How to get a Maryland medical cannabis card

Step 1: register on Maryland OneStop

If you are 18 or older, you register yourself on Maryland OneStop, the state's online portal for the patient registry run by the Maryland Cannabis Administration.

Step 2: get certified by a provider

A provider registered with the Maryland Cannabis Administration has to certify you before you can buy as a patient. Provider fees vary, and many providers offer video visits instead of an office visit. One telehealth provider lists a fee of $149.99, so shop around.

The provider decides whether you qualify. Be straightforward about your health history; the certification is a medical decision, not a formality.

What qualifies

The state lists the kinds of conditions a provider can certify for. A provider may certify a patient with a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that causes:

• •Cachexia, anorexia or wasting syndrome
• •Severe or chronic pain
• •Severe nausea
• •Seizures
• •Severe or persistent muscle spasms
• •Glaucoma
• •PTSD
• •Another chronic condition that's severe and where other treatments haven't worked

Your patient ID number

Once approved, the state issues a 16-character patient ID number. That number plus a photo ID is what you show at the counter. You no longer need to carry a physical card.

An optional physical ID card costs $25, free for minors and for patients on Medicaid or VA health care. You can also print a paper copy for free.

How long it lasts

Patient registration stays valid for six years.

Under 18, and caregivers

Patients 18 and older register themselves. Someone under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian to serve as their caregiver. Caregivers must be 21 or older. A minor’s registration ends at 18.

Out-of-state residents

Maryland doesn't honor medical cards from other states. Visitors 21 and older can buy adult-use cannabis with a government photo ID. It remains illegal to leave or enter Maryland with cannabis. To buy under Maryland's medical program, you have to be registered with Maryland.

What changes at the counter

Registered patients and caregivers pay no cannabis sales tax. Adult-use customers pay 12%. Every dispensary must give registered patients either an exclusive hour or a dedicated or priority line. A registered patient who is 21 or older may also grow two more plants at home, up to four in one home.

Everything else works the same: bring your patient ID number and a photo ID. Each shop page on this site shows the hours and payment methods the shop publishes.