Yes — in states that permit telehealth certifications, an online video visit with a state-licensed physician is fully legal and equivalent to an office visit. 29 states currently allow completely online initial certifications; a minority require the first visit in person.

It depends on your state. Common qualifying conditions include chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety (in some states), cancer, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. Several states — New York, Virginia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Delaware, Hawaii, and Maine among them — let physicians certify any condition they believe cannabis may help.

In most states the physician can evaluate you based on your consultation alone. Records strengthen the case and are required in a few stricter states — your state page lists specifics.

Yes. Certification is a medical decision, and an honest service tells you that upfront. That's exactly why the fee is refunded if you're not approved.

Typically one year, though some states issue longer cards — two years in Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and New York; three in Vermont and Minnesota; Maryland's registration runs six years with annual recertification.

Yes, states require a real-time audio-video visit (it's what makes telehealth certification legal). Expect 10–15 minutes of conversation about your symptoms, history, and prior treatments — no physical exam, no judgment. Phone-only consults satisfy the law in only a few states.

Yes. A denial isn't recorded against you in any registry; you can seek a second opinion with another licensed physician, or reapply later with better documentation of your condition. With us, a denial also triggers the full refund.

Every state program covers minors with extra safeguards: a parent or legal guardian registers as the caregiver, makes all purchases, and several states require a second physician's sign-off or limit minors to non-smokable products. Pediatric certifications are most common for epilepsy and autism.

State registries are confidential and not searchable by employers. However, a card does not universally protect you from workplace drug policies — protections vary by state, and federal employees and CDL drivers remain subject to federal rules.

Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) and ATF Form 4473) prohibits firearm purchases by unlawful users of controlled substances, and ATF has not updated its guidance after the April 2026 rescheduling of state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III. Court challenges are ongoing in several circuits. The practical risk remains — read our full guns guide before deciding.

A regular license is unaffected, though driving impaired remains illegal everywhere. CDL holders are subject to federal DOT testing — medical cards provide no protection there.

Patient registries are health records, not criminal records. Standard background checks don't include them.

Registries are confidential state health records. Dispensary staff and regulators verify card validity; police access is restricted by state law, typically to verifying a presented card. There is no routine federal access — but no state promises absolute secrecy against court orders, so we won't either.

Urine tests detect THC metabolites for roughly 3–7 days after occasional use and 30+ days for heavy daily use; hair tests reach back months. Detection is not impairment — which is exactly why drug testing remains a problem for patients in non-protective states and federally regulated jobs.

Sometimes. A few states accept out-of-state cards or offer visitor registrations (Hawaii, Oklahoma, D.C., Maine, and others). Many don't. Never cross state lines with cannabis — that's federal trafficking territory, even between two legal states.

Medical patients typically pay significantly lower taxes (often 10–25% less per purchase), get higher possession limits, access to higher-potency products, and stronger legal protections. Heavy users usually recoup the card cost within a purchase or two.

Home cultivation rules vary widely — some states allow patients 6–12 plants, others prohibit growing entirely. Check your state page; each one now lists cultivation rules with sources.

Driving while impaired is illegal in every state, and a medical card is not a defense. Several states set per-se THC blood limits where you can be charged regardless of how you feel. Leave hours between medicating and driving; for daily patients, talk timing through with the physician.

No. Federal property follows federal law regardless of the state surrounding it: possession in national parks, on bases, in federal buildings, and in HUD-subsidized housing remains prohibited even for cardholders.

No. Your certification covers you alone — sharing, gifting, or reselling medical cannabis is diversion, a crime everywhere, and grounds for losing your card. Each adult who benefits needs their own certification.

No. Alabama, Iowa, and Georgia exclude smokable flower entirely (Georgia allows vaping for patients 21+), Kentucky prohibits smoking raw flower, and Texas limits products to low-THC formats. Most other programs sell flower, vapes, edibles, tinctures, and topicals. Your state page lists what's allowed.

$199 for new patients and $169 for renewals — refunded in full if you're not approved. State registry fees (free to $200 depending on state) are separate.

No. Insurers cover FDA-approved drugs only, and IRS Publication 502 still excludes cannabis from HSA/FSA spending as of June 2026 — even after state-licensed medical marijuana moved to Schedule III in April 2026. Some patients successfully use HSA/FSA cards for the telehealth visit itself, which is a standard medical consultation.

No — the FDA explicitly warns against cannabis use during pregnancy and breastfeeding (THC passes to the fetus and into breast milk, with potential effects on development), and physicians will not certify pregnant patients. If this applies to you, raise it with your OB before anything else.

Partially. An April 28, 2026 DEA final rule moved FDA-approved cannabis products and marijuana dispensed under state medical licenses to Schedule III. All other marijuana remains Schedule I while a broader rulemaking continues. Practical effects for patients are so far limited — see our rescheduling guide for what actually changed.