Get your California Medical Marijuana Card & Rec Online

Recommendation letter = $49 at Leafwell.co

Each county in California can set its own price for a Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) but cannot exceed $100. A 50% reduction per card is available across all counties for Medi-Cal eligible applicants. Patients participating in the County Medical Services Program may have this fee waived entirely.

In California, the following conditions may qualify you for a medical marijuana recommendation:

– AIDS/HIV

– Anorexia

– Arthritis

– Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)

– Cancer

– Chronic pain

– Glaucoma

– Migraine

– Persistent muscle spasms (e.g., spasms associated with multiple sclerosis)

– Seizures (e.g., epileptic seizures)

– Severe nausea

– Any other chronic or persistent medical symptom that either substantially limits a person’s ability to conduct one or more of major life activities as defined in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or if not alleviated, may cause serious harm to the person’s safety, physical, or mental health.

Telehealth for medical cannabis is legal in California. As such, Leafwell’s services are accessible via telehealth in California.

There are three simple steps to seeing a Leafwell provider in California to obtain your Medical Marijuana Card:

1. Create a Leafwell account by using a valid email address and choosing a password. You’ll then be asked to complete a brief questionnaire of personal and health information and to either take or upload a photograph of your identification (Leafwell is required by law to verify your identity). You will need a smartphone, computer, or tablet with a reliable internet connection and a working camera to be seen by a Leafwell provider.

2. Next, you will be taken to the virtual waiting room where you’ll be connected with a Leafwell provider for a video chat (i.e., a virtual doctor’s visit). (You will receive a text message to your cell phone when the provider is ready to see you.) During the video chat, the provider will assess your health situation to determine if you qualify for a medica marijuana certification.

3. If you are approved for a medical marijuana certification, you’ll be sent a copy of your recommendation letter via email. This recommendation letter contains your unique patient ID number which is added to a private, physician-run registry that allows you to purchase product from medical marijuana dispensaries in California.

Leafwell requires the following documents for your online visit:

– Photo ID (e.g., driver’s permit/license, state ID, or U.S. passport)
– Proof of address (e.g., utility bill, mortgage, rental lease, bank statement)
– Medical records (e.g., patient history, doctor’s notes, prescription information/history, imaging/scan results)

You must be at least 18 years of age in order to apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in California. Caregivers must also be 18 years of age.

In California, you can get a Medical Marijuana Card for a minor with parental/guardian consent.

Medical marijuana has been proven to be effective for many conditions suffered by children. Leafwell providers understand this and frequently work with parents/guardians to help them get their children the medical care they need.

Cannabis could be a far safer, less addictive alternative to opioids and sedatives, which are also sometimes prescribed for children with serious conditions (e.g. cancer, epilepsy).

Yes, medical marijuana patients in California can have a caregiver. You qualify as a primary caregiver under California marijuana law if:

• You have been designated for that purpose by a legal medical marijuana user
• You are consistently responsible for that person’s housing, health, and/or safety
• The care you provide is independent of assistance you give the person in taking medical marijuana
• You began taking care of the person at or before the time you assumed responsibility for assisting with medical marijuana.
• Primary caregivers are covered under the California Compassionate Use Act (“CUA”)

To apply as a caregiver, follow this process:

1. Completed an MMIC application
2. Provide a copy of medical records, including the patient’s physician’s recommendation for medical marijuana
3. Pay MMIC application fee

In order to receive a medical marijuana identification card (MMIC), patients and caregivers must apply in person through their appointed county office and provide the following documents:

1. Photo identification for both parties
2. Proof of residence, such as a utility bill, for both parties

Yes, Leafwell can help you renew your Medical Marijuana Card.

If you’re a returning patient, all your information is stored on our HIPAA-compliant platform, and the process is quick and easy. If you are not already a Leafwell patient, click here to create an account and complete your renewal.

Californian medical marijuana recommendations are valid for one year.

When you use Leafwell to obtain your certificate, we’ll send you a reminder email one month before your card is due to expire to make sure you have plenty of time to submit your renewal application.

In California, there is no express limit on the amount of medical marijuana a patient can possess.

However, there may be legal implications should a patient possess an amount indicative of selling or trafficking.

Leafwell recommends you speak with an attorney if you may have a need to possess medical marijuana in a quantity greater than an amount reasonable for personal, daily consumption.

The generally accepted, non-official limit for medical marijuana patients is 8 ounces on their person, or up to 60 grams of cannabis concentrate (1 oz. being equivalent to 8 grams).

If you have a Medical Marijuana Card or recommendation letter, you can buy medical marijuana in California at a licensed dispensary or use a licensed delivery service.

Some states accept out-of-state Medical Marijuana Cards. This is called reciprocity.

The following states accept out-of-state medical cannabis cards:

– Alaska ^

– Arkansas *

– California ^

– Colorado ^

– Hawaii *

– Maine

– Massachusetts

– Michigan

– Nevada

– Oklahoma *

– Oregon ^

– Puerto Rico

– Washington ^

– Washington D.C.

States marked with * require visitors to complete a temporary application for the duration of their stay.

States marked with ^ have adult use programs but do not accept out of state cards.

No. Registration with the State of California’s Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program (MMICP) is voluntary and not publicly accessible.

Although you can verify a patient number publically, it does not display your name or any other personal information. We recommend registering, as it can potentially save you from many legal problems.

Here is an overview of the medical marijuana laws in California:

1972 – California became the first state to vote on a ballot which argued for the legalization of cannabis. Proposition 19 would have legalized use, possession and cultivation of cannabis (but not commercial sales). It lost 33 percent to 67 percent but set California up as a state which would lead the way.

1996 – Medical marijuana law comes into effect – Proposition 215 refers to the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 which is still in effect today. This passage exempts patients and defined caregivers who possess or cultivate cannabis for medical treatment and who have a physician’s recommendation from punishment under state law. California was the first state to legalize medical cannabis.

2003 – Senate Bill 420 clarified much of the language in the initial law and established the current identification-card system for medical cannabis patients.

2016 – Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, legalized the recreational use of cannabis. It passed with 57 percent of the vote. Recreational cannabis enthusiasts can possess up to one ounce of cannabis flower or 8 grams of concentrate (e.g. hashish, wax, shatter).

2019 – Amendments were passed via Senate Bill 34 which allowes licensed retailers and dispensaries to provide medical cannabis for free to qualified patients who are for certain reasons unable to access product.

2020 – Governor Newsom issued an executive order which extended existing MMICs beyond the original expiration date due to Covid-19 and a lack of access to some facilities

Yes, we do. All of the doctors who work with Leafwell are licensed physicians within the state they practice in, and sometimes beyond!

Our physicians are experienced medical marijuana doctors who truly understand the concept of cannabis as medicine. We’re committed to working with physicians who understand the value of medical cannabis and can help people interested in trying medical marijuana and providing medical support and guidance.

Yes, you can purchase medical marijuana in California (and in some other states) with only your doctor’s recommendation letter.

While some states permit California patients to purchase medical marijuana while visiting, most dispensaries will require you to have the official California Medical Marijuana Identification Card and will not accept your doctor’s recommendation letter. Click here for more information on applying for the California Medical Marijuana Identification Card.

Possession a valid California MMIC card has the following benefits: Less tax to pay; greater possession limits; access to a greater number of products and dispensaries; greater legal protections, both in California and other states with reciprocity; lower age requirements; and discounts at dispensaries.

Leafwell works in partnership with several cannabis dispensaries and physician’s clinics. As we are an online telehealth company providing virtual medical marijuana evaluations, we can technically certify you wherever you are in California. We do, however, have “hubs” at various locations in California, where you can speak to a physician online. These locations are: