How To Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Maryland

What is an MMJ Card in Maryland?

In Maryland, a Medical Marijuana Card (MMCC ID card)) is referred to as a Patient ID. This is a card issued by the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) to a Maryland resident who is above 18 years and whose provider recommends purchasing medical marijuana as a treatment for a qualifying medical condition. However, a non-resident could also register as a patient, provided the person meets the following criteria:

• The person is physically in the State
• The person is admitted to a joint Commission-accredited medical facility
• The person will be dispensed medical marijuana at the medical facility during an inpatient stay
• The person will have completed the treatment before the release

A registered medical marijuana patient needs a Patient ID to prove they can legally access medical marijuana in Maryland. They also need a patient certification from their doctor to buy medical marijuana at a licensed dispensary in the state. In addition, a minor patient must have a caregiver, either a parent or a legal guardian, who must register for MMMC.

Who Can Apply for an MMJ Card in Maryland?

Persons aged 18 and above suffering from qualifying debilitating conditions can apply for medical marijuana cards, provided they have all the required supporting documents. Also, minors can apply through their parents or legal guardians acting as their caregivers. Patients applying for Maryland medical marijuana cards must be certified by healthcare providers to be qualified for medical marijuana treatment. Healthcare providers are state-licensed physicians, dentists, nurses, podiatrists, and midwives.

Can a Minor Obtain a Medical Marijuana Card in Maryland?

Yes, a minor patient under 18 years can obtain a medical marijuana card in Maryland, provided the minor has at least one caregiver at all times, either a parent or legal guardian. A minor patient can get up to four caregivers, two of whom are parents or guardians, and two additional adults aged 21 and above appointed by a parent/guardian. A minor patient’s caregiver must register with the MCA before registering the minor patient.​

What Conditions Qualify for Medical Marijuana Cards in Maryland in 2024?

The following are the qualifying chronic or debilitating diseases or medical conditions for medical cannabis cards in Maryland:

• Seizures
• Cachexia
• Wasting syndrome
• Anorexia
• Severe or chronic pain
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Glaucoma
• Severe or persistent muscle spasms
• Severe nausea

However, patients who have other chronic medical conditions that are severe and for which other treatments have been ineffective can also qualify for Maryland medical marijuana cards, provided their medical providers recommend them.

How Do I Apply for an MMJ Card in Maryland in 2024?

In Maryland, a qualifying patient or designated caregiver in Maryland may apply for a medical marijuana card. To be eligible to apply for a Maryland medical marijuana card, an applicant must be 18 years or older, must reside in Maryland, and be diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition. Minor patients under 18 years must apply through their parents or legal guardians, who will also act as their caregivers. Applicants can only apply through the Maryland Medical Cannabis Administration registry portal. The MCA does not accept mail or walk-in applications.

How Does a Primary Caregiver Get a Maryland MMIC?

Maryland medical marijuana identification card is given to caregivers above 21 years old to care for and assist adult medical marijuana patients aged 18 years and above or registered minor patients. Caregivers are individuals who are qualified to buy medical marijuana from licensed Maryland dispensaries on behalf of their designated patients and convey the medical marijuana obtained legally to their patients. Caregivers with valid medical marijuana identification cards can serve up to five registered patients. Minor patients may have up to four caregivers, two of whom must be parents or legal guardians of minor patients, while parents/guardians of the minors must appoint the other two.

Caregivers must register on the MCA registry portal before they can be designated as caregivers to patients. To register:

• Complete and submit an online application through the MCA registry (OneStop Portal) ​and then click Create Account under the Caregivers heading. Complete all required fields and submit accompanying documents
• Verify email address: an email verification will be sent to the email address provided in the application. Click the verification link in the email message to verify the email account. The application is not complete and will not be reviewed by the MCA without performing this step
• Keep approval email: The MCA will send a follow-up email stating whether the application was approved or not. If approved, keep the approval email. It contains the caregiver’s Username, which is needed to log in to the caregiver’s registry page, and MCA Caregiver ID Number. If the application was not approved, the email would contain what the challenges were and how to rectify them
• Designate a registered patient: The patient must log into their account and designate the caregiver as their caregiver in the Patient registry portal. The MCA provides detailed instructions on how to designate a patient on the Designating an Adult Patient section on the Caregivers page
• Purchase ID card: A caregiver can pay for a medical marijuana identification card after they have been designated by a registered patient

How long does it take to get a Maryland MMIC?

The MCA does not state a specific time duration for issuing a permanent Maryland medical marijuana identification card. They send permanent medical marijuana identification cards to successful candidates after the application has been approved through provided email addresses. However, patients and caregivers can print temporary medical marijuana cards immediately after their healthcare providers submit the patients’ certifications to the MCA.

Patients and caregivers can use their temporary medical marijuana cards to purchase medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries. They must print their temporary medical marijuana ID cards within 90 days of the certification date, or they will become invalid. Furthermore, they must use their temporary medical marijuana ID cards to purchase marijuana from dispensaries within 120 days of issue, or it will expire. Maryland medical marijuana identification card is valid for 3 years.

Getting a Maryland Medical Marijuana Card Online

These are the steps to follow in applying for a Medical Marijuana Card in Maryland:

• Register as a patient with the MCA: An adult applicant aged 18 years and above can register directly on the MCA Adult Patient registry portal. Minor applicants need their parents or legal guardians to start the registration for them as caregivers. The caregivers must first register on the portal, and when their registration has been approved, they can then register the minor patient
• Obtain a written certification from a healthcare provider registered with the MCA: Once registered, get a written certification from a provider registered with the MCA. The Provider Registry is available, and the MCA admonishes providers to register. An applicant is required by law to have a legitimate provider-patient relationship with the provider. The provider must also approve medical marijuana as a treatment option for the applicant’s qualifying medical condition. The healthcare provider will need the patient’s MCA-issued Patient ID Number to issue the certification for medical marijuana through the secure online platform
• Visit a licensed Maryland dispensary: the applicant can print a temporary medical marijuana identification card after the provider has issued the certification. The patient must visit a licensed medical marijuana dispensary within 120 days after the issuance of the certificate to complete the application. Certification will become invalid if it is not used within 120 days after it is issued. A patient's certification will be verified in the MCA’s database by the dispensary agent before conducting any transaction

The process for registering an applicant as a patient is described below:

• Visit the MCA registry ​and click Create Account under the Patients heading. Complete all required fields and submit required documents. The documents needed are the same as those of caregivers, and applicants are advised to have electronic copies of all the necessary documents before they start the registration. Once an applicant starts registering on the portal, they must complete the registration at that instance. Pay applicable fee
• Supply an active email address and verify it. An email verification will be sent to the email address supplied. The applicant must click the verification link in the email received. The application is not complete and may not be reviewed by MCA without performing this step
• Keep approval email: MCA will review the patient's completed application, and the patient will receive a follow-up email stating whether or not the application has been approved. The patient must keep the approval email for record sake. The approval email contains the patient's Username, which the patient will need to log in to the Patient registry, and the patient’s MCA ID Number. The patient's physician will need the MCA Patient ID Number to issue a written certification for the patient on the provider’s portal
• Designate a caregiver if desired: Once an application has gotten approved, the patient will log into the Patient registry to access their account and designate a caregiver on the Add or Remove tab for Caregiver. Kindly note that the caregiver must be registered (tendered an application and gotten MCA approval) before being designated

How Much Does a Medical Marijuana Card Cost in Maryland?

A medical marijuana card costs $25 in Maryland and is non-refundable. Patients and caregivers may log into their Patient/Caregiver registry account to buy an ID card. Kindly note that the fee for a replacement card is $50. Maryland sets an expiration period of 6 years for patient registration, and therefore, patient ID card. A medical marijuana qualifying patient enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System or Maryland Medical Assistance Program is eligible for a waiver of the ID card fee. Information on how to access the ID card fee waiver is provided on the MCA website. However, the waiver is only available for new applicants. Existing patients must complete a new adult patient registration at the time of renewal.

Revenue from Maryland medical marijuana card license fees goes into running the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA). The remainder is paid into the Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Cannabis Compassionate Use Fund. The fund's purpose is to allow medical marijuana patients enrolled in Medicaid or Veterans Affairs access medical marijuana free or at a reduced cost.

What Documents Do I Need to Apply for a Medical Cannabis Card in Maryland?

According to Maryland Cannabis Administration, an applicant for medical marijuana card must submit the following:

• A valid and accessible email account that will be linked with the applicant’s Maryland Medical Marijuana Caregiver Account. The MCA will need this email address as the primary means of communication with the applicant as to the status of their application
• Caregiver’s Social Security Number
• A color picture of the caregiver, which must be in PDF or jpeg format (not larger than 3 MB size)
• An electronic copy of the applicant's valid, government-issued photo ID. Accepted forms of identification are:
  • US Passport
  • Military ID (having front and back)
  • State-issued photo Identification card
  • Driver’s license
• Suppose the form of identification is not a driver’s license issued in Maryland or does not correlate with the applicant’s present address. In that case, the applicant must provide any two of the documents below as proof of Maryland residency:
  • Car insurance policy
  • Bank account statement
  • Major credit card bill (includes MasterCard, Visa, Target, and Wal-Mart)
  • MVA registration card or title
  • MVA change of address card
  • Bill of property tax
  • Proof of home ownership, including bill of Sale, Deed, Title, or mortgage statement
  • Satellite TV bill, telephone, utility, or cable TV bill
  • Service Card - selective
  • Rental contract - residential (rental contract or lease between landlord & tenant which must include every signature)
  • Maryland Health Insurance issued documents (includes Medicaid, Maryland Health Connection, and Medicare)
  • W-2 statements
  • Paystubs (dated 90 days)

Kindly note that all documents must be dated within 90 days before making the application. The documents must include the applicant's name and address and may not come from the same two agencies, such as two documents issued by the MVA.

What Information appears on a Maryland Medical Marijuana Card?

The information found on a Maryland Medical Marijuana Card includes:

• Status of the cardholder (either patient or caregiver or minor - caregiver must make purchases for minors)
• Name of the cardholder
• MMCC ID Number
• Date of birth
• Issue date
• Expiration date

Can Someone Track me Down through the Maryland Registry?

No, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prevents the disclosure of identifiable medical information of patients, including those submitted for medical marijuana card applications, without their consent. The HIPAA is a federal law that sets the standard for patient healthcare information protection and is enforced in Maryland. However, HIPAA makes disclosure exceptions for the following:

• Disclosure to subject
• Research
• When ordered to be disclosed by law
• Workers Compensation
• For payment, treatment, and healthcare operations
• Decedents
• Victims of domestic abuse, neglect, or violence
• Organ, eye, or tissue donation
• Law enforcement purposes
• Essential government functions
• Public health activities
• Judicial and administrative proceedings
• Threat to health or safety

Furthermore, the qualifying patients' list cannot be found on MCA's website, as patients' records are confidential. These records cannot be publicly available, and an unauthorized person may not access the registry's records.