Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Massachusetts

Medicinal cannabis, or medical marijuana, is a therapy that in recent years has attracted much national attention. In 2012, Massachusetts became the eighteenth state in which medical marijuana was legalized. Nearly 10% of Massachusetts residents used marijuana in the past month as of 2010, and nearly 16% used marijuana in the past year. Now, patients with qualifying conditions can purchase from registered marijuana dispensaries.

A recommendation from a doctor is all you need to buy medical marijuana in Massachusetts. If you are not already registered in MMP, register HERE. Send your physician number on your website or by email and you’re complete. A physical card is optional, but after your doctor has uploaded your information to the patient portal, if you want a hard card, you can order it from the state.

Patients must meet certain eligibility requirements and be certified by a health care provider before they can receive their program certification and registry access. Registration of medical marijuana program must be renewed by both patients and caregivers each year. Patients also need to maintain active certifications from both the original health care provider and the medical marijuana program.

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease
• Cancer
• Crohn’s disease
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Other conditions that severely limit one or more major life functions

Any other condition for which a doctor has determined the patient’s major life functions are negatively affected

1. Obtain certification from a physician that confirms that the patient suffers from at least one medical condition that qualifies.
2.  Once approved, a personal identification number (PIN) will be created by health care suppliers to register with the program.
3. Provide a valid state-issued identification card for evidence of residence in Massachusetts, as well as the latest picture conforming to the rules for registration.

Registered patients have access to cannabis consumption, possession and growth, as well as buy a 60-day medical cannabis supply from any state-licensed clinic. Medical distribution facilities for marijuana are accessible, and a designated private caregiver may transport medical cannabis to a registered patient from a certified dispensary or the growing site.

Requirements: A main caregiver may be designated by registered patients who require help in acquiring or using medical marijuana. With the medical marijuana program, prospective private caregivers must first register. Caregivers must be at least 21 years of age and only one (1) patient may be treated. A worker of a hospice, nursing, or medical facility; or a visiting nurse, private care provider, or home health care provider offering care to a qualified patient, may serve as a designated care provider, including second care provider for patients under 18.

1. Obtain the PIN of the patient through their present portal account of the medical marijuana program.
2. Complete the request for the program.
3. Provide a valid state-issued identification card for evidence of residence in Massachusetts, as well as the latest picture conforming to the rules for registration.
4. Pay $50 for a caregiver enrollment card needed.

Any person over the age of 21 may develop up to six (6) crops per person or up to twelve (12) crops per family at home. Patients of 18-20 years of age with medical marijuana may also develop up to six (6) crops in their home. And to the general public, crops must not be noticeable.

A qualifying medical marijuana patient with registration for hardship cultivation may grow a restricted amount of crops that are adequate to keep a 60-day supply exclusively for use by that patient. If the patient can show that his or her access to a licensed medical dispensary (RMD) is restricted by:

• Verified economic hardship, he or she may apply for a hardship cultivation registration.
• Physical failure to access appropriate transportation (incapacity to use public transportation or drive yourself), absence of credible transportation private caregivers, or absence of RMD to deliver to the main address of the patient or private caregiver.
• Lack of an RMD within a reasonable distance from the patient’s home and lack of an RMD to deliver marijuana to the primary address of the patient or personal caregiver.

A registered qualifying patient must submit the following, in order to obtain hardship cultivation:

• A non-refundable registration fee (unless waived due to financial hardship)
• Information that supports a statement that one or more of the above conditions are restricted to access.
• An explanation asserted that there was a lack of viable solutions to mitigate constraints.
• A description and address of the single site to be used for marijuana cultivation, which is either the primary residence of the registered qualifying patient or the primary caregiver.
• A written explanation of how marijuana will be grown by the qualifying patient.
• A description of the device or system to be used to guarantee safety and to discourage the cultivation of diversion of marijuana crops.
• Written recognition of the constraints on its permission to grow, possess and use marijuana for medical reasons.

Within 30 calendar days of receiving a finished request, the Department will review and approve or reject a request for a hardship cultivation permit.

The DPH has defined a 60-day supply as

• 10 ounces, or 283.5 grams, of dry flower; or
• 1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams, of cannabis concentrates or resin

Adults 21 and older, as well as patients and their caregivers, may have 10 ounces or 283.5 grams of cannabis in their households and less than one ounce (1 oz.) or 28.35 grams of cannabis in the public domain. Question 4 also enables adults in their households to develop up to six (6) cannabis crops per individual and up to twelve (12) cannabis crops per family.

If they want to grow their own cannabis or have a caregiver grow on their behalf, qualifying patients can apply for registration for hardship. A maximum amount of crops that can be cultivated was not indicated by the DPH. However, there should be no more than what is needed to meet the individual needs of the patient based on the recommendation of a certified physician. Patients who choose to cultivate themselves can not buy cannabis from a certified clinic.

While in Massachusetts medical and adult cannabis use is now legal, both patients and customers are still facing penalties for breaking what is permitted under state law. In particular, government cannabis use will lead in a $100 fine, and having an open cannabis container in a vehicle will result in a $500 fine.