Step 1
A prospective medical cannabis patient in Maryland must first register through the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) website. The Maryland medical cannabis patient registry is live and registering patients.
What you will need:
- A valid, accessible email account.
- The last four digits of your Social Security Number
- An electronic copy of a valid government-issued photo ID
- Proof that applicant lives in Maryland
(All documents must be dated within the past 90 days)
Accepted forms of identification:
- Driver’s license
- State issued photo Identification card
- Military ID (both front and back)
- US Passport
If the identification you provide is not a Maryland driver’s license or MVA ID Card OR does not identify your current address, you must also provide two of the following documents as proof of your current Maryland address:
Note: Documents must include the applicant’s name and address. Documents may not be from the same two agencies. (i.e. Two documents issued by MVA).
- MVA registration card or title
- Utility, telephone or cable/satellite TV bill
- Bank account statement
- Property tax bill
- Mortgage statement or proof of home ownership (Deed, Title, Bill of Sale)
- Major credit card bill (Visa, MasterCard, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.)
- Residential rental contract (lease or rental contract between landlord and tenant which includes all signatures).
- Selective Service Card
- Federal, state or local government mail (ie. Social Security, social services)
- Car insurance policy
All documents must be dated within the past 90 days.
An electronic copy of a clear, recent photograph. We strongly recommend using a free, highly-rated passport photo app widely available for download via the App Store, Google Play Store or anywhere apps are available.
Generally, the photo should look like a driver’s license or passport photo. Specifically, it must be a clear, color photo of the patient’s unobscured face taken within the last six months to reflect the patient’s current appearance and feature a plain white or off-white background. The patient must be clothed, directly facing the camera with both eyes open and should have either a neutral facial expression or a natural smile. The patient must not be wearing a hat, head covering, sunglasses or dark glasses.
The file must be an image file (.jpg) no larger than 3 MB in size and may not be digitally enhanced or altered in a way that changes the patient’s appearance.
If your photo does not meet the stated guidelines, your application will be returned.
For more examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos, visit the Passport Photos page of the US Department of State website. NOTE: Please do not use the photo cropping tool on the Passport Photos page; simply view the photos provided as samples of what is and is not acceptable.
Patients in hospice care may elect to submit a letter from the attending hospice physician in lieu of a recent photo. The letter must be from the Attending of Hospice Record (AOHR) physician on hospice letterhead stating that the patient is a hospice patient under his or her care. It may be uploaded in either .jpg or .pdf format.
Step 2
Next a patient should obtain a recommendation from a registered Maryland doctor, dentist, podiatrist, nurse midwife or nurse practitioner in good standing. The MCA Provider Registry is open at this time and any interested medical professional is encouraged to apply.
After careful consideration of the patients condition, medical records and weighing risks vs. benefits, the physician may recommend the use of medical cannabis as a safe adjunct to current medical treatment. The registered physician then submits the patient’s medical cannabis recommendation to the patient registry database.
Step 3
Once a recommendation is issued and logged in the MCA database by a recommending clinician, the patient may obtain medical cannabis or products produced from cannabis in varying formulations and delivery methods from your chosen dispensary.
The patient must purchase a Maryland medical cannabis patient ID card from the MCA. The patient may also use a valid government-issued ID card to obtain medicine. The ONLY valid patient ID cards are issued by the MCA. Beware of companies offering to sell you a ID card as they are not valid unless issued by the MCA.
How Do I Obtain Medical Cannabis From a Maryland Dispensary?
Your first experience at a medical cannabis dispensary can be overwhelming. A Dispensary employee will verify your medical cannabis recommendation via the Patient Registry and register you so you can begin purchasing medical cannabis.
Patients may obtain a 30 day supply at one time. A 30 day supply is determined by the recommending physician in whatever amount is deemed necessary to control an individual patient’s condition. Please be aware, a medical cannabis recommendation that is NOT used within 120 days of issuance becomes null and void.
At this time, Medical Cannabis is not reimbursed by any insurance plans, Medicare or Medicaid nor through the Veteran’s Administration.
Patients are encouraged to visit below educational resources to access useful information for patients and general information regarding treatment with medical cannabis.
United Patients Group
Patients Out of Time
Americans For Safe Access
Project CBD
Society Of Cannabis Clinicians
Healer
Leafly
NORML Chapter for the latest on what is happening in YOUR STATE!