How to Get a Florida Medical Marijuana Card

How to Get a Florida Medical Marijuana Card in 2018

Florida medical marijuana cards have become easier to obtain in part due to the passing of Amendment 2 on November 8th, 2016. This amendment made medical marijuana more accessible and now more Florida residents can get a medical marijuana recommendation for a broad list of chronic medical conditions.

These conditions must be determined by a qualified, licensed physician, and visiting one is your first step in getting your Florida medical marijuana card.

That said, there are a lot of questions and concerns concerning Florida medical marijuana card eligibility and we have created this guide to help you determine how you can get yours.

How to Get Medical Marijuana in Florida

The steps to get a Florida medical marijuana card, also known as a medical marijuana license, are threefold. Please note that only Florida residents are eligible for Florida medical marijuana cards, and patients from out-of-state cannot visit a Florida medical marijuana doctor and get a card. However, there are some some allowances that do allow seasonal or part-time residents to obtain Florida medical marijuana cards.

If you are a Florida resident and can provide proof of residency, follow these steps to start the process:

  1. Get Evaluated by a State-registered Medical Marijuana Doctor

Your first step in getting a Florida cannabis card is visiting with a doctor that has been authorized by the Florida Department of Health to recommend medical marijuana. Florida law requires that this visit be conducted in-person, along with a full assessment of your medical history.  

The medical marijuana doctor (or staff) will also ask you to bring in other documentation related to your ailment that is related to your desire to get medical marijuana, meaning you may need to sign a medical release form to get this information from your primary care doctor. While your medical marijuana doctor can request this information after they meet with you, being proactive and getting your primary care doctor to do so may help speed up the process of getting your medical marijuana card.

In addition to a review of your existing documentation, the doctor will then conduct a comprehensive medical evaluation to determine if medical marijuana may benefit your ailment. If a qualifying condition is diagnosed, the physician must also determine that the medical use of marijuana will outweigh the health risks before registering them in the system.

  1. Get Entered into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry by Your Qualified Physician

After your physician evaluates you and deems you an appropriate candidate for medical marijuana, they then have to enter you into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. The Medical Marijuana Use Registry is a secure, electronic, and online database for the registration of ordering physicians and qualified patients. It can be accessed by ordering physicians, law enforcement, dispensing organization staff, and Office of Medical Marijuana Use staff.

  1. Apply for a Florida Medical Marijuana Card

Florida law requires that you obtain a Medical Marijuana Use ID Card from the Department of Health inorder to obtain products from an medical marijuana treatment center (MMTC). When your Qualified Ordering Physician initially created your account, the Registry automatically started your first identification card application, however, it is up to you as a patient to complete the process (some medical marijuana doctors may do this for you, however).

This application process is straightforward, and can be done online through the Medical Marijuana Use Registry portal. You’ll simply need to supply the following to complete the application process:

    • Your photo
    • Your address
    • Proof of residence
    • Electronic signature

There is also a portion of the application that will be handled by the Office of Medical Marijuana Use. This online portal will also allow you to pay, check up on the status of your Florida medical marijuana card, determine renewal times, and update any changes.

Florida Medical Marijuana Card Costs

The state cost for the Florida medical marijuana card is $75.

However, this is not the only cost that is incurred in this process. Patients will also have to pay for the certifying physician visit, as well as the for the medical marijuana, and often the delivery device (device used to introduce the drug to the body).

Most medical marijuana doctors in the state tend to charge between $100 and $200 for the certification visit, although some may run periodic specials.

Re-certification is also required annually, and this currently costs $75. Subsequent certifications by the registering physicians must also take place every 30 weeks (approximately every seven months) to determine if the patient meets the requirements for medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana is not covered by insurance in any capacity, in part because it is not an FDA-approved product and partly because it is still illegal under federal law.

Florida Medical Marijuana Debilitating Conditions

Patients who are seeking medical marijuana often want to know if their condition will make them an eligible candidate for an ID card. Under the passing of Amendment 2, the list was expanded and now includes some key language that makes the conditions broader than before.

Patients suffering from the following conditions are eligible to receive an order for medical marijuana products:

    • Cancer
    • Epilepsy
    • Glaucoma
    • HIV
    • AIDS
    • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
    • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
    • Crohn’s disease
    • Parkinson’s disease
    • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
    • Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those above
    • A terminal condition diagnosed by a physician other than the qualified physician issuing the physician certification
    • Chronic nonmalignant pain caused by a qualifying medical condition or that originates from a qualifying medical condition and persists beyond the usual course of that qualifying medical condition

The key language here is “same kind of class,” allowing qualified physicians to exercise their medical judgement in their recommendation of medical marijuana.

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Article X, Section 29, (b), (1)Debilitating medical condition means cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or other debilitating medical condition of the same kind or class as or comparable to those enumerated, and for which a physician believes the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient.

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