How Do I Get a Michigan Medical Marijuana Card?
Create an Online Account
The first step towards attaining your MMJ card in Michigan involves creating an online account with the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Authority (CRA). You must create a username and password and provide information such as your date of birth, address, and name.
Find a Suitable Medical Professional
Only after creating your CRA account should you start searching for a doctor to certify you. Individuals seeking this service for the first time may feel a little overwhelmed. There is always a danger that you’ll schedule an appointment with a doctor dubious about MMJ’s capacity to improve a person’s health. Remember, physicians are under no legal obligation to certify prospective medical marijuana patients.
You can make things a lot easier by contacting our team. We’ll steer you toward our providers, who make it incredibly easy to find a licensed doctor.
Book Your Consultation
You would be forgiven for feeling nervous when attending your first MMJ consultation. However, if you use one of our provider’s recommended doctors, you have nothing to worry about! Their professionals are kind, courteous, and understand the medical potential of marijuana.
The consultation typically lasts between 10 and 15 minutes. The doctor will analyze your medical records to determine if you are a suitable candidate for medical marijuana. Prepare to answer a few questions about your medical condition, particularly relating to other treatment options you have used. If the doctor believes that MMJ will help you and knows you’re an eligible patient, they will provide you with a written certification. Next, complete the application on the CRA website.
Wait for Your Card to Arrive
The CRA will review your application and send you an email. If your application is successful, you can use the email approval to buy MMJ at licensed dispensaries until your physical card arrives.
How to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Michigan
- A Step-by-Step Guide
- Create an official MI state government account on the CRA website
- Ensure you meet all the eligibility criteria
- Look for a marijuana-friendly physician (MMJCardOnline can help you with that)
- Schedule a consultation
- Discuss your usage of MMJ with the physician
- Once certified, submit your application to the CRA and wait
- If approved, the CRA sends you an email that you can use until your card arrives in the mail
- Purchase MMJ from a licensed dispensary
Michigan Medical Marijuana Card Qualifying Conditions
Qualifying for a Michigan MMJ card is similar to almost every other state. You’re potentially eligible if you:
- Are a Michigan resident
- Have one of the qualifying medical conditions
- Are aged 18+
Patient Qualifying Conditions
As Michigan has permitted medical marijuana since 2008, it is no surprise that it has a long list of qualifying conditions:
- HIV/AIDS
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- ALS
- Hepatitis C
- Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Nail patella
- Severe and chronic pain
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- PTSD
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of MS
- Seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- OCD
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Parkinson’s disease
- Cerebral palsy
- Ulcerative colitis
- Autism
- Spinal cord injury
- Severe nausea
- Arthritis
General Guidelines
Hopefully, you have all the information you need to apply for a Michigan medical marijuana card. However, there are plenty of things to consider before, during, and after you can access MMJ. We highlight a few important facts surrounding medical marijuana in Michigan and answer some FAQs.
Medical Marijuana Card Renewal in Michigan
In Michigan, your MMJ card is valid for two years. Beginning the renewal process up to 90 days before your card expires is possible. The undertaking involves going through the CRA website again; you must also get a new written certification from a doctor. Fortunately, our providers can help you sail through the renewal process with ease.
Caregiver Rules
MMJ cardholders in Michigan can use a primary caregiver to buy, possess, and cultivate marijuana on their behalf. Caregivers must be 21+ and have no violent or drug-related felony convictions. They must also have no felony convictions within the last 10 years. Registered caregivers can help up to five patients.
A Brief History of Cannabis in Michigan
MI legalized medical marijuana via the Michigan Compassionate Care Initiative in November 2008. However, certain towns and cities within the state had remarkably liberal laws surrounding marijuana use and possession in the 1970s. Once the state’s MMJ program was well established, it finally legalized recreational marijuana in 2018. The first legal sale of adult-use cannabis in MI occurred in December 2019.
Michigan Medical Marijuana Laws and Rules
Since recreational marijuana is legal in MI, adults aged 21+ can possess up to 2.5 ounces for personal use. Moreover, storing up to 10 ounces in the home is legal! Possessing over 2.5 ounces is a civil infraction, whereas it is a misdemeanor with no jail time if caught in possession of up to five ounces.
While adults can distribute up to 2.5 ounces without remuneration, it is a felony to sell any amount of marijuana illegally. If convicted, you could spend up to four years in prison. Growing up to 12 plants for personal use at home is also legal. Growing 13+ is a civil infraction while cultivating 25+ is a misdemeanor with no prison time.
What Types of Cannabis Products Can I Purchase in MI?
There are no apparent restrictions on the types of marijuana products you can buy in Michigan. Therefore, when you visit a dispensary, it should sell the following:
- Marijuana flower
- Oils and tinctures
- Edibles
- Topicals
- Concentrates
How Much Cannabis Can I Buy & Possess?
As an MMJ cardholder, you’re permitted to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of useable marijuana. This is the same limit as recreational users.
Incidentally, an ounce of useable marijuana equates to the following:
- 36 fluid ounces of cannabis-infused products in liquid form
- 7 grams of cannabis-infused products in a gaseous form
- 16 ounces of cannabis-infused products in a solid form
The above measures relate to the total weight of the product. Therefore, an ounce of usable marijuana equals 36 fluid ounces of a drink containing marijuana or 16 ounces of cannabis-infused edibles. It does NOT mean 16 ounces of cannabis IN a batch of cookies!
Where Can I LEGALLY Purchase MMJ in Michigan?
MI already had plenty of licensed dispensaries before recreational marijuana became legal. Now, the state has over 1,000 marijuana dispensaries, according to the CRA. Therefore, you should find it incredibly easy to locate one nearby.
Can I Take My MMJ to a Different State?
No. It remains illegal to transport marijuana across state lines since it is a Schedule I controlled substance. However, Michigan accepts out-of-state MMJ cards from states that have reciprocity. Of course, it is worth remembering that visitors aged 21+ can buy up to 2.5 ounces of recreational marijuana as long as they don’t bring it out of the state.
Can I Cultivate Marijuana in Michigan?
Yes. As an MMJ cardholder, you can grow up to 12 marijuana plants in a locked, enclosed space. However, you must clearly state that you intend to grow cannabis on the application form.
FAQ About Getting an MMJ Card in Michigan
If you use our providers, you can receive written certification from a doctor on the same day as your consultation. The state will inform you whether your application was successful within 15 business days for the most part. You can use the email approval to buy MMJ until your card arrives.
It is becoming increasingly rare that applicants don’t receive a doctor’s approval after they use one of our providers. As long as you meet the state program’s criteria and have a qualifying medical condition, there’s a strong chance that you’ll receive the written certification. However, please ensure you are honest during the consultation. We offer a full refund if the doctor decides not to provide the written certification.
Applicants aged 17+ are eligible for a medical marijuana card in Michigan if a parent, legal guardian, or an individual with Medical Durable Power of Attorney (MDPOA) submits proof of legal guardianship or MDPOA with signatory authority with the application. The parent/legal guardian/MDPOA must also prove they are residents of Michigan. Finally, minors require two written certifications from two different doctors.
The state charges a $40 application fee. Depending on the clinic you use, you must also pay up to $250 for the doctor’s consultation. However, our providers may be able to offer you a better deal.
Michigan residents aged 20 or under require an MMJ card to access cannabis legally. Medical marijuana cardholders also benefit from less expensive products. While recreational users pay 16% in taxes, MMJ patients pay just 6%.