the patient for at least three (3) months prior to recommending and registering the patient for medical marijuana use; and
- Have successfully completed a training course on medical marijuana.
Florida law requires all physicians who wish to recommend medical marijuana to successfully complete a 2-hour course offered by the Florida Medical Association or the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association. In addition to increasing their knowledge on medical cannabis, physicians will earn 8 AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credits(TM) that can also be used towards licensure and accreditation requirements. Successful completion of this course fulfills the Florida state requirement for physicians who wish to order cannabis for their patients’ use. The physician must successfully pass an examination upon completion of the course. To remain eligible to recommend medical marijuana, each physician must retake the training course every time he or she renews the license.
In addition to the requirements described above, each physician who wishes to recommend medical marijuana must comply with the following requirements:
- Must conduct a physical examination while physically present in the same room as the patient and a full assessment of the medical history of the patient.
- Diagnosed the patient with at least one qualifying medical condition.
- Must determine that the risks of treatment with medical marijuana are reasonable in light of the potential benefits; for all patients younger than 18 years of age, a second physician must concur with that determination, which must be documented in the patient’s medical record;
- Must explain in sufficient detail to the patient or the patient’s legal representative the current state of knowledge concerning the efficacy of medical marijuana treatments, the potential risks and side effects of those treatments, and any medically acceptable alternatives;
- Must obtain from the patient or the patient’s legal representative voluntary written informed consent to treatment with medical marijuana;[1]
- Must maintain a patient treatment plan that includes the dose, route of administration, planned duration, and monitoring of the patient’s symptoms and other indicators of tolerance or reaction to the cannabis;
- Must not order for the patient more than a 45-day supply of medical marijuana;
- Must not be a medical director of a “dispensing organization,” as defined in Chapter 381.986, Florida Statutes.
In accordance with Florida law, the Department of Health created an online statewide registry, known as the “compassionate use registry.” This database provides the only means by which doctors in Florida can order medical marijuana for their patients who qualify for such medicine. Dispensing organizations will also use this registry to verify that a patient is eligible to receive medical marijuana.
Physicians use the compassionate use registry to register themselves as the orderers of medical marijuana for their patients and to enter orders for medical marijuana as well as any cannabis delivery device to be filled by one of the licensed dispensing organizations.
In using the registry, the physician must comply with the following requirements:
- Must specify such amount of medical marijuana that will not exceed a 45-day supply per order;
- Must update the registry within seven (7) days of any change to the original order;
- Must deactivate a patient’s or legal representative’s registration if treatment is discontinued.
[1] The requirements for obtaining written informed consent from terminally ill patients eligible for “medical cannabis” are set forth in Section 499.0295(2)(e) of Florida Statutes
Georgia ***(Low THC Only)*** (Verified 11/16/2023)
Year Est: 2015
Medical Cannabis Law:
2015, HB 1 Link to Law: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20152016/149361
Summary: created a patient ID card registry and established a list of eight qualifying conditions for which patients could legally possess and use low-THC medical cannabis products. The law places a 5 percent cap on THC, requires products to have at least a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC and only permits patients to possess up to 20 ounces. The law did not provide for in-state production or access, but it did create the Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission, which was tasked with investigating other state programs to organize comprehensive medical cannabis legislation for the 2016 session. In December 2015 the Commission voted against authorizing in-state production of cannabis
2017, SB 16, Link to Law: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20172018/170462 Summary : added more qualifying conditions to the program and allowed patients in hospice care to possess oil. In 2018, the state added PTSD and intractable pain to its list of qualifying conditions.
2019, HB 324, Link to Law: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20192020/187578
allows in-state cultivation and distribution of low-THC medical cannabis products.
In 2020, the USDA approved Georgia’s hemp production program, allowing in-state cultivation of hemp to help increase the supply and ultimately reduce the price of CBD oil for Georgia patients. However, eligible Georgia patients remain without an in-state source to the low-THC and high-CBD cannabis products authorized by the state.
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
Yes. Senate Bill 16, signed into law in May 2017, states that Georgia law exempts any person who has “in his or her possession a registration card issued by another state that allows the same possession of low THC oil as provided by this state’s law.”
Georgia State MMP Application:
Doctors must submit applications on behalf of patients to Georgia’s Department of Public Health’s Low THC Oil Registry.
Low THC Oil Waiver: https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/low-thc-oil-waiver/download
Qualifying Conditions:
AIDS
Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Autism
Cancer
Crohn’s disease
Epidermolysis bullosa
Hospice care patients
Intractable Pain
Mitochondrial disease
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Post-traumatic stress syndrome
Severe or end stage Peripheral neuropathy
Seizure disorder
Sickle cell disease
Tourette’s syndrome
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
- Patients who believe they may be eligible should consult with their physician about the possibility of obtaining a card allowing them to possess 20 fluid ounces of low THC oil within the state of Georgia.
- If approved by the physician, the patient or patient’s caregivers’ information will be entered into DPH’s secure “Low THC Oil Registry” and a card(s) will be issued.
- Patients and caregivers will be notified when the cards are ready for pickup (within 15 business days) from one of several public health offices geographically spread around the state. “Low THC Oil Registry” cards cost $25 – the standard fee for obtaining a vital record in Georgia – and will be valid for two years from the date issued. After that time, cardholders will need to again consult with their physician about their continued eligibility and to request that they update and confirm their information into the registry
- A patient may authorize an individual to pick up the patient’s Low THC Oil card from the county health department on their behalf with a signed using this form: https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/lowthcauthorizationform/download
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
The application process to obtain low-THC oil for minors is non-existent. Instead, a parent or legal guardian will apply for a registry card on behalf of their child. If there is more than one adult caring for a child, then each may apply for a separate card.
Requirements for becoming a Medical Cannabis Caregiver:
To become a caregiver in Georgia, you must apply for the same $25 registry card that covers patients.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Georgia
State Licensed Dispensaries?
In May 2021, Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation into law, Senate Bill 195, permitting the establishment of up to 30 state-licensed retailers of high-CBD/low-THC oil products to qualified patients. Five initial licenses were issued in April 2023. The first two dispensaries began operating days later.
Grow at Home?
No, Georgia does not allow home cultivation at this time.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration:
Sublingual, Oral, and Topical
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration: Raw Flower, Edibles, and Vapor are not allowed. Georgia law does not authorize physicians to prescribe marijuana for medical use. It is intended solely to protect qualified persons from criminal prosecution for possessing low THC oil for medicinal purposes.
Patient Possession Limits:
20 ounces of infused cannabis oils containing not more than 5 percent THC and an amount of CBD equal to or greater than the amount of THC “if such substance is in a pharmaceutical container labeled by the manufacturer indicating the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
- CBD: There is no possession limit for hemp-derived CBD in Georgia. Adult Georgia residents can freely possess and use CBD and its products, provided its THC content is not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis. CBD users must ascertain that their hemp-derived CBD products are within the set limits, and Georgia residents must purchase CBD oil from a licensed outlet..
- Low THC Oil is only allowed to medical patients when recommended and registered by a doctor. The law requires that the low THC oil be “in a pharmaceutical container labeled by the manufacturer indicating the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol therein,” be less than 5 percent tetrahydrocannabinol by weight, and that the amount of oil in the container – or containers – not exceed 20 fluid ounces total.
- Other Cannabinoids do not have specifications in Georgia at this time.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
As a patient in Georgia, you will have an affirmative defense in court if arrested with up to 20 fluid ounces of low THC oil on your person. Senate Bill 16, signed into law in May 2017, states that Georgia law exempts any person who has “in his or her possession a registration card issued by another state that allows the same possession of low THC oil as provided by this state’s law.”
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Georgia :
Georgia Department of Health Low THC Registry Guide | Physician request for card:
https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/georgia-low-thc-oil-registry-user-guide/download
Department of Public Health Low THC Oil Certification Information:
Low THC Oil Waiver:
https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/low-thc-oil-waiver/download
Physicians recommending cannabis must have a certified doctor-patient relationship with someone that you determine to have one or more of the diseases specified in the law. There is a waiver form and certification form that you must have the patient, parent, or legal guardian countersign; keep this form in your files. Patients may bring in partially completed documents, or blank ones. Once this is complete you can fill in your patient’s information in the Georgia Registry portal.
You are not required to certify a patient who has an eligible condition, but you should! State law protects doctors from criminal prosecution for recommending cannabis, so you will not face consequences for the act of helping your patient.
Qualifying Conditions for the Low THC Oil Registry:
- Cancer, when such diagnosis is end stage or the treatment produces related wasting illness or recalcitrant nausea and vomiting
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end-stage
- Seizure disorders related to the diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma-related head injuries
- Multiple sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end-stage
- Crohn’s disease
- Mitochondrial disease
- Parkinson’s disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end-stage
- Sickle cell disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end-stage
- Tourette’s syndrome, when such syndrome is diagnosed as severe
- Autism spectrum disorder, when (a) patient is 18 years of age or more, or (b) patient is less than 18 years of age and diagnosed with severe autism
- Epidermolysis bullosa
- Alzheimer’s disease, when such disease is severe or end-stage
- AIDS when such syndrome is severe or end-stage
- Peripheral neuropathy, when symptoms are severe or end-stage
- Patient is in hospice program, either as inpatient or outpatient
- Intractable pain
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) resulting from direct exposure to or witnessing of a trauma for a patient who is at least 18 years of age
Hawaii (Verified 11/2/23)
Year Est: 2000
Medical Cannabis Law:
Hawaii first passed SB 862/HD 1 in 2000, making it the first state to legalize medical cannabis via the legislative process.
Hawaii Department of Health Administrative Rules for Medical Cannabis PDF:
https://health.hawaii.gov/medicalcannabisregistry/files/2023/01/2019-11-160-Administrative-Rules.pdf
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
Yes, House Bill 2729, which took effect on July 1, 2018, establishes a criteria and requirements for a reciprocity process for medical cannabis patients.
House Bill 2729: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2018/bills/HB2729_CD1_.htm
Out of State Patient Application & Tutorials:
https://health.hawaii.gov/medicalcannabisregistry/travel/
Hawaii State Medical Cannabis Registry Program:
https://health.hawaii.gov/medicalcannabisregistry/
Qualifying Conditions:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (added effective Dec. 19, 2017 per petition process)
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Lupus (added effective June 29, 2017 as per Act 041, SHL 2017)
- Epilepsy (added effective June 29, 2017 as per Act 041, SHL 2017)
- Multiple Sclerosis (added effective June 29, 2017 as per Act 041, SHL 2017)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (added effective June 29, 2017 as per Act 041, SHL 2017)
- Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (added effective July 1, 2015 as per Act 241, SLH 2015)
“The treatment of these conditions”, or “A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following:
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Severe pain
- Severe nausea
- Seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
All applications must be submitted electronically. If you have been diagnosed with any of the eligible conditions and wish to become a registered medical marijuana patient in Hawaii, you should do the following:
- Create a free Medical Cannabis Registry account;
- Once the account is created, complete the online application and upload any required documents (i.e. a clear copy of a valid ID);
- Make a payment of $38.50 ($35 application fee + $3.50 portal administration fee) which must be paid with a credit/debit card or direct withdrawal from a savings or checking account (all fees are non-refundable, even if a card is not issued); and
- Have your certifying physician or advanced practice registered nurse certify your medical condition and submit the application to the Department of Health. The certifying physician or advanced practice registered nurse must complete an electronic signature agreement before they can use the new registration system.
Adult Patient Application Form: https://health.hawaii.gov/medicalcannabisregistry/files/2021/03/329-Change-Form-Packet-V.1.2021.pdf
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
As a minor, you need a statement by your parent or guardian that your doctor has explained the risks and benefits of medical cannabis. Your parent or legal guardian will have to serve as your primary caregiver and is ultimately responsible for possession and dosages.
Application for Minors: https://health.hawaii.gov/medicalcannabisregistry/patients/minor-applicants/
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
Caregivers must be designated on the application filled out by patients as they register for their ID. Each patient is limited to only one caregiver. A caregiver must be at least 18 years of age. The patient applying for their card pays a $38.50 fee that covers the caregiver as well.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Hawaii
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Yes, Hawaii has State Licensed Medical Dispensary Program is operational
Grow at Home?
The law allows a patient to have ten cannabis plants, regardless of stage of maturity, and four ounces of usable cannabis at any given time. The four ounces of usable cannabis can include any combination of dry flower and processed products. A designated caregiver may cultivate a total of seven live marijuana plants, regardless of the stage of maturity. The location of the grow site must be stated on their valid registration card.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Qualifying patients may purchase flowers, lozenges, tablets, capsules, topicals, concentrates, and cartridges from licensed medical cannabis dispensaries. With the passage of House Bill 2097, edibles are also now sold by dispensaries since January 2021.
Patient Possession Limits:
Hawaii’s law allows a patient with a registry identification card and his or her caregiver to collectively possess four ounces of processed marijuana and cultivate a total of 10 plants.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
No restrictions on cannabinoids in place at this time.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Under state law, a qualifying patient or caregiver may not lose their right to housing as a result of legally using or providing medical marijuana. Please remember, though, that while our belief that you are protected is based on our reading of the statute and case law, there is no existing Hawaii case law that specifically addresses the (non-federally funded) housing rights of patients. However, if you live in housing funded by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Hawaii law will not protect you and you may be subject to eviction, as medical marijuana is not protected under federal law.
An employee cannot be terminated for their participation in the medical cannabis program or for their use of cannabis as a patient outside of the workplace. Hawaii law does not require your employer to accommodate your use of marijuana in the workplace.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician Hawaii:
State of Hawaii Department of Health Medical Cannabis Registry Program Website /
Getting Started as a Medical Provider: https://health.hawaii.gov/medicalcannabisregistry/physician-aprns-getting-started/
Physicians recommending medical cannabis must be licensed under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 453, and licensed with authority to prescribe drugs and is registered under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 329-32. Advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 457-8.6 and registered under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 329-32 may certify patients for medical marijuana use. Physician Assistants are not allowed to write recommendations. Physicians and advanced practice registered nurses must demonstrate a bona fide relationship with patients. To establish this relationship, the treating physician, at a minimum shall:
- Complete a full assessment of the qualifying patient’s medical history and current medical condition, including conducting a review of the qualifying patient’s medical records related to the medical condition as medically appropriate and conducting an in-person physical examination;
- Provide follow-up care and treatment as medically appropriate to the qualifying patient and assess the qualifying patient’s medical condition during the course of the qualifying patient’s medical use of marijuana; and
- Maintain records of the qualifying patient’s treatment and medical condition in accordance with medically accepted standards.
To certify a patient for medical marijuana use, a physician or advanced practice registered nurse must do the following:
- Diagnose the patient as having a debilitating medical condition covered under current medical marijuana law (i.e. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 329-121);
- Explain the potential risks and benefits of medical marijuana use to the patient or his/her guardian; and
- Certify, in writing, that in his/her professional opinion, after having completed a full assessment of the patient’s medical history and current medical condition made in the course of a bona fide physician-patient relationship or bona fide advanced practice registered nurse-patient relationship, as applicable, that the potential benefits of the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the particular qualifying patient.
Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the First Amendment. Established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that found doctors and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options.
Illinois (Verified 11/2/23)
Year Est:2013
Medical Cannabis Law:
Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act (HB 1) was enacted in 2013 to create a temporary statewide distribution program for qualifying patients.
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3503&ChapterID=35
Timeline of Illinois Cannabis Policy:
https://illinoiscannabis.org/laws#illinoismarijuanalawsin2023
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
Illinois does not offer reciprocity to out of state patients at this time.
Illinois State MMP Application:
Illinois has separate instructions for patients applying with a caregiver, without a caregiver, are terminally ill,or applying through the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program. Applying for the medical marijuana program requires registering with the Illinois Cannabis Tracking System at the site below.
Qualifying Conditions:
Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Anorexia nervosa
“Any medical condition for which an opioid has been or could be prescribed by a physician based on generally accepted standards of care”
Arnold Chiari malformation
Autism
Cachexia/wasting syndrome
Cancer
Causalgia
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
Chronic pain
Complex regional pain syndrome type 2
Crohn’s Disease
Dystonia
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Fibrous dysplasia
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV/AIDS
Hydrocephalus
Hydromyelia
Interstitial Cystitis
Irritable bowel syndrome
Lupus
Migraines
Multiple Sclerosis
Muscular Dystrophy
Myasthenia Gravis
Myoclonus
Nail patella syndrome
Neuro-Behcet’s autoimmune disease
Neurofibromatosis
Neuropathy
Osteoarthritis
Parkinson’s disease
Polycystic kidney disease
Post-traumatic stress
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sjogren’s syndrome
Spinal cord disease
Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA)
Superior canal dehiscence syndrome
Syringomyelia
Tarlov cysts
Tourette’s syndrome
Traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome
Ulcerative colitis
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
To obtain a Registry ID Card, a patient must meet the following requirements:
- Be a resident of the State of Illinois
- Have a debilitating medical condition
- Have a physician complete and submit a certification of the patient’s debilitating medical condition (except for veterans receiving care at a VA facility);
- Complete the fingerprint-based background check and not have been convicted of certain excluded offenses (primarily violent felonies and felony drug convictions that were not for the medical use of cannabis);
- Be at least 18 years of age (special conditions apply to minors, see below);
- Not hold a school bus permit or Commercial Driver’s License; and
- Not be an active duty law enforcement officer, correctional officer, correctional probation officer, or firefighter.
Patients may apply for a Registry ID Card online through Illinois’ Medical Cannabis Program’s online application portal. Registry ID Cards are good for 3 years at which point they must be renewed. The application fee is $300, or $150 for patients receiving SSI or SSDI benefits. The applicant must also provide a 2″x2″ photograph, proof of age and identity, proof of residency, and a receipt from their fingerprint vendor. The DPH may take up to 30 days to decide whether to approve a patient’s application and must provide a Registry ID Card within 30 days of approving the application. Free application assistance is available through local health departments.
Patients and caregivers must submit fingerprints from a certified vendor. A list of approved medical cannabis fingerprint vendors can be found here.
MCCP Veteran Requirements: https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/prevention-wellness/medical-cannabis/mcpp-veterans-requirements.html
Terminally ill patients are exempt from the fingerprinting and application fee requirements and the DPH must process their applications within 10 days of submission. Illinois has a webpage with more information for terminally ill patients.
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Patients under the age of 18 may apply for a registry ID card under certain conditions. The minor must have a debilitating medical condition and two certifications — one from their physician following an in-person visit and another from a reviewing physician based on the minor’s medical records. The minor’s custodial parent or legal guardian must be the minor’s designated caregiver and complete his or her application. The minor may have up to three designated caregivers. Minors are not required to submit a photo with their application or undergo a fingerprint background check.
Patients under the age of 18 must obtain a second certification from a reviewing physician (except for patients with a terminal illness, who are exempt from this requirement). Physicians asked to provide this certification must confirm the diagnosis of a debilitating medical condition following review of the patient’s medical history and medical records but are not required to conduct an in-person examination.
Minor Application Instructions
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Illinois
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Yes, Patients are now able to go to any Medical Cannabis dispensary that they choose and do not need to notify the Illinois Department of Health.
Grow at Home?
Patients in Illinois are allowed to grow up to five plants at any stage of growth in an enclosed, secure and out of site area. You may designate someone to tend to your plants if you are away for a short period of time.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration: cannabis flower, concentrates and cannabis-infused products
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration: not specified
Patient Possession Limits:
A registered qualifying patient may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of medical cannabis during a 14-day period. This amount of medical cannabis, called the “adequate supply,” is defined in Section 10 of the Act. Purchases of medical cannabis can only be made at a licensed medical cannabis dispensary.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Restrictions on specific cannabinoids not specified.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
(410 ILCS 130/) Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act.
Sec. 25. Immunities and presumptions related to the medical use of cannabis.
(a) A registered qualifying patient is not subject to arrest, prosecution, or denial of any right or privilege, including, but not limited to, civil penalty or disciplinary action by an occupational or professional licensing board, for the medical use of cannabis in accordance with this Act, if the registered qualifying patient possesses an amount of cannabis that does not exceed an adequate supply
Cannabis Expungement:
In 2019, Governor JB Pritzker of the state of Illinois signed into law a revision of the Illinois Cannabis Control Act (720 ILCS 550.1 et seq.) allowing residents to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis. In the same year, the state also authorized an automatic expungement process for those convicted of a minor cannabis offense of less than 30 grams, excluding violent crimes. Expungement can be granted in cases involving misdemeanors and level 4 felonies of greater quantities of cannabis, following submission of a petition. On June 25, 2019, the Public Act 101-27 passed into law. This made any record which was deemed a “Minor Cannabis Offense” eligible for expungement. Review the website of the Illinois State Police.
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
Yes, caregivers, who may serve only one patient, are permitted to pick up medicine for very ill, homebound patients and are also subject to possession limits.
Medical Marijuana Program Qualified Caregiver Application Instructions:
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Illinois:
Rather than recommending medical cannabis, physicians must certify that the patient has a qualifying debilitating medical condition. In order to make this certification, physicians must have a bona fide physician-patient relationship, have an ongoing expectation to care for and treat the patient, review the patient’s medical history, and complete an in-person physical examination of the patient within 90 days prior to completing the certification. The physician must be licensed in Illinois as a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, be in good standing to practice medicine in Illinois, and have a controlled substances license under Article III of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act.
Physicians providing certifications generally are not permitted to have an economic interest in or work for or with medical marijuana cultivation centers or dispensaries. Physicians are not permitted to refer patients to dispensaries.
Additional guidelines for physicians and the certification forms can be found on the Medical Cannabis Health Care Professional Information. The certification must be sent to the Illinois Department of Public Health by a physician.
Kentucky ***Low THC Only until 2025*** (Verified 11/16/2023)
Year Est:2023
Medical Cannabis Law:
Senate Bill 47 An Act Relating to Medical Cannabis
https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/23rs/sb47.html
Regulations are due by July 1, 2024, and the law will take effect on January 1, 2025. SB 47 does not allow the smoking of raw cannabis but raw cannabis for vaporization is allowed.
Kentucky CBD Policy:
SB 124 (2014)
HB 333 (2017)
Kentucky enacted Senate Bill 124 in 2014 to permit the usage of cannabidiol (CBD) to treat specific diseases, including epilepsy, AIDS, and cancer. The law only allows patients in clinical trials or recommended by doctors practicing in a college of medicine in a Kentucky university access to hemp-derived CBD. There was no provision for cultivating or distributing CBD. In 2017, House Bill 333 was passed to allow all Kentucky residents access to hemp-derived CBD products without doctors’ recommendations. However, CBD products must contain no more than 0.3% THC.
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
No, Kentucky does not recognize out of state registrations.
Kentucky State MMP Application:
Patients using CBD do not need to register or apply in the MMP.
Patients can apply for a Medical Marijuana Card online here (Program not active until 2025):
https://kentuckystatecannabis.org/medical
Qualifying Conditions:
As of 2017, Anyone in Kentucky is eligible to use CBD without a doctor’s recommendation or MMP registry.
Medical Marijuana Qualifying Conditions (Active 2025)
- Severe, chronic, debilitating, or intractable pain
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Multiple sclerosis, spasticity, or muscle spasms
- Epilepsy or any other form of intractable disorder
- Cancer of any type
- Cyclical vomiting or chronic nausea that fails to respond to other conventional medical treatments
SB 47 allows the expansion of these qualifying conditions if approved by the Kentucky Center for Cannabis Research.
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Note that the Kentucky medical marijuana law will not take effect until January 2025. Once the state’s medical marijuana program launches, qualifying patients will be able to get medical marijuana cards as stipulated in Section 10 of Senate Bill 47 (SB47)
- Schedule an appointment with a licensed healthcare practitioner for an in-person medical evaluation, after which the practitioner will issue a written certification on a form prescribed by the Kentucky Cannabis for Health and Family Services. A bona fide patient-practitioner relationship must exist prior to certification
- Once the patient obtains a written certification for medical cannabis, they can apply for a Kentucky medical cannabis registry identification card. The Cannabis for Health and Family Services will establish administrative regulations on how to apply for a medical marijuana card when the Commonwealth’s medical program launches
- The Cabinet for Health and Family Services will review the patient’s application and, if approved, will issue them a Kentucky medical cannabis registry identification card
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Qualifying medical marijuana patients who are minors (under 18 years) will be able to get Kentucky medical cannabis registry identification cards once the Commonwealth’s Medical Cannabis Program is established. However, their parents or legal guardians must also register with the program and consent to their ward’s medical cannabis treatment. During the medical examination of minors by licensed physicians for cannabis certifications, practitioners will inform the parents or legal guardians of the possible side effects and risks associated with medical marijuana. Once the parents or legal guardians consent, the practitioners will issue such patients written certifications for medical marijuana use.
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
Senate Bill 47 makes provisions for caregivers for patients younger than 18 years or qualifying cannabis patients with disabilities. A caregiver can pick up medical marijuana products at licensed dispensaries on behalf of registered patients and administer their medications to them. Under the proposed Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program, caregivers must apply for registry identification cards as designated caregivers. To become a caregiver in the Commonwealth, a person must be at least 21 years old and a resident of Kentucky who has not been convicted of a disqualifying felony offense. A designated caregiver may only assist up to three registered qualifying marijuana patients in Kentucky.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Kentucky:
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Qualifying medical marijuana patients and designated caregivers should expect to go to licensed dispensaries with their medical marijuana cards once the legal sale of medical cannabis starts in Kentucky.
Grow at Home?
No, Kentucky prohibits qualifying medical cannabis patients from cultivating medical marijuana at home for personal use. The executive order signed by the state governor in 2022 makes no provisions for the home-growing of cannabis for marijuana patients.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
The language used, regarding permitted methods of administration, does not make sense at this time given that smoking is not permitted but “raw cannabis for vaping is”. It is unclear how one is to vape raw cannabis flower material
Permitted Routes of Administration:
raw cannabis for vaping, edibles,
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
smoking
Patient Possession Limits:
The daily limit of medical marijuana for cannabis patients in Kentucky will be determined by their medical cannabis practitioners under guidelines issued by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Typically, registered medical marijuana patients and caregivers will be allowed to have a maximum of a 10-day supply on their persons and a 30-day supply at their residences.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
The bill sets maximum limits for THC levels in medical cannabis products (flower – 35%, concentrate – 70%, and edibles – 10mg). CBD is allowed. Specifics regarding other cannabinoids are not specified at this time.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
As a patient, you will have an affirmative defense for the possession of cannabis oil.
Health insurance, workers compensation, and governmental medical assistance do have to reimburse for medical cannabis costs.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Kentucky:
Physicians’ Role and Regulation
- To certify patients, practitioners must be authorized to do so by the Kentucky State Board of Medical Licensure or the Kentucky Board of Nursing.
- The state licensing boards will determine continuing medical education requirements for certifying practitioners and pharmacists.
- Patients need a new certification every 60 days. The initial visit must be in person. After the first visit, telemedicine is allowed
Louisiana (Verified 11/4/23)
Year Est: 2016
Medical Cannabis Law:
SB 271 https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1003807
SB 180 https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=981669
Rules and Regulation Published by the Louisiana Department of Health in December 2022
https://ldh.la.gov/assets/oph/Center-EH/sanitarian/fooddrug/marijuana/FinalRule12-22.pdf
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
HB 137 Act. 439 https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1289537
Allows immunity from criminal prosecution for out of state medical patients; however out of state patients may not be able to source medical marijuana from Louisiana State Licensed Pharmacies/Dispensaries due to limited availability of medicinal marijuana provided by the States only two licensed medical marijuana manufacturers.
Louisiana State MMP Application:
At this time, Louisiana does not require or issue any identification card specific to patients utilizing therapeutic marijuana. Patients may obtain a recommendation from their authorized clinician and have that recommendation filled at one of the permitted therapeutic marijuana pharmacies in the state.
Qualifying Conditions:
Autism spectrum disorders
Cachexia/wasting syndrome
Cancer
Crohn’s disease
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Intractable pain (defined as “pain so chronic or severe as to otherwise warrant an opiate prescription”)
Muscular dystrophy
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Post traumatic stress disorder
Seizure disorders/spasticity
Severe muscle spasms
Any other condition not otherwise specified “that a physician, in his medical opinion, considers debilitating to an individual patient and is qualified through his medical education and training to treat”
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
At this time, Louisiana does not require or issue any identification card specific to patients utilizing therapeutic marijuana. Patients may obtain a recommendation from their authorized clinician and have that recommendation filled at one of the permitted therapeutic marijuana pharmacies in the state.
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
No authorized clinician shall recommend medical marijuana for treatment of any condition associated with autism spectrum disorder for a patient who is under the age of eighteen unless the clinician consults with a pediatric subspecialist. A pediatric subspecialist is an individual licensed to practice medicine in any state in the United States who provides care to patients with autism spectrum disorder.
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
Louisiana does not currently have a process to become a medical marijuana caregiver for qualifying patients in the state, however Patients may be able to authorize another person to pick up their recommended prescriptions at the pharmacy.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Permitted Therapeutic Marijuana Pharmacy Locations
https://www.pharmacy.la.gov/page/therapeutic-marijuana-pharmacy-locations
Grow at Home?
No, home cultivation of medical cannabis is not permitted in the state of Louisiana.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
The Louisiana Department of Health Defines Medical Marijuan as “any parts of the plant genus
Cannabis and all derivatives of all strains of this genus, whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted therefrom; any compound, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds, or resin, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and all other naturally-occurring phytocannabinoids, whether produced directly or indirectly by extraction. This term does not include the mature stalks of such plant; fiber produced from such stalks; oil or cake made from the seeds of such
plant; any other compound, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except for the resin extracted therefrom); fiber, oil, or cake; or sterilized seed
incapable of germination.”
Permitted Routes of Administration:
The acceptable forms of medical marijuana in Louisiana, approved by the legislature, are flower, oils, extracts, tinctures, sprays, capsules, pills, solutions, suspension, gelatin-based chewables, lotions, transdermal patches, suppositories, and metered-dose inhalation.
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
Any patient under 21 years old seeking medical marijuana in the form of raw flower must have their physician specifically recommend “marijuana in raw or crude form”
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Louisiana’s Department of Health’s definition of medical cannabis includes tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and all other naturally-occurring phytocannabinoids, whether produced directly or indirectly by extraction.
Patient Possession Limits:
2.5 ounces of cannabis to a patient every 14 days.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
House Bill 629 https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1289537
Police can not conduct a warrantless search solely based on the smell of marijuana.
House Bill 988 https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1290033
Protections against employment discrimination relative to a patient’s use of medical marijuana.
House Bill 775 https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1289537
Allows medical marijuana patients to possess equipment or devices used for the inhalation of raw or crude marijuana for therapeutic use.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in :
Doctors will need to modify their Schedule 1 privileges with the Board of Pharmacy.
Louisiana Board of Pharmacy‘s Therapeutic Marijuana Guidance Page:
https://www.pharmacy.la.gov/page/authorized-clinicians-therapeutic-marijuana-guidance
Michigan (Verified 11/4/23)
Year Est: 2008
Medical Cannabis Law:
Michigan Medical Marijuana Act https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(ao12zpr1yfc201mg5r4wahno))/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-Initiated-Law-1-of-2008.pdf
Reciprocity (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting?):
Yes, Michigan offers reciprocity to out of state patients. Per the Marijuana Sale or Transfer Rule Set a provisioning center may sell or transfer marijuana product to a visiting qualifying patient if all the following are met:
- The licensee verifies that the visiting qualifying patient has a valid unexpired medical marijuana registry card – or its equivalent – issued in another state, district, territory, commonwealth, or insular possession of the United States that allows the medical use of marihuana.
- The licensee confirms that the visiting qualifying patient presented his or her valid driver license or government-issued identification card that bears a photographic image of the visiting qualifying patient.
- The licensee determines, if completed, that any transfer or sale will not exceed the purchasing limit prescribed in the Marijuana Sale or Transfer Rule Set.
- Any marihuana product that is sold or transferred under this rule has been tested and is labeled and packaged for sale or transfer in accordance with the Marijuana Sale or Transfer Rule Set.
- As used in this sub rule, “visiting qualifying patient” means that term as defined in Section 3 of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, 2008 IL 1, MCL 333.26423.
Michigan State MMP Application:
Applications can be submitted online or in paper form
Qualifying Conditions:
Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Arthritis
Autism
Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Cancer
Cerebral palsy
Colitis
Chronic pain
Crohn’s disease
Glaucoma
HIV or AIDS
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Hepatitis C
Nail patella
Nausea
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Parkinson’s
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Seizures
Severe and persistent muscle spasms
Spinal cord injury
Tourette’s syndrome
Ulcerative colitis
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
- Adult applicants must be a Michigan resident 18 years of age or older
- Visit a Medical Doctor (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) licensed in Michigan
- Be diagnosed with one of the qualifying debilitating conditions listed above
- Submit $40 application fee and all required documentation
Apply online at www.michigan.gov/mmp
or submit a paper application to:
State of Michigan – MMMP
PO Box 40083
Lansing MI, 48909
If applying online you must be applying as a Patient only. If applying with a Caregiver, you must submit a paper application. Minor applicants must submit a paper application and their custodial parent or legal guardian with responsibility for health care decisions must serve as their caregiver.
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
All Minor MMMP applications must be submitted in paper form.
- Individuals under the age of eighteen in Michigan must receive certifications from two separate physicians.
- Proof of Michigan residency.
- A declaration of responsibility signed by the parent or legal guardian also certifies them as an official caregiver on behalf of the applying patient; signing this document acknowledges that you have been explained the risks of medical cannabis and will take on the responsibility of acquisition, dosage, and frequency of the medical use of cannabis by the patient.
- There is a $40 application fee for minors.
Minor Patient Application for Medical Marijuana:
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
You must meet the requirements in the statutory definition of “caregiver” in The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA). A patient must submit one of the following in paper form to designate you as their caregiver:
- A complete Application Packet (if the patient is within 90 days of his or her registry card expiring OR the person is not a current patient with an active registry card)
- A complete Add or Change Caregiver Form (if the patient already has an active registry card)
- Your valid state-issued driver license or personal identification card must be submitted with the patient’s Application Packet or Add or Change Caregiver Form.
Paper form for Patients to Add or Change their Caregiver:
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Michigan
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Yes, dispensaries in Michigan may also engage in home delivery.
Grow at Home?
Yes, Michigan Medical Marijuana Patients may grow up to 12 marijuana plants for himself or herself or have his or her registered primary caregiver with whom he or she is connected through the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP) grow up to 12 marijuana plants for him or her.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Usable Marijuana and usable marijuana equivalents in solid, gas or liquid forms.
Permitted Routes of Administration:
Usable marijuana (flower) and marijuana infused products (concentrates, topicals, tinctures, edibles)
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
not stated specifically that I saw. (neither did I)
Patient Possession Limits:
2.5 Ounces of usable marijuana and usable marijuana equivalents. For purposes of determining usable marihuana equivalency, the following shall be considered equivalent to 1 ounce of usable marihuana:
(1) 16 ounces of marihuana-infused product if in a solid form.
(2) 7 grams of marihuana-infused product if in a gaseous form.
(3) 36 fluid ounces of marihuana-infused product if in a liquid form.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
On July 12, 2023, the Michigan Civil Service Commission approved recommendations ending pre-employment marijuana testing requirements for most state employees. Those who are not employed by the state will not be affected by this change and remain unprotected for off-the-job consumption of marijuana.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Michigan:
Medical professionals recommending medical cannabis must be a licensed medical doctor or doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Physicians are required to demonstrate a bona fide physician-patient relationship through:
- The physician has reviewed the patient’s relevant medical records and completed a full assessment of the patient’s medical history and current medical condition, including a relevant, in-person, medical evaluation of the patient.
- The physician has created and maintained records of the patient’s condition in accordance with medically accepted standards.
- The physician has a reasonable expectation that he or she will provide follow-up care to the patient to monitor the efficacy of the use of medical marihuana as a treatment of the patient’s debilitating medical condition.
- If the patient has given permission, the physician has notified the patient’s primary care physician of the patient’s debilitating medical condition and certification for the use of medical marihuana to treat that condition.
A physician shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or denied any right or privilege, including but not limited to civil penalty or disciplinary action by the Michigan board of medicine, the Michigan board of osteopathic medicine and surgery, or any other business or occupational or professional licensing board or bureau, solely for providing written certifications if in compliance with a bona fide physician-patient relationship.
Mississippi (Verified 11/4/23)
Year Est:2022
Medical Cannabis Law:
SB 2095 Passed in 2022
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2022/pdf/SB/2001-2099/SB2095SG.pdf
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)
Yes. They must medically qualify and apply for a patient license just as residents do. Applications can be made up to thirty days before arriving in Mississippi, and cards are valid for fifteen days. See 15 Miss. Code Ann. Pt. 22, RR. 2.5.1, 2.5.2, 2.5.3, and 2.5.4.
MMCP Application:
Applications must be submitted within 6 months of receiving a recommendation from a state qualified clinician. Applications are submitted through the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program Licensing Portal/ Mississippi Department of Health (MDOH): https://ms-doh-public.nls.egov.com/login
MDOH Regulations for Medical Cannabis Program:
https://www.mmcp.ms.gov/sites/default/files/Documents/15.22.2RegistryandCards.pdf
Qualifying Conditions:
Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Autism
Cachexia
Cancer
Chronic pain (refractory)
Crohn’s disease
Diabetic/peripheral neuropathy
Dementia-realted agitation
Glaucoma
hepatitis
HIV/AIDS
Huntington’s disease
Muscular dystrophy
Nausea
Parkinson’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Seizures
Severe and persistent muscle spasms
Sickle cell disease
Pastic quadriplegia
Spinal cord disease
Ulcerative colitis
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
To qualify, patients must
- have at least one qualifying medical condition
- written certification issued by a healthcare practitioner with whom they have a bona fide relationship.
- Patients must also apply to be a cardholder in the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program(MMCP) through Mississippi Department of Health (MDOH).
- The MMCP Cost $25 (or less in some cases).
MMCP Licensing / Industry Portal User Guide
https://www.mmcp.ms.gov/sites/default/files/Documents/19089.pdf
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
- A certification issued for a minor (under the age of 18) may only be issued by a physician (MD/DO).
- Caregivers for minor patients MUST be the child’s primary custodial parent or legal guardian. Documentation of custody will need to be uploaded with caregiver application in the form of a birth certificate or legal documents designating custody
MMCP CareGiver Information
Patients can designate a caregiver to assist them with the medical use of cannabis by submitting the following form through the MMCP Licensing Portal. If a patient needs more than one caregiver, they must submit information documenting that more caregivers are needed due to the patient’s age or medical condition.
Patient Authorization/Caregiver Authorization Form (MMCP Designation of Caregiver Form)
- Caregivers must be 21 years (unless they are the parent or guardian of a patient)
- Cannot have certain prior felony convictions
- Must apply through the MMPC Licensing Portal/ MDOH
- Caregivers can assist no more than five patient (limit does not apply when the caregiver works in a health facility or similar institution that provides care to patients)
Directions for Medical Cannabis Caregiver PDF
Affidavit for Medical Cannabis Work Permits & Caregivers
https://www.mmcp.ms.gov/sites/default/files/Documents/19111.pdf
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in your State:
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Yes Mississippi has a list of operational dispensaries available through the link below
https://www.mmcp.ms.gov/search_business
Grow at Home?
No, the State of Mississippi currently does not allow patients to grow medical cannabis at home.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Legal forms of medical cannabis include: flower, concentrated cannabis, cannabis extracts, and products that are infused with cannabis or an extract thereof .This includes edible cannabis products, beverages, topical products, ointments, oils, tinctures and suppositories that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD) except those products excluded from control under Miss. Code Sections 41-29-113 and 41-29-136.
Permitted Routes of Administration:inhalation of smoke or vapor, oral and topical
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
Below is a copy of Miss SB 2183, an amendment to remove Marijuana from the list of Schedule 1 Substances, which confirms definitions.
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2022/html/SB/2100-2199/SB2183IN.htm
Patient Possession Limits:
No More than 6 MMCEU’s Weekly
No More than 24 MMCEU’s in a 30 Day Period
“MMCEU” Mississippi Medical Cannabis Equivalency Unit. One unit of MMCEU shall be considered equal to:
- Three and one-half (3.5) grams of medical cannabis flower;
- One (1) gram of medical cannabis concentrate; or
- One hundred (100) milligrams of THC in an infused product.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
THC Limits in Cannabis products:
- flower or trim, no more than 30% total THC
- cannabis tinctures, oils and concentrates of no more than 60% total THC
- and edible cannabis products of no more than 60% total THC.
Limit Specifics Regarding Other Cannabinoids Not Specified at this time.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
SB 2095 Protects against Discrimination in the following settings:
- A person shall not be denied custody of or visitation rights or parenting time with a minor solely for the person’s status as a cardholder.
- No school, landlord or employer may be penalized or denied any benefit under state law for enrolling, leasing to or employing a cardholder.
- A registered qualifying patient or registered designated caregiver shall not be denied the right to own, purchase or possess a firearm, firearm accessory or ammunition based solely on his or her status as a registered qualifying patient or registered designated caregiver. No state or local agency, municipal or county governing authority shall restrict, revoke, suspend or otherwise infringe upon the right of a person to own, purchase or possess a firearm, firearm accessory or ammunition or any related firearms license or certification based solely on his or her status as a registered qualifying patient or registered designated caregiver.
- Facilities such as schools, child care facilities and temporary care providers shall be allowed to administer medical cannabis in the same manner as with medical prescriptions.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician:
Any physician who is licensed to practice medicine in Mississippi may issue a written order for CBD oil treatment to patients suffering with a debilitating epileptic condition or related illness. The CBD oil must be administered by or under the direction or supervision of that physician.
A practitioner such as a physician (MD/DO), certified nurse practitioner, physician assistant or optometrist who is licensed to prescribe medicine under the licensing requirements of their respective occupational boards and the laws of the state may participate in the medical cannabis program.
To register with the Department, practitioners must submit the following information:
- Evidence of unrestricted licensure in Mississippi by the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure; Mississippi State Board of Nursing; or Mississippi State Board of Optometry;
- Issue date and expiration date of licensure in Mississippi; 20
- Area of specialty;
- Physical address of practice;
- Current telephone number and email address;
- Evidence of completion of continuing medical education approved by the Department;
- A waiver, signed and dated by the practitioner, allowing, and authorizing the Department to fully communicate with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, Mississippi State Board of Nursing; or Mississippi State Board of Optometry and receive licensure information; and,
- If applicable, a disclosure that the applicant has a direct or indirect familial or financial relationship with or interest in a licensed entity participating in the medical cannabis program.
- Practitioners must complete 8 hours of initial training related to the use of medical cannabis in order to enroll in the program. Annual training (5 hours) related to the use of medical cannabis must also be completed in order to annually renew participation in the program. All training must be approved by the Department. Failure to meet these training requirements will negatively impact a practitioner’s ability to participate in the Program.
Practitioners can register with the MDOH using the link below:
Missouri (Verified 11/16/2023)
Year Est:2020
Medical Cannabis Law:
Missouri Constitution Article XIV Section 1: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV++++1&bid=51540&constit=y
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)
Missouri does not offer reciprocity to out of state patients at this time.
State MMP Application:
Patients may apply through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services:
https://mo-public.mycomplia.com/#!/signin
Qualifying Conditions:
Cancer
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
Intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment
A chronic medical condition that causes severe, persistent pain or persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, and Tourette’s syndrome
Debilitating psychiatric disorders, including, but not limited to, post-traumatic stress order, if diagnosed by a state licensed psychiatrist
Human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome
A chronic medical condition that is normally treated with a prescription medications that could lead to physical or psychological dependence, when a physician determines that medical use of marijuana could be effective in treating that condition and would serve as a safer alternative to the prescription medication
A terminal illness
In the professional judgment of a physician, any other chronic, debilitating or other medical condition, including, but not limited to, hepatitis C,
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, Huntington’s disease, autism, neuropathies, sickle cell anemia, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, cachexia, and wasting syndrome.
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
To use medical marijuana in Missouri, patients will first need to have it recommended to treat a qualifying condition by a registered doctor or nurse practitioner. Once the practitioner has completed this certification, patients can fill out an ID card application online. The application will require the following:
- patient’s name, date of birth, and social security number.
- residence address and mailing address.
- Proof of Residency in Missouri via : A copy of a valid Missouri driver’s license, state ID, current vehicle registration, or a recent Missouri utility bill.
- A statement confirming that your physician certification is less than 30 days old.
- a legible photo ID issued by a state or federal government entity.
- A clear color photo of your face taken within 3 months of the application.
- (optional) a statement indicating whether you are currently receiving assistance from any Missouri programs for low-income individuals, and if so, which programs.
Patient and caregiver licenses are valid for up to one year. More information can be found in the Missouri Department of Health Patient Information Document:
https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/205.pdf
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Patients that are under the age of 18 will also need to complete and submit a Parent/Legal Guardian Consent Form with their application. This form must be completed and signed by the Parent/Legal Guardian that is listed in the minor patient’s application. Once the minor patient’s application has been approved, this Parent/Legal Guardian will be required to complete and submit a caregiver application.
Parent/ Legal Guardian Consent Form:
https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/sample-parental-legal-guardian.pdf
Caregiver/ Patient Authorization Form
https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/sample-patient-authorization.pdf
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver in Missouri:
Caregivers must be at least 21 years of age. To start the process, have a registered patient complete a caregiver authorization form. Patients may designate up to two caregivers this way, each caregiver may serve up to three patients. Caregivers will then make an account on the Missouri health portal and complete their application online.To complete this application caregivers will need to supply the same documentation that is required of patients (listed above).
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Missouri
State Licensed Dispensaries?
A list of Missouri State Licensed Dispensaries can be found here:
https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/licensed-facilities.php
Grow at Home?
Yes, Missouri Allows Registered Patients/ Caregivers to apply to cultivate up to 6 flowering plants in a closed and locked facility for an extra $100 fee. A list of Rules, Guidelines, and Application Requirements can be found on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Website.
https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/patient-cultivation.php#general
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration:
- Ingestion of capsules, teas, oils, and other marijuana-infused products;
- Vaporization or smoking of dried flowers, buds, plant material, extracts, oils, and other marijuana-infused products;
- Application of ointments or balms;
- Transdermal patches and suppositories
- Consuming marijuana-infused food products; or
- Any other method recommended by a qualifying patient’s physician or nurse practitioner.
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
Not listed at this time
Patient Possession Limits:
Patients May possess up to 6 ounces of Medical Marijuana per 30 day Period. Patients requiring more than the standard 6oz per month will need to have this certified by a physician.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Missouri does not currently have restrictions on specific cannabinoids
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Patients will have an affirmative defense in court if arrested for cannabis possession. If a patient requires an organ transplant, they will not be turned away because of their cannabis use.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Missouri:
Medical Marijuana can be recommended by a registered practicing Physician or Nurse Practitioner (NP) in Missouri who is in good standing with the state board of health.
To Register a Physician/Nurse Practitioner must:
- Submit a “Physician/Nurse Practitioner Registration” application type.
- Upload their current medical license.
- Become verified with the department as a Missouri licensed physician (MD, DO)/nurse practitioner (NP) who is active and in good standing pursuant to Missouri law.
A certifying nurse practitioner must:
- Hold a current Missouri or compact RN license.
- Maintain national certification in a population focus.
- Be recognized by the Missouri State Board of Nursing as an advanced practice registered nurse.
Physicians submit certifications electronically in a system provided by the state health department. Certifications must be issued no more than 30 days before the date of the patient’s application. Signing this document certifies that a physician has:
- Met with and examined the qualifying patient.
- Reviewed the qualifying patient’s medical records or medical history.
- Reviewed the qualifying patient’s current medications and allergies to medications
- Discussed the qualifying patient’s current symptoms
- Created a medical record for the qualifying patient regarding the meeting.
- Discussed the qualifying patient risks associated with medical cannabis, including known contraindications applicable to the patient, risks of medical cannabis use to fetuses, and risks of medical cannabis use to breastfeeding infants.
More Information on Physician/ Nurse Practitioner Registration & Responsibilities:
Nevada
Year Est: 2000
Medical Cannabis Law:
Title 56 Nevada Revised Statutes 678 A- 678 C
https://ccb.nv.gov/laws-regulations/#item-0
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)
Yes, Nevada offers reciprocity to out of state patients.
Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health’s Medical Marijuana Registry Application Form:
Qualifying Conditions:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome;
An anxiety disorder;
An autism spectrum disorder;
An autoimmune disease;
Anorexia nervosa;
Cancer;
Dependence upon or addiction to opioids;
Glaucoma;
Cachexia;
Muscle spasms, including, without limitation, spasms caused by multiple sclerosis;
Seizures, including, without limitation, seizures caused by epilepsy;
Nausea; or
Severe or chronic pain;
A medical condition related to the human immunodeficiency virus;
A neuropathic condition, whether or not such condition causes seizures
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Patients with a qualifying condition can apply to the Nevada DPBH’s Medical Marijuana Cardholder Registry online through the online portal or by submitting a written request by mail.
To complete the application patients will need to submit:
- Valid, written documentation from the patient’s attending physician stating:
1) The patient has been diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating medical condition
2)The medical use of marijuana may mitigate the symptoms or effects of the condition; and
3) The attending physician has explained the possible risks and benefits of the medical use of marijuana
- The name, address and telephone number of the patient’s attending physician;
- The name, address, telephone number, social security number and date of birth of the patient;
- Proof of residency in the State of Nevada for the patient;
- If designating a Caregiver: The name, address, telephone number and social security number of the designated caregiver; and
- A written and signed statement from the patient’s attending physician approving of the designation of the caregiver
- Application Fee
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Patients under the age of 18 in Nevada, may register as a medical marijuana cardholder if over the age of 10 years old and diagnosed with a qualifying condition. The parent or legal guardian must sign a “minor release” form and attach it to the patient application. The parent or guardian must also be designated as the primary caregiver and will be responsible for acquiring medicine and administering treatment.
The minor release form includes a written statement confirming that:
- The attending physician of the minor has explained to both the minor and the custodial parent/legal guardian of the possible risks and benefits of the medical use of marijuana;
- The custodial parent/legal guardian consents to the medical use of marijuana for the minor;
- The custodial parent/legal guardian agrees to serve as the primary caretaker for the minor; and
- The custodial parent/legal guardian agrees to control the acquisition, dosage, and frequency of use by the minor.
Minor Application Request form:
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
Caregivers must be 18 years of age or older and be designated by the patient to receive a registration identification card from the State of Nevada. A patient may have only one designated primary caregiver at any given time
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in your State:
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Yes,The State of Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board provides a list of licensed dispensaries for Medical & Adult Use Cannabis.
https://ccb.nv.gov/list-of-licensees/
Grow at Home?
Sometimes, Nevada law (NRS453A) currently allows cardholders to home cultivate if they fall into one or more of the following exceptions:
- If there is no dispensary in the county where your live or you do not live within 25 miles of a dispensary
- If there was no dispensary operating within 25 miles of where you live when you first applied for your card and have not had a lapse in your registration
- If you are unable to travel to a dispensary due to illness or lack of transportation
- If the dispensaries in the county in which you live are unable to supply the strain of marijuana necessary for your medical condition
Plant Limits: Any adult over the age of 21 may grow cannabis in Nevada so long as they live over 25 miles from an operating cannabis retailer. You may grow up to six mature plants and possess up to six immature plants at the same time. No more than 12 plants per household. Your plants must be kept in a secure area not visible to the public.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Nevada law defines usable cannabis as the dried leaves and flowers of a plant of the genus Cannabis, and any mixture or preparation thereof, that are appropriate for the medical use of cannabis or the adult use of cannabis; and the seeds of a plant of the genus Cannabis. The term does not include the stalks and roots of the plant.
Permitted Routes of Administration:
Smoking, vaping, capsules, tinctures, edibles, and topicals
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
N/A
Patient Possession Limits:
The Nevada medical marijuana card allows the cardholder to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of flower, edibles, topicals, or concentrates every 2 weeks
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Restrictions for specific cannabinoids are not made at this time.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Patients and caregivers are exempt from arrest and prosecution for conduct allowed under state law, such as purchasing and possessing medical cannabis acquired from a state-licensed dispensary. An employer cannot fire you on the grounds of your medical cannabis use; however they are not required to allow you to medicate on the job site.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Nevada:
Medical doctors (M.D.s) or doctors of osteopathy (D.O.s) who are currently licensed by the State of Nevada may recommend the therapeutic use of cannabis to any patient under their care who is diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating medical condition. Under the law, professional licensing boards are prohibited from taking disciplinary action against attending physicians who obey Nevada’s medical cannabis statute. Physicians are obligated to inform their patient of the risks and benefits of medical cannabis and must have informed consent for minor patients
Oregon (Verified 11/20/2023)
Year Est:1998
Oregon Medical Marijuana Act
Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR’s) for Medical Marijuana:
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)
No, Oregon does not offer reciprocity to out of state patients at this time.
Oregon Medical Marijuana Patient (OMMP) Application Form:
https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/le9240.pdf
Qualifying Conditions:
Alzheimer’s disease
Cachexia
Cancer
Chronic pain
Glaucoma
HIV or AIDS
Nausea
Persistent muscle spasms
Post-traumatic stress
Seizures
Other conditions are subject to approval
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
After receiving a recommendation for medical cannabis from a state licensed physician, patients can apply for an OMMP patient ID by submitting an application online or by mail.
The application requires:
- a physician’s statement that contains (a) the diagnosis of a debilitating medical condition and (b) a medical opinion that the medical use of marijuana may mitigate the symptoms or effects of the condition.
- copies of current valid photo ID issued by the state of Oregon.
- There is a $200 registration fee for most patients,if you can provide proof of your enrollment in SNAP, the fee is $60; with OHP eligibility it is $50, and for veterans or Social Security recipients, it is $20.
If, upon an initial review, it appears that a complete application has been received, the patient will be issued a receipt letter. This receipt has the same legal effect as a registry identification card for 30 days following the date printed on the letter. Once the application is finished being processed, a card will be mailed.
If the application is NOT complete, OMMP staff will send an “Incomplete Letter” to let the patient know what needs to be submitted to complete the application. The patient will have 14 days from the date of the letter to get the missing application materials to OMMP. If the missing application materials are not submitted within the 14 days, the application may be rejected.
Oregon Medical Marijuana Patient (OMMP) Online Application Training Document:
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
In addition to the patient application form, Patients under the age of 18 will have to submit a “Declaration of Person Responsible for a Minor to Participate in OMMP” Form:
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
Yes, patients may designate only one primary caregiver. Caregivers must meet the following requirements:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- has significant responsibility for managing the well-being of a person who has been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition.
- Primary caregiver does not include the patient’s physician.
Organization or Facility Caregiver Consent Form:
https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/le2585.pdf
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in your State:
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Yes, Oregon has a directory of operational state licensed dispensaries.
Grow at Home?
Yes, A patient may grow up to six mature plants, or up to 18 immature seedlings for themselves or designate an individual 21 years or older to act as their grower. A grower may start growing for a patient on the effective date found on the grower’s registration card. Patients growing medical marijuana or designating a grower are required to provide the OMMP with the grow site address. Only one grow site address may be registered per patient. Grow sites must be a physical address located in Oregon.
OMMP Grow Site Consent Form:
https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/le2570.pdf
The OMMP conducts a criminal background check on all designated growers. If a grower has been convicted of felony violating ORS 475.752 through 475.920 on or after January 1, 2006, that person is prohibited from growing marijuana for a patient for two years from the date of conviction for the first offense. Individuals with more than one conviction are permanently prohibited from growing.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration:
Inhalation of Cannabis Flower, Concentrates or the use of Medical Cannabinoid products (cannabinoid edible and any other product intended for human consumption or use, including a product intended to be applied to a person’s skin or hair, that contains cannabinoids or dried leaves or flowers of marijuana.)
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
N/A
Patient Possession Limits:
24 OZ of usable Cannabis
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
Adult use cannabinoid” includes, but is not limited to, tetrahydrocannabinols, tetrahydrocannabinolic acids that are artificially or naturally derived, delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the optical isomers of delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol or delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol and any artificially derived cannabinoid that is reasonably determined to have an intoxicating effect.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Patients will not be turned away from an organ transplant based on cannabis use.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician:
An attending provider who has the primary responsibility for the care and treatment of a person diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition may recommend medical marijuana. An attending provider is defined as:
- Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), licensed under ORS chapter 677.
- Physician Assistant licensed under ORS 677.505 to 677.525.
- Nurse Practitioner licensed under ORS 678.375 to 678.390.
- Clinical Nurse Specialist licensed under ORS 678.370 and 678.372.
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist as defined in ORS 678.245.
- Naturopathic Physician licensed under ORS chapter 685.
“Primary responsibility” means that the attending provider has one of the following roles:
- Provides primary health care for the patient.
- Provides medical specialty care and treatment for the patient.
- Is a consultant who has been asked to examine and treat the patient by the patient’s primary care physician licensed under ORS Chapter 677, the patient’s physician assistant licensed under ORS Chapter 677, or the patient’s nurse practitioner licensed under ORS Chapter 678.
- The attending provider must also have reviewed a patient’s medical records at the patient’s request and conducted a thorough physical examination of the patient; provided or planned follow-up care; and documented these activities in the patient’s medical record.
An Attending Provider Statement (APS) form must be signed by the attending provider attesting that the patient has been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition and that the medical use of marijuana may mitigate the symptoms or effect of the individual’s debilitating medical condition. As an alternative, the attending provider may supply the patient with relevant portions of the patient’s medical records containing the same information on the APS.
Oregon Attending Provider Statement Form (PDF):
https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/le9265.pdf
The patient is responsible for submitting the APS, or relevant medical records, with other required application documents, to the OMMP. The APS or relevant medical documents must be submitted within 90 days of the attending provider’s signature when a patient applies for the first time. When a patient is renewing with OMMP, application material must be submitted within 90 days of their registration card expiration date and the APS must be signed within that 90-day period.
Attending provider protections and rights may be found under ORS 475C.891, 475C.892 and 475C.916. Specific questions for how overseeing Boards follow these ORSs should be directed to the specific Board.
Oregon Guidelines for Attending Physicians when Recommending the Medical Use of Cannabis:
Texas *** Low THC Only*** (Verified 11/20/2023)
Year Est: 2015
Medical Cannabis Law:
Senate Bill 339
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/84R/billtext/pdf/SB00339F.pdf
House Bill 3703
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/86R/billtext/pdf/HB03703F.pdf#navpanes=0
Texas State Cannabis Law Guide:
https://guides.sll.texas.gov/cannabis/compassionate-use
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)
No Texas does not offer reciprocity to out of state patients at this time.
Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURP) Application:
Applications are submitted by qualified physicians online through the Department of Public Safety .
https://www.dps.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/rsd/cup/docs/physicianreginstr.pdf
Qualifying Conditions:
Autism
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Cancer
Incurable neurodegenerative disorders
Intractable Epilepsy
Multiple sclerosis
Post-traumatic stress
Seizure disorders
Terminal cancer
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Patients may get Low-THC cannabis prescribed if:
- The patient is a permanent resident of Texas
- The patient has one of the medical conditions listed above
- A CUP registered physician prescribes
- That qualified physician decides the benefit outweighs the risk
Getting a prescription:
- The physician will enter a prescription in the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT)
- After, the patient or legal guardian can go to any licensed dispensary to get the prescription
- The patient or legal guardian will need to provide ID and patient’s, last name, date of birth, and last five digits of their Social Security Number
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
There is no age limit for prescriptions. Patients under 18 may need a legal guardian.
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
Not Specified
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in your State:
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Yes, Texas may have up to 3 Licensed Dispensaries
Grow at Home?
Growing Medical Marijuana or Cannabis is not legal in Texas.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Low-THC comes from the plant Cannabis Sativa L. All parts of the plant and any resulting compounds, salts, resins, oils and derivatives that contain no more than 0.5 % by weight of THC are considered Low-THC.
Permitted Routes of Administration: swallowing
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration: smoking is not allowed
Patient Possession Limits:
Low-THC (no more than 1 percent by weight of tetrahydrocannabinols)/high CBD (not less than 10 percent) oil preparations
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
No more than 0.5% THC
Restrictions on other cannabinoids not specified at this time.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Registration as a patient may provide you with an affirmative defense in court if you are arrested for your possession of CBD oil.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician:
Physicians wishing to recommend low-THC cannabis must meet the following requirements:
- Licensed to practice medicine in the state of Texas
- Dedicates a significant portion of his or her clinical practice to evaluate and treat epilepsy
- Is certified by either American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in:
-Epilepsy
-Neurology
-Neurology with special qualification in child neurology
Or the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology in Neurophysiology
Physicians meeting these requirements must register with the DPS as a prescriber for the specific patient. That information must include:
- Physician’s name
- patient’s name and date of birth
- Prescribed dosage
- means of administration
- A total amount of low-THC cannabis to fill the prescription
Physicians are also required to maintain a patient treatment plan that tracks:
- dosage, means of administration, and duration of treatment
- plan for monitoring symptoms
- plan for monitoring indicators of tolerance or reaction to cannabis.
CURT System Physician Registration Process Document:
https://www.dps.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/rsd/cup/docs/physicianreginstr.pdf
Utah
Year Est: 2018
Medical Cannabis Law:
Utah Medical Cannabis Legislation Summary 2023
https://medicalcannabis.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023-legislation-summary.pdf
The State of Utah provides to following webpage with links to relevant Medical Cannabis Statutes:
https://medicalcannabis.utah.gov/resources/utah-medical-cannabis-law/
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)
Yes, The patient must have a Utah qualifying condition and register with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for a Non-Utah Resident card via the Electronic Verification System (EVS) for approval. Non-Utah Residents may request a card for up to two 21-day periods within a calendar year.
State MMP Application:
All applications must be submitted online via the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) ‘ Electronic Verification System (EVS)
Qualifying Conditions:
HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome
Alzheimer’s disease
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
cancer
cachexia
persistent nausea that is not significantly responsive to traditional treatment, except for nausea related to:
- pregnancy
- cannabis-induced cyclical vomiting syndrome
- cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
epilepsy or debilitating seizures
multiple sclerosis or persistent and debilitating muscle spasms
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that is being treated and monitored by a licensed health therapist (defined here), and that:
- has been diagnosed by a healthcare provider by the Veterans Administration and documented in the patient’s record; or
- has been diagnosed or confirmed by evaluation from a psychiatrist, masters prepared psychologist, a masters prepared licensed clinical social worker, or a psychiatric APRN
autism
a terminal illness when the patient’s life expectancy is less than six months
a condition resulting in the individual receiving hospice care
a rare condition or disease that affects less than 200,000 individuals in the U.S., as defined in federal law, and that is not adequately managed despite treatment attempts using conventional medications (other than opioids or opiates) or physical interventions
persistent pain lasting longer than two weeks that is not adequately managed, in the qualified medical provider’s opinion, despite treatment attempts using conventional medications other than opioids or opiates or physical interventions
acute pain that is expected to last for 2 weeks or longer for an acute condition, including a surgical procedure, for which a medical professional may generally prescribe opioids for a limited duration
Note: Patients with medical conditions not listed in the law may petition the Compassionate Use Board for a medical cannabis card, which will review complete petitions and recommend eligibility on a case-by-case basis. LMPs are unable to submit to the Compassionate Use Board.
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
- Must be a Utah Resident;
- Must have at least one qualifying condition;
- Submit an application online;
- Meet in-person with a medical provider registered with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to recommend medical cannabis;
- The medical provider has certified your eligibility for a medical cannabis card online; and
- Pay a $15 application fee online.
NOTE: If a patient is a minor under the age of 21 or if they are an adult over 21 but do not have a qualifying condition, the application must be reviewed by the Compassionate Use Board. A minor cannot receive a medical cannabis card unless their parent or legal guardian qualifies for a medical cannabis guardian card.
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Patients under the age of 18 in Utah, must apply for a provisional patient card which is subject to approval by the Compassionate Use Board. The patient’s parent or legal guardian will need to be issued a guardian card and assume responsibility for acquiring medicine, monitoring and administering treatment.
Requirements for Becoming a Care
Caregivers must meet the following requirements to be issued a caregiver card:
- Must be 21 years of age or older
- Must be designated by the patient cardholder they will be assisting
- Assume responsibility for assisting the patient in procuring and administering medical cannabis.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Utah
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Utah DHHS provides the following list of State Licensed Medical Cannabis Pharmacies and Home Delivery Services.
https://medicalcannabis.utah.gov/pharmacies/pharmacy-locations/
Grow at Home?
No, Medical Cannabis is not legal to grow at home in the State of Utah
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Qualified medical providers (QMPs) may submit directions for use and dosing guidelines for their patients in the electronic verification system (EVS) or they may leave those up to the pharmacy medical provider at the medical cannabis pharmacy to determine.
Permitted Routes of Administration:
Aerosol
Tablet
Capsule
Concentrated oil
Liquid suspension
Transdermal preparation
Gelatinous cube
Unprocessed cannabis flower in a tamper-evident and a resistant container that is opaque that contains a quantity that varies no more than 10% from the stated weight at the time of packaging
Wax or resin
Medical cannabis devices such as a vaping pen that warms cannabis material into a vapor without the use of a flame and that delivers cannabis to an individual’s respiratory system
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
Smoking cannabis is not permitted.
The law prohibits candies, cookies, brownies, and other edible products.
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
THC: Patients in Utah must be Medical Cannabis cardholders to legally purchase, possess and consume THC. (see possession limits section below)
CBD: It is legal under Utah law for anyone to purchase and possess hemp extract, or CBD oil if it contains less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These products must be registered with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
Utah Cannabinoid Research and Medical Cannabis Statute C26B
https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title26B/Chapter4/C26B-4-P2_2023050320230503.pdf
Possession Limits:
Qualifying patients may not possess or purchase more than an amount sufficient to provide 30 days of treatment based on the dosing guidelines recommended by their recommending medical provider and may not exceed:
- More than 113 grams of unprocessed cannabis (flower); and
- More than 20 grams of total composite THC in all other medicinal dosage forms.
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Patients will have an affirmative defense in court if arrested for cannabis possession. Patients will also be legally protected from discrimination in a child custody hearing based on their cannabi use. An employer will not be allowed to fire a patient on the basis of enrollment in the program. Patients will not be turned away from an organ transplant due to use of cannabis.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician:
Physicians, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, and physician assistants who are licensed to prescribe a controlled substance will be allowed to recommend medical cannabis treatment for their patients.
LMP: A limited medical provider (LMP) may do a medical cannabis recommendation for up to 15 patients without registering with UDOH and without using the EVS. A limited medical provider is any MD, DO, APRN, PA, or podiatrist with a controlled substance license.
QMP: A qualified medical provider (physician, osteopathic physician, APRN, and PAs) can register as a QMP through the EVS established by the UDOH. QMP’s may not recommend cannabis to more than 175 patients at one time or more than 300 if the provider is certified in certain specialties. Providers may only recommend cannabis in the course of a patient-physician relationship after reviewing the patient’s medical history and condition. A continuing education requirement will be required for doctor’s every two years.
Physicians wishing to recommend Medical Cannabis to patients in Utah must:
- Be a Utah-licensed medical doctor (MD), osteopathic physician (DO), advanced practice registered nurse (ARPN), doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM), or physician assistant (PA) with a Utah controlled substance license;
- Complete at least 4 hours of department-approved education on medical cannabis;
- Submit an application to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); and
- Pay a $100 application fee to DHHS.
Washington (Verified 11/20/2023)
Year Est:1998
Medical Cannabis Law:
- Medical Cannabis State Law | RCW Title 69 Ch. 69.51 A
https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=69.51A
- Authorization Data Base | Ch. 246 71 WAC https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-71
- Certified Medical Cannabis Consultant | Ch. 246 72 WAC https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-72
- Marijuana Product Compliance | Ch. 246 70 WAC
https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-70
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)
Washington does not recognize out of state medical cannabis cards, however patients can still purchase cannabis from one of Washington’s licensed retail dispensaries with a valid ID from their home state. It would still be a good idea for patients to carry their valid medical marijuana card in case of any interactions with law enforcement. Public Consumption of Cannabis is not permitted in Washington State.
Washington State Medical Cannabis Authorization Form:
https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/Pubs/623123.pdf
Must be completed by a Healthcare Practitioner & Submitted on Tamper-Resistant Paper
Application Guidelines Below:
https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/Pubs/608024.pdf
Qualifying Conditions:
Cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or other seizure disorder, or spasticity disorders.
Intractable pain, limited for the purpose of this chapter to mean pain unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications.
Glaucoma, either acute or chronic, limited for the purpose of this chapter to mean increased intraocular pressure unrelieved by standard treatments and medications.
Crohn’s disease with debilitating symptoms unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
Hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
Diseases, including anorexia, which result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms, or spasticity, when these symptoms are unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
Chronic renal failure requiring hemodialysis.
Posttraumatic stress disorder.
Traumatic brain injury.
Humanitarian compassion necessitates that the decision to use cannabis by patients with terminal or debilitating medical conditions is a personal, individual decision, based upon their healthcare practitioner’s professional medical judgment and discretion.
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Patients, with a qualifying medical condition, who wish to use medical cannabis in Washington must obtain a completed Authorization Form from a healthcare practitioner. Authorization Must be renewed annually. The State Department of Health provides the following application guidelines for patients and designated providers:
https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/Pubs/608040.pdf
Optional Recognition Card: Adult Patients may choose to register separately with the Washington State Medical Cannabis Database to be approved as a Recognition Card Holder. Registration is mandatory for patients under 18 years of age. There are increased possession, purchase and grow limits for Recognition Card Holders. To Register as a recognized card holder patients will need to:
- Visit a medically endorsed retail cannabis store
- Ask to see the Medical Cannabis Consultant to register as a recognized cardholder
- Provide completed Authorization Form to be entered into the database
- Have their picture taken for the database
- Pay a $1 Fee for the Creation of the card
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Patients under the age of 18 are required by law to have a designated provider and to be entered into the medical cannabis database to be a recognized cardholder. Authorization forms must be renewed every 6 months. Requirements to be the designated provider of a minor:
- 21 years of age or older
- Must be the parent or legal guardian of the minor patient;
- Must be named on the minor patient’s medical cannabis authorization form and have their own fully completed form also printed on tamper-resistant paper
- Must be entered into the medical cannabis database
- Must have a designated provider recognition card.
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
Washington State calls caregivers “designated providers”. Each patient is allowed only one designated provider. Each Designated Provider is only allowed one patient in their care at a time. Designated Providers are allowed to purchase medical cannabis products and/ or grow on behalf of the patient. Requirements are as follows:
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Must be named on the patient’s medical cannabis authorization form.
- Must submit a fully completed form also printed on tamper-resistant paper. The patient signs his or her copy of the authorization form, and the designated provider signs his or her own copy; and
- Must be entered into the medical cannabis database and have a designated provider recognition card, if the patient chooses to be entered into the database.
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in Washington:
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Patients or Designated Providers can purchase Medical Cannabis Products from Medically Endorsed Approved Stores. The Washington Department of Health provides the following link to a list of State Medically Endorsed Approved Stores:
https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/cannabis/medical-cannabis/medically-endorsed-approved-stores
Grow at Home?
Yes, Only qualified patients with medical cannabis authorization may grow cannabis at home. The limits may increase if the patient chooses to also register with the Washington State Medical Cannabis Authorization Database.
- A qualifying patient with Authorization Only may grow up to 4 plants within their domicile, home or property away from public view (see RCW 69.51A.260).
- A qualifying patient with Authorization AND Is Registered in the Medical Cannabis Authorization Database as a Recognized Cardholder may grow 6-15 plants, depending on their health care practitioner’s recommendation. The number of plants recommended is specified on the qualifying patient or designated provider’s authorization and card. No more than 15 plants may be grown or located in any one housing unit even if multiple qualifying patients or designated providers reside in the housing unit. The only exception will be for registered cooperatives established pursuant to RCW 69.51A.250.
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration:Flower, Concentrates, and Cannabis-Infused Products in liquid or solid forms such as tinctures, topicals and edibles
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration:
N/A
Patient Possession Limits:
Adults Over 21 Can purchase any combination of the following from a licensed retail cannabis store:
- 1 Ounce of usable cannabis
- 16 oz. of cannabis-infused product in solid form
- 72 oz. of cannabis-infused product in liquid form, or
- 7 grams of cannabis concentrate
Possession Limits as a Recognized Cardholder registered with the Washington State Medical Cannabis Database:
- 3 oz of usable cannabis
- 48 oz of cannabis-infused product in solid form
- 217 oz of cannabis-infused product in liquid form or
- 21 grams of cannabis concentrate
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
N/A
Protections for Qualifying Patients:
Registered Patients in Washington will have an affirmative defense in court if arrested for the possession of cannabis. Registered patients are legally protected from discrimination based on their cannabis use in a child custody hearing. An employer will not be allowed to fire an employee on the basis of enrollment in the program. Patients will not be denied an organ transplant based on cannabis use. Landlords cannot evict patients on the basis of medical cannabis use. Patients are also exempt from paying sales tax when buying products from a medically-endorsed retail store.
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician:
Medical Cannabis Authorization Guidelines Document
https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/Pubs/631053.pdf
A medical professional recommending medical cannabis must be one of the following and licensed to
practice in the State of Washington:
- Medical doctor (MD)
- Physician assistant (PA)
- Osteopathic physician (DO)
- Osteopathic physician assistant (DOA)
- Naturopathic physician
- Advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP)
A physician is required to complete the following:
- Must issue authorization on a form approved by the Department of Health that is printed on tamper-resistant paper
- Must have newly initiated or documented relationship with patient
- Must complete physical exam as appropriate, based on patient’s condition and medical history
- Must document in the patient’s record the terminal or debilitating condition, and that the patient may benefit from treatment of the condition or its symptoms with the medical use of cannabis
- Must advise patient about risks and benefits of medical marijuana, and document such discussion in the patient’s record
- Must inform the patient of other options to treat the medical condition and document attempts to treat the condition without cannabis
- Must not have a practice that consists solely to authorize medical cannabis
- Must not examine patients where cannabis is produced, processed or dispensed
- Must not solicit or accept payment to or from any dispensary, producer or processor
- Must not offer a discount or other financial reward to patients for their patronage of a dispensary, producer or processor
- Must not hold an economic interest in an enterprise that produces, processes, or sells marijuana, if the health care professional is authorizing medical use of marijuana
The board of naturopathy, board of osteopathic medicine and surgery, medical quality assurance commission, and nursing care quality assurance commission must develop continuing education programs related to medical use of marijuana for the healthcare professionals that they regulate
Additional requirements for minor patients include:
- Must ensure the minor patient’s parent or legal guardian participates in the treatment and consents to medical use of marijuana
- Must consult with other healthcare providers involved in the minor patient’s treatment, as medically indicated, before authorization or reauthorization of medical use of marijuana
- Must re-examine the minor patient at least once every six months, or as medically indicated:
- Must determine that the minor patient continues to have a qualifying medical condition and that the condition benefits from medical use of marijuana
- Must include a follow-up discussion with the minor patient’s parent or legal guardian to ensure the parent or legal guardian continues to participate in treatment
- Authorizations expire in one year for adult patients and six months for minor patients (under 18 years of age).
Washington State Department of Health Provides the following information for Healthcare Practitioners regarding the Medical Cannabis Program
https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/cannabis/medical-cannabis/healthcare-practitioners
Wisconsin *** Low THC Only*** (Verified 11/20/2023)
Year Est:2014
Medical Cannabis Law:
Lydia’s Law AB 726
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2013/proposals/ab726
SB 10 Act 4
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/acts/4
Reciprocity? (Is your Medical Cannabis Card valid in a state you are visiting)
No, Wisconsin does not offer reciprocity to out of state patients.
State MMP Application: N/A
Qualifying Conditions:
Originally AB 726 only allowed epilepsy or seizure patients to use CBD if recommended by a physician
In 2016, Senate Bill 10 expanded the law to allow for the possession of CBD products for any “medical condition” for which a physician recommends it.
Adult Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Qualified Patients may have CBD recommended by a doctor, however the state does not have an established medical cannabis program, application or registration form.
Minor Medical Cannabis Patient Requirements:
Requirements are the same as adults in Wisconsin at this time.
Requirements for Becoming a Caregiver:
N/A
Sourcing Medical Cannabis in your State:
State Licensed Dispensaries?
Not Established
Grow at Home?
No, Home cultivation is not legal in Wisconsin
What Forms of Cannabis are Legal?
Permitted Routes of Administration: Not Specified
NOT Permitted Routes of Administration: N/A
Patient Possession Limits:
No Limits Specified for CBD Patients, products must be non-psychoactive with less than 3% THC
Legal Cannabinoids: All types of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.)
CBD is allowed so long as products are non-psychoactive.
THC may not exceed.3%
Other Cannabinoids not specified
Protections for Qualifying Patients: N/A
Recommending Cannabis as a Physician in Wisconsin:
Wisconsin Doctors can recommend non-psychoactive CBD products or CBD oil as a treatment for medical conditions if they believe that the patient’s condition will improve with the use of CBD.
