Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Card

Is Medical Marijuana Legal In Pennsylvania?

Yes. Pennsylvania's Medical Marijuana Act legalized and created a medical marijuana program (MMP) in the Commonwealth when it was signed by Governor Tom Wolf in April 2016. The legislation provided for Pennsylvanians with valid medical conditions to legally obtain and use medical marijuana. Furthermore, the Medical Marijuana Act authorized the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) to oversee the state's medical marijuana program.

Medical cannabis in Pennsylvania is available as pills, tinctures, liquids, gels, creams, ointments, oils, and concentrates. In April 2018, cannabis leaf was approved for use by qualified patients. Under the Pennsylvania medical marijuana program, registered patients may obtain up to 30-day supplies of medical marijuana products. A patient's certifying physician will dictate the amount that makes up a 30-day supply.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Pennsylvania in 2024

Qualifying Conditions for Medical Card in Pennsylvania

In 2024 any resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with a serious medical condition that has been certified by an approved healthcare practitioner may get medical marijuana. Healthcare practitioners will issue medical marijuana certifications to individuals verified to suffer from the following conditions:

• Huntington's disease
• Crohn's disease
• Cancer, including remission therapy
• Autism
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Neuropathies
• Intractable seizures
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Glaucoma
• Epilepsy
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Sickle cell anemia
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Severe chronic or intractable pain including those characteristic of neuropathic origin
• Tourette syndrome
• Anxiety
• Terminal illness
• Opioid use disorders for which conventional therapeutic interventions are ineffective or contraindicated or for which adjunctive treatment is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions

Can I Apply For A Medical Marijuana Card In Pennsylvania Online?

Yes, the Pennsylvania Department of Health accepts applications for medical marijuana cards via its online system. You can complete the entire process, including a medical marijuana certification online. Some physicians conduct examinations and issue medical marijuana certifications online via telemedicine.

How Do I Register With the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program?

If you are a resident of the state and have a qualifying condition, you can register with the Pennsylvania medical marijuana program by submitting an application to the state Department of Health. You can start the process by creating an account on the medical marijuana registry and getting a medical cannabis certification from a state-approved physician. After, pay the application fee and wait for your application to be approved by the Office of Medical Marijuana.

Do I Need To Be A Pennsylvania Resident To Get A Medical Marijuana Card?

Only patients with legal proof of residence in the state are allowed to obtain a medical marijuana card under the Pennsylvania medical marijuana program.

What Is The Cost Of A Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Card?

A Pennsylvania medical marijuana card costs $50. However, patients who have enrolled in assistance programs, such as CHIP, SNAP, WIC, PACE/PACENET, and Medicaid, may be eligible for fee waivers upon providing proof of enrolling in such programs. Patients who are registered with these programs will not be required to pay to obtain medical marijuana cards. Patients who are ineligible for such waivers may pay the applicable fees using MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit or debit cards via the Pennsylvania medical marijuana registry. The medical marijuana card fee is paid once every year regardless of the number of certifications issued to the patient.

What Do You Need When Visiting A Medical Marijuana Dispensary In Pennsylvania?

When visiting approved medical marijuana dispensaries in Pennsylvania, take your valid State of Pennsylvania-issued identification card and your medical marijuana card along. You should also take cash or use the ATM available on-site as some dispensaries do not accept payments for medical marijuana products made by credit cards. Note that some medical marijuana dispensaries require making an appointment before a first visit.

Who Can Prescribe Medical Marijuana In Pennsylvania?

In order to get medical marijuana in Pennsylvania, a patient must complete registration in the Pennsylvania medical marijuana registry. However, before a patient may complete registration in the medical marijuana registry, they must see a doctor who will approve and certify that they suffer from a qualifying medical condition. The physician's certification will be submitted directly to the registry. The physician will charge a consultation fee for the examination, which is not covered by insurance. Typical charges for the consultation fee range between $100 and $250.

Note that for a physician to be approved to issue medical marijuana certification in Pennsylvania, the healthcare provider must register with the state's Department of Health. Patients can find approved physicians under the Pennsylvania medical marijuana program using the Find a Practitioner link on the PADOH website.

Can A Minor Get A Medical Marijuana Card In Pennsylvania?

No. Minors (residents under 18) are not issued medical marijuana cards in Pennsylvania. However, they can still get medical marijuana with the help of caregivers. Before designating a caregiver, a minor must obtain certification for a qualifying medical condition from an approved physician in Pennsylvania. However, a minor's registration under the Pennsylvania medical marijuana program must be completed by their caregiver. All minors living with qualifying conditions are required to have caregivers. A minor's caregiver is typically the parent, legal guardian, or a third party who has been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH).

Can You Get A Medical Marijuana Card At 18 In Pennsylvania?

Yes. Minors are regarded as adults when they turn 18. At this age, they can apply directly for their medical marijuana cards in Pennsylvania without requiring to designate caregivers or obtain the consent of their parents or legal guardians.

How To Renew Your Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Card

You no longer need to renew your medical marijuana card to continue using medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. You only need to renew the medical marijuana certification obtained from a verified healthcare professional. Sixty days before the expiration date on your patient certification, the Pennsylvania Department of Health will send you an electronic mail notifying you of the need to obtain a new patient certification. You may get a certification from any health care practitioner registered under the Pennsylvania medical marijuana program. The PMMP does not require that you obtain the new patient certification from the same physician who issued the initial certification.

Once the physician issues you a medical marijuana certification and you have paid the annual registration fee ($50 for regular cardholders), a new medical marijuana card will be printed and mailed to the address listed under the profile in your account on the portal. You may then log in to the portal to access your new card. Note that you will receive a reminder notification by email 30 days before the due date of your annual registration payment with instructions on how to pay the annual fee.

Can You Grow Medical Marijuana In Pennsylvania?

No. Growing marijuana at home, even for medical marijuana cardholders and caregivers, is illegal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Regardless of your intention to sell or not, you are liable to be charged with up to five years imprisonment and up to $15,000 in fines if caught growing marijuana in the state. If you reside near a school, the penalties for growing marijuana are even steeper.

In January 2022, Senators Dan Laughlin and Sharif Street introduced SB 1024 in the Pennsylvania Senate, which proposes to permit registered patients, aged 21 or older, to grow up to six plants in enclosed and locked spaces. However, this bill has yet to be signed into law.

Does Pennsylvania Allow Medical Marijuana Patients To Designate Caregivers?

Yes. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania permits minors, home-bound adult patients, and adult patients who benefit from assistance to designate caregivers to assist in obtaining and administering medical marijuana. Pennsylvanians in these categories are not issued medical marijuana cards but may use medical marijuana products with the help of caregivers. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also permits adult patients with medical marijuana cards to designate caregivers by sharing their patient ID numbers with the caregivers when the caregivers register with the state's medical marijuana program.

Pennsylvania considers a caregiver as an individual who must be aged 21 or older, unless approved otherwise by the PADOH, who assists a medical marijuana patient to procure and administer medical marijuana, and is:

• Designated by a qualified patient
• A parent, legal guardian or spouse of a patient under 18 or
• Designated to be a caregiver by a parent, legal guardian or spouse

Caregivers must register with the PADOH and complete criminal background checks before approval. Persons who have been convicted of criminal offenses pertaining to the possession or sale of narcotics, drugs, or controlled substances in the preceding 5 years cannot be designated as caregivers. A qualified patient may designate up to two caregivers, while a caregiver can assist up to five patients in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Reciprocity

Pennsylvania does not recognize out-of-state patient cards issued under the medical marijuana programs of other states. Purchasing medical marijuana in the state is only open to Pennsylvania residents.

Are My Medical Marijuana Records Private?

Per Section 302 of the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Act, information obtained and maintained by the Department of Health relating to patients, caregivers, and other applicants is confidential and not subject to public disclosure, including disclosure under the Right-to-Know Law. Notwithstanding this provision, the Department of Health may notify a law enforcement agency of information pertaining to any violation or suspected violation of the Medical Marijuana Act. In addition, the department may verify whether a certification, registration, or identification card is valid to law enforcement personnel in an appropriate case. Employers do not have access to medical marijuana records.

Does Insurance Cover Medical Marijuana In Pennsylvania?

No. Medical marijuana expenses are not covered by insurance in Pennsylvania. Patients pay the full worth of medical marijuana costs.

What Is The Medical Card Limit In Pennsylvania?

A Pennsylvania medical marijuana card allows the cardholder to purchase up to a 30-day supply of medical marijuana products. A pharmacist at the dispensary will determine how much a 30-day supply is for a patient’s needs.

Can You Go To A Dispensary Without A Medical Card In Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania marijuana laws restrict dispensaries from allowing anyone without a Pennsylvania Department of Health-issued medical marijuana card into a state-licensed dispensary. If you do not have a Pennsylvania Department of Health-issued medical marijuana card, you will not be allowed inside the facility.