How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Montana
Schedule a Consultation with a Montana-Licensed Physician
Individuals seeking a Montana medical card must have a physician’s recommendation signed by a state-licensed physician (Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy) within sixty days of submitting their application.
Those applying on behalf of minors must use the Physician Statement for Minors form. Unless the minor’s treating or referring physician is an oncologist, neurologist, or epileptologist, minors require the approval of two physicians to get certified.
Apply Online via the TransAction Portal
The application form is available on the Montana Department of Revenue Cannabis Control Division website, and you apply using the site’s TransAction Portal. You must include all required documentation as specified on the form. A photocopy of a Montana state-issued ID or driver’s license is also required. Pay the fee, submit the application, and then wait!
Successful applicants will receive a temporary Montana medical marijuana card after submitting a new or renewal application. You can print this temporary card from the TransAction Portal. Please bear in mind that to utilize the temporary card, the applicant must have a physical copy.
Applicants who are approved will receive a Montana medical card valid for up to one year from the date of approval unless the physician specifies a shorter period in their recommendation.
Visit a Licensed Dispensary in Montana
As soon as your official Montana medical marijuana card arrives in the mail, you can legally buy marijuana. If you specified on your application that you wanted to cultivate marijuana for medicinal reasons, you can now legally grow a limited amount of marijuana for personal use.
Remember to always have your Montana medical marijuana card with you at all times, especially when visiting a dispensary or when you have marijuana in your possession.
How to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Montana
- A Step-by-Step Guide
- Check your eligibility
- Schedule an appointment with a state-licensed physician
- Get certified as a qualifying patient by that physician
- Apply for your Montana medical marijuana card using the state’s official TransAction Portal
- Pay the fee
- Get approved
- Print off your temporary card or wait to receive your official Montana MMJ card in the mail
Montana Medical Marijuana Card Qualifying Conditions
To be eligible for a Montana MMJ card, you must have been diagnosed by a doctor with one or more of the following qualifying medical conditions:
Patient Qualifying Conditions
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- HIV/AIDS
- Cancer
- Epilepsy or an intractable seizure disorder
- PTSD
- Vomiting or intractable nausea
- Crohn’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Glaucoma
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
- Admittance into hospice care
- A CNS disorder resulting in muscle spasms or painful/chronic spasticity
General Guidelines
Next, we will tell you how to renew your Montana medical marijuana card and provide you with important information regarding caregiver rules.
Medical Marijuana Card Renewal in Montana
Your Montana MMJ card is valid for up to one year. When it is time to renew, you must again use the TransAction Portal. The state will notify you when it is approaching time to renew by sending you an email 30 days before your card expires.
You must schedule a new consultation with a state-licensed physician to get certified for another year. We advise starting the renewal process at least 30 days before the expiration date so that your access to medicinal marijuana is not delayed. You will have to pay a renewal fee of $20 plus the physician’s consultation fee.
Caregiver Rules
MMJ patients in Montana and minors can appoint a caregiver. Minor applicants (under 18) are required to provide proof of legal guardianship, such as a birth certificate or a court document.
Caregivers are known as “designated purchasers” in Montana, and they must be 21 or older. Every MMJ patient has the right to a designated purchaser, which they can add to their new or renewal application on the state’s website.
Please note that the caregiver you nominate will have to undergo a criminal background check before being approved.
History of Cannabis in Montana
Montana banned cannabis in 1929, and this remained the case for several decades. In 2004, the state permitted the medicinal use of marijuana when it passed a ballot initiative (Measure I-148). Over the years, the Montana Medical Marijuana Act has undergone several amendments.
On November 3, 2020, Montana’s Initiative 190 legalized the adult use of marijuana. On January 1, 2021, I-190 went into effect, allowing persons over the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. Given Montana’s long-standing anti-cannabis stance, it came as a surprise to many residents of the Treasure State.
Montana Medical Marijuana Laws and Rules
Now that marijuana is lawful for adult use in Montana, residents over the age of 21 may possess up to 1 ounce without penalty. However, if found with between 1-2 ounces of marijuana, you may be charged with a civil infraction and fined up to $300. Possessing more than 2 ounces is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Possession of more than two ounces with intent to distribute is also a felony, so you could get up to twenty years in prison if caught. Theoretically, if you attempt to sell more than 2 ounces of marijuana illegally, you could potentially face life in prison, although the minimum mandatory sentence is 12 months.
Growers take note that the cultivation of three or more mature marijuana plants is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
If you are convicted of DUI while your MMJ card is valid, and your driver’s license is revoked, you must also relinquish your card. Before your card can be reissued, you must complete the suspension period for DUI.
Also, individuals under the supervision of the Department of Corrections (or a juvenile court if a minor) are ineligible for a Montana medical marijuana card.
What Types of Cannabis Can I Purchase in Montana?
There are lots of options if you have an MMJ card in Montana. Aside from marijuana flower, you may also get tinctures, edibles, concentrates, vaporizer cartridges, and topicals. Flower can contain up to 35% THC.
How Much Cannabis Can I Buy and Possess?
The daily and monthly possession limits are one ounce and five ounces of flower, respectively. An ounce of dry flower equals eight grams of concentrate, 800mg of THC in edibles, or eight vape cartridges.
Where can I Legally Purchase MMJ in Montana?
Montana has one of the greatest densities of marijuana dispensaries in the country. The state has approximately 450 dispensaries, and the number is growing. However, only about 20% of these dispensaries are solely for MMJ patients.
Can I Take my MMJ to a Different State?
No. Marijuana remains federally illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, and it is thus unlawful to cross state lines when in possession of marijuana.
FAQ About Getting an MMJ Card in Montana
The application time is not provided on the official state website, but the state is required by law to process your documents within thirty days. All applications are processed in chronological order of receipt. Your wait time is solely dependent on the number of applications submitted. If you wish to expedite the process, you should pay by credit card or ACH.
Users of MMJCardOnline have an extremely high approval rate. To increase your chances of success, please read the information in this guide before applying. In the unlikely event, you're not approved, you will receive a full refund.
In Montana, the application fee for a medical marijuana card is $20. A doctor's consultation fees typically range from $125 to $200.