Get your New York Medical Marijuana Card

GETTING YOUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD

Like any other prescription or medical treatment, it’s important to have all of your medical and insurance documentation and all the accompanying forms of identification. As of 2017, health providers have been able to use an avenue provided by New York’s State Senate Bill 2405 to aid patients in receiving their cards. This is a bill that allows health care companies to deliver medical diagnoses, prescriptions, consultations, and education electronically. Because of this, it is now possible for patients to speak with a qualified medical marijuana doctor online about the potential use of medicinal cannabis. Now, much of the paperwork and filing that comes along with your application can be done much faster and from the comfort of your home. Once you have been approved by a marijuana doctor to utilize medical marijuana, they will issue you a certificate, which is the first step towards purchasing medical marijuana products like CBD.

REGISTRATION WITH NEW YORK MARIJUANA PROGRAM

After receiving your certificate, you will need to register with the New York State-run medical marijuana program. The certificate will contain instructions on how to register with the New York State Medical Marijuana Program and receive your marijuana card. Please note you can purchase at a local New York marijuana dispensary with the certificate and a valid New York ID. After submitting your application, and a short waiting period, the state of NY will send you your medical marijuana card. For cases where an applicant is under the age of eighteen or a person is incapable of consenting to medical treatment, another person may register for the program on their behalf. In addition, caregivers are permitted to register for the program after their patient has designated them during the registration process. The state is currently waiving the application fee of $50 for all patients and caregivers.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS TO KEEP IN MIND

Like the state’s more stringent policies on obtaining a medical marijuana license, there are also restrictions on the type of cannabis that patients are allowed to purchase or consume. In New York, it is still not permissible to smoke cannabis flower. The only types of cannabis currently allowed are capsules, oral and sublingual liquids, concentrates and oils, topicals, solid and semi-solid products, and vaporization. Obtaining a medical marijuana card does not make it legal for patients to grow their own cannabis. Cultivating your own marijuana plants is still illegal in all cases. The penalty for growing marijuana is a misdemeanor with up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000, but these charges can become more serious depending on the amount. New York State still has felony possession charges on the books if you are found with more than a pound of cannabis, which comes along with a seven-year jail term and a $5,000 fine. If you are convicted of using marijuana in a public space, you could face misdemeanor charges and up to a $250 fine.

CANNABIS DECRIMINALIZATION

Since 1977 New York has decriminalized possession of marijuana for amounts under 25 grams. A first offense will simply result in a civil violation and a fine of typically $100. This fine increases to $200 for a second offense. For those found to be in possession of more than 25 grams, criminal penalties will still apply. A $500 fine and up to two months in jail is the starting point for possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis, with penalties increasing up to felony criminal charges for between 8 ounces and two pounds.