3 Steps to Getting and Using Your New York Medical Marijuana Card

Known as “the city that never sleeps,” New York is famous for Times Square, Empire State Building, Central Park, and many others. Its residents are composed of various ethnic groups. That is why New York is also called the cultural capital of the world - a melting pot of diverse languages, cuisine, and cultural traditions.

Another attraction of New York is medical marijuana. The usage of marijuana for debilitating conditions was made legal in 2014. Anyone with an active New York medical marijuana card can purchase cannabis in registered New York dispensaries.

If you like to know more about marijuana cards, read this article.

Get A Certification for Your Medical Condition

Only those with the following life-threatening diseases can apply for a New York medical marijuana card:

• Cancer
• Multiple sclerosis
• HIV or AIDS
• ALS
• Parkinson's disease
• Spinal cord injury with spasticity
• Neuropathy
• Epilepsy
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Huntington's disease
• Chronic pain
• PTSD
• Conditions with opioid prescriptions

Patients with these health conditions should also be suffering from:

• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Severe, chronic pain
• Excessive nausea
• Seizures
• Persistent muscle spasms
• PTSD
• Opioid use disorder

After a medical exam, a physician will issue a certification stating that you are eligible for medical marijuana. Not all doctors, however, are allowed to give out certifications. Only those registered with the New York's Department of Health (DOH) Medical Marijuana Program can do so. Check this public list of doctors.

Register With the Medical Marijuana Program

The next step is online registration to the DOH medical marijuana program. Aside from the doctor's certification, you will need the following documents:

• Photo ids like your New York State (NYS) driver's license or NYS non-driver ID However, if you don't have any of these two, upload your current photo instead.
• Proof of residency in NYS

If you don't have an NYS driver's license or non-driver ID, you can submit any of the following:

1. Pay stubs within the last two months
2. Latest lease agreement
3. Any utility bill wherein the address matches the certification address within at least one of the previous two months.
4. NYC ID card
5. Social Security Administration proof of official correspondence
6. Hospital bill within the last two months

Birth certificate (if you are below 18 years old)

You are allowed to designate a maximum of two caregivers. Likewise, you need to upload the caregiver's NYS DMV (New York State Department of Motor Vehicles) ID or NYS non-driver ID.

After submission, you will receive the status of the application - approved or pending review.

Approved

You will receive a temporary registry ID card, which you can immediately use to purchase medical marijuana from registered dispensaries. The temporary card is valid for only thirty days. You should be receiving the registry ID card in your mail within 7 to 10 business days.

Pending review

If you uploaded documents and photos, expect some delay for verification. Just check the status after a few days. Once approved, you will also receive a temporary card.

Purchase Medical Marijuana

Using your New York medical marijuana card, you can already purchase marijuana from registered dispensaries. Bring your doctor's certification to show the amount of marijuana prescribed by your doctor. You are also allowed to buy accessories like vaporizers and tinctures.

Keep your card in a safe place. It protects you from being criminally liable for possession of marijuana. You are only allowed to buy a thirty-day supply.

Getting your medical marijuana card is straightforward as long as your health condition is eligible.