How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Pennsylvania

Medical cannabis was legalized in Pennsylvania on April 6, 2016. By early 2018, medical cannabis became available at approved dispensaries, much to the relief of patients with severe medical conditions. Patients in Pennsylvania with specific medical conditions can access medical cannabis through the state’s medical marijuana program using a PA medical marijuana card. This guide offers step-by-step instructions on how to get a medical card in PA.

Quick Guide

There are three simple steps to obtain a PA medical marijuana card.

1. Register: First, you’ll need to register for the medical marijuana program through the Medical Marijuana Registry.
2. Book a Doctor Consultation: Next, you’ll need to book a consultation with an approved physician who can certify that you have been diagnosed with a medical condition that qualifies you for medical cannabis treatment.
3. How to Get Your Medical Card in PA: Once you’ve been approved, return to the Medical Marijuana Registry to complete your application and pay for your ID card.

How to Get a Medical Card in PA

1. Register through the Medical Marijuana Registry

To begin the application process to get a PA medical marijuana card, you will first need to register to become a Pennsylvania medical marijuana program member through the Medical Marijuana Registry.

To register, you must be a resident of Pennsylvania. You’ll need to show proof of residency, either with a state-issued ID with your current address or a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license, so make sure you have one of these forms of ID ready at the time of registration.

For more information about getting a state-issued ID card or driver’s license in Pennsylvania, review the state’s DMV Services guide.

When you register, you’ll create a profile that includes your legal name, contact information, and address.

2. Book a Consultation to Get Certified

Once you’ve registered, you’ll need to book a consultation with an approved physician. An authorized physician has registered with the Department of Health to recommend medical marijuana in the state.

Heally makes it easy for you to find a registered physician in Pennsylvania and book a consultation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, new patients and those renewing their PA medical marijuana cards can book remote consultations to get certified from the safety of their own homes. This temporary measure has been put in place to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

During your consultation, the physician will review and evaluate your patient records and determine whether you suffer from one of the approved medical conditions that qualify you to receive medical cannabis. He’ll ask you questions about your medical history, symptoms, and previous treatments, as well as answer any questions you may have about medical cannabis.

There are currently 21 qualified medical conditions that allow for a PA medical marijuana card:

• Anxiety disorders
• Cancer
• Cachexia/wasting syndrome
• Causalgia
• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
• Chronic pain
• Crohn’s disease
• CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome Type II)
• Dystonia
• Glaucoma
• Epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Opioid use disorder for which conventional therapeutic interventions are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Autism
• Damage to the nervous tissue of the central nervous system (brain-spinal cord) with an objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, and other associated neuropathies
• Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders
• Huntington’s disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Intractable seizures
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Neuropathies
• Parkinson’s disease
• Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
• Sickle cell anemia
• Terminal illness

3. Complete Your Application and Get Your PA Medical Card

Once you have completed your consultation and have been approved, your doctor will provide you with a certificate. Your physician will send this certificate directly to the registry for you.

This process will allow you to complete your application for a medical marijuana card. You’ll need to pay a $50 processing fee at this point to get your ID card. You may qualify for a fee reduction if you participate in an assistant program, such as SNAP, CHIP, WIC, Medicaid, or PACE/PACENET, and that is how to get a medical card in PA!

At this time, you’ll also be able to designate up to two caregivers to help you obtain medical cannabis. A caregiver can be a friend, parent, or spouse. Any patient under 18 must have a caregiver. Caregivers must also register for the medical marijuana program and complete a background check before being approved.

Once you have your PA medical marijuana card, you will be able to purchase medical cannabis from an approved dispensary in Pennsylvania. You can find a list of authorized dispensaries and locations near you in PA here.