Under the Minnesota Medical Marijuana Act, authorized patients with qualifying conditions can use medical cannabis in limited forms for therapeutic purposes. While the medical marijuana bill was signed into law in 2014, the list of qualifying conditions has been expanded over the years, making the registry more accessible to patients who need it. Medical cannabis in the state is currently only legal in liquid, vaporized, or pill form.
Are you wondering about How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Minnesota? Follow the steps below to get your medical marijuana (MMJ) card.
COVID-19 Update
To protect medical cannabis patients, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order to ensure access to medical cannabis during the pandemic. Patients can book telehealth consultations to receive an initial certification for medical cannabis without having to physically visit a doctor’s office.
Current patient enrollments scheduled to expire have also been extended to 60 days after the end of the peacetime emergency. Patients can also register emergency temporary caregivers to help them access medical cannabis during the pandemic.
Further, telephone pharmacist consults and curbside pickup has been implemented by medical cannabis manufacturers.
Quick Guide to How do I Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Minnesota?
There are three basic steps to getting a medical marijuana card in Minnesota.
- Determine Your Eligibility: You’ll need to meet basic requirements and be diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition to get an MMJ card.
- Get a Certification from a Physician: Book a telehealth consultation with Heally to receive your physician certification.
- Register Online: Register online with the Office of Medical Cannabis to complete the process.
How to Get Medical Marijuana in Minnesota in Three Steps
1. Determine Your Eligibility
To be eligible for an MMJ card, you must be a Minnesota resident, be at least 18 years of age, and be diagnosed with a debilitating qualifying medical condition. You will need to provide proof of residencies, such as a Minnesota ID, out-of-state ID, or passport. If you do not have a photo ID with proof of residence, you may use a utility bill or bank statement.
To join the patient registry, you will need to be diagnosed with one of the following debilitating, severe, or life-threatening qualifying medical conditions listed below:
- Acute pain
- Intractable pain or chronic pain
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Sleep apnea
- Autism
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms
- Seizures, including that characteristic of epilepsy
- Crohn’s disease
- Cancer (associated with severe/chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting syndrome)
- Glaucoma
- Multiple sclerosis
- Alzheimer’s disease
- ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Terminal illness with a life expectancy of less than one year: if your illness or its treatment produces one or more of the following: severe or chronic pain; nausea or severe vomiting; or cachexia or severe wasting
Note: While anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia were considered, these conditions were ultimately rejected from the list.
2. Get a Medical Marijuana Certification
Only doctors, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses can provide medical marijuana certifications in Minnesota. Further, according to the Department of Health, around half of all patients on the registry were certified by a small number of only 30 doctors. With so few physicians certifying patients, it can be tough to get your medical marijuana certification.
To make matters worse, the Department of Health does not maintain or share a list of practitioners participating in the program. Fortunately, Heally makes this easy by connecting you with a qualified marijuana-friendly doctor in your state. Just sign up now to book a telehealth appointment.
To get ready for your appointment, fill in the Patient E-mail and Acknowledgement Form ahead of time and obtain legitimate medical records from your primary care physician that describes your diagnosis. If you indeed qualify for the program, the marijuana-friendly doctor will register you as a patient with the Minnesota Department of Health. At this time, you’ll receive an email from the Office of Medical Cannabis with the link you need to register online for your MMJ card.
3. Register
Once you’ve received the link from the Office of Medical Cannabis, you’ll be able to finalize the process by registering online. To do so, you’ll need to provide basic contact information and a scan or photo of your ID. Have your credit card ready to pay the $200 non-refundable annual registration fee.
It can take up to 30 days for your account to be approved. At this time, you’ll receive an email. You’ll need to then complete a patient self-evaluation report in your account to expedite your visit to a cannabis patient center.
