Getting or renewing a medical marijuana card in Connecticut has never been easier. The advent of the internet has made almost anything possible, including getting your hands on an application (or renewal application) for your medical marijuana card! Long gone are the days of having to schedule a consultation in person with your doctor! The online application process is fast, easy, and the most efficient way of getting your card.
In order to reapply or even apply for a medical card in Connecticut, you have to meet certain criteria. The criteria could include anything from filling out a form, to updating your patient information, and so on. Follow along with this article to see how you can apply or reapply.
Debilitating Medical Conditions For Adults
Fortunately, Connecticut has more qualifying debilitating medical conditions than other states! These medical conditions include cancer, glaucoma, positive status for Human Immunodeficiency Virus or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Damage to the Nervous Tissue of the Spinal Cord with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity, Epilepsy, Cachexia, Wasting Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sickle Cell Disease, Post Laminectomy Syndrome with Chronic Radiculopathy, Severe Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Ulcerative Colitis, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 and Type II.
Other qualifying conditions include: Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Irreversible Spinal Cord Injury with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity, Terminal Illness Requiring End-Of-Life Care, Uncontrolled Intractable Seizure Disorder, Spasticity or Neuropathic Pain Associated with Fibromyalgia, Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, Post Herpetic Neuralgia, Hydrocephalus with Intractable Headache, Intractable Headache Syndromes, Neuropathic Facial Pain, Muscular Dystrophy, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Chronic Neuropathic Pain Associated with Degenerative Spinal Disorders, Interstitial Cystitis, MALS Syndrome (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome), Vulvodynia and Vulvar Burning, Intractable Neuropathic Pain that is unresponsive to standard medical treatments.
Believe it or not, there are more qualifying conditions! The following are the most recent that are given as reasons for a patient to medicate with cannabis: Tourette Syndrome, Chronic Pain of at least 6 months duration associated with a specified underlying chronic condition refractory to other treatment intervention, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Associated with Chronic Pain.
Debilitating Medical Conditions For Patients Under 18
In order to qualify for medical marijauna as a minor, you must have one of the following: Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Irreversible Spinal Cord Injury with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity, Severe Epilepsy, Terminal Illness Requiring End-Of-Life Care, Uncontrolled Intractable Seizure Disorder, Muscular Dystrophy, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Intractable Neuropathic Pain that Is Unresponsive to Standard Medical Treatments, Tourette Syndrome for patients who have failed standard medical treatment. These conditions were approved by the Regulation Review Committee via the recommendation of the Board of Physicians and Commissioner of Consumer Protection.
Other Qualifications for Obtaining a Medical Card in Connecticut
A patient may only register for a medical marijuana card in Connecticut if he or she is a Connecticut resident being treated for a debilitating medical condition by a Connecticut-licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse.
Qualifying patients cannot be an inmate confined in a correctional institution or facility under the supervision of the Connecticut Department of Corrections. Prior to attempting to complete the online application, we recommend you take a look at the Patient Quick Reference Card. These will assist you in completing the application process.
To complete the application, you must have specific documents and other items in a digital format ready for upload. Please review the information below carefully before beginning the online application process. If you need additional assistance uploading your documents into the system, please contact your chosen dispensary facility.
Make an Appointment with Your Physician:
It is important to know that only your physician can initiate your application by certifying for the department that you have a medical condition that qualifies you for a medical cannabis card. If your physician decides to certify you for a medical marijuana registration card, they will ask you for a number of things that you will need to provide them.
A valid email address is one of these things, and this should be an email address that you are comfortable using in connection with your medical marijuana registration, as it will be the primary method the Department will use to communicate with you. You’ll also need to provide a primary telephone number. This should be a personal telephone number that the Department can use to contact you about your medical marijuana registration.
What The Department Needs From You for Your Medical Card
Proof of Identity, proof of Connecticut residency, current passport size photograph (No longer required – May 1, 2019 ), $100.00 registration fee (checks/money orders should be made payable to “Treasurer, State of CT”). You will be able to upload these documents and pay the fee when you submit your registration application online. If you need assistance uploading any documents into the system, please contact your chosen dispensary facility.
What to do For a Minor:
STEP 1: Schedule Appointments with TWO Physicians
It is necessary that you find two physicians that will confirm that the use of marijuana to treat qualifying debilitating conditions is in the minor patient’s best interest. One of the physicians must be the patient’s primary care provider. The other physician must be a board certified member in an area of medicine involved in the treatment of the debilitating condition for which the qualifying patient will be certified.
One of these two physicians must log into the medical marijuana registration system and certify that the patient has one of the qualifying medical conditions.
This physician will ask the caregiver for a valid email address and primary telephone number that the Department can use to communicate with you about the minor’s registration. The second physician must provide you with a letter confirming that the palliative use of marijuana is in the patient’s best interest.
STEP 2: Complete the Patient Registration Process
After your scheduled physician appointments, the minor patient should have a record in the DCP’s medical marijuana registration system. The parent or guardian must complete the registration by using the following link to set up a free account in the State’s Business Network system. https://www.biznet.ct.gov/DCP-MMRP. This is a one-time process and will allow you access to the online medical marijuana registration system.
Log in to https://www.biznet.ct.gov/DCP-MMRP using the email and password you used during the Business Network registration process. Then select “I am a Patient” at which point you will be asked to provide the minor patient’s date of birth and the email address you provided to the certifying physician.
Once you are logged in, you will see a pre-filled form with the patient information entered by the physician. If this information is not correct, you must arrange for the physician’s office to correct it. After confirming the minor patient information, you will be asked to select the dispensary facility from which you intend to purchase medical marijuana. Current dispensary facilities can be found at using this link: https://www.ct.gov/dcp/dispensarylist
Next, you will need to provide information about yourself as the patient’s caregiver. Finally, you must select a payment method. The fee for a minor patient is $100. After this, you will move onto the third step!
STEP 3: Complete the Caregiver Registration Process
At this point, you will see a pre-filled screen with the patient information entered by the physician and the caregiver information entered by yourself. You will be asked to answer a few questions confirming your understanding of the role of a caregiver and your willingness to act as a responsible caregiver.
Next, you will be asked to upload proof of identity, proof of residency and a photograph of yourself. You do not need to provide a photograph of the minor patient. You will also be asked to upload the letter from the second physician that confirms that the minor patient will benefit from the palliative use of marijuana. Finally, you must select a payment method, but you don’t have to pay another $100; you only have to pay $25 as the caregiver.
STEP 4: DCP Reviews the Application
Once the patient and caregiver portions of the application process are complete, DCP will review the information. You will receive an email confirming that your registration is approved or otherwise identifying the information that is missing. DCP will mail a medical marijuana registration card for the caregiver. DCP does NOT make ID cards for minor patients. The minor’s e-mail confirmation and your caregiver card can be used as proof that the minor patient is registered. In addition to all of this, law enforcement has secure access to the registration system to confirm the patient’s status.
Application Status for Your Medical Card in Connecticut
Qualifying patient applications can take up to 30 business days to process. Upon approval of your application, a temporary certificate will be emailed to you. This temporary certificate is valid for 60 days from the approval date of your application. The temporary certificate will allow you to use your selected dispensary facility while your permanent Medical Marijuana Certificate is being mailed. Please contact the department if you do not receive your Medical Marijuana Certificate after 30 business days.
Temporary certifications must be printed out and kept in your possession at all times because you will not be able to purchase any medical marijuana product without it. Please call your selected dispensary to schedule an initial appointment PRIOR to visiting the dispensary (this does not apply to renewal certifications, only initial certifications). Your certificate is valid up to one year from the date your physician certified you. It is in your best interest to complete the “Online Application” as soon as possible.
How to Register Your Primary Caregiver
If your physician certification indicates a need for you to have a primary caregiver, you must register a qualified caregiver before the Department will issue you a registration certificate. The Department will not register a patient who needs a primary caregiver until the caregiver’s application is completed and approved.
Recertification for a Medical Card in Connecticut
Qualifying patients registrations will be valid up to one year from the date of the physician written certification. This means that, if your doctor certified you on October 1, 2012, your registration (and your caregiver’s registration) will expire on October 1, 2013, even if you did not complete your application until several weeks later. The date of your card’s expiration will be on the front of your card. They will not send out reminders to get recertified, so it is up to you whether you want to recertify or not.
Before your medical marijuana card expires, the registration system will allow you and your doctor to begin the renewal process. The earliest a patient can be recertified is 30 days before the expiration date of the current registration. In large part, the renewal process will be similar to the process that you went through for your original registration. Recertified patients and caregivers will be issued new identification cards upon approval by the Department.
That should be all you need to know about getting a medical marijuana card in Connecticut! If there are updated rules or regulations that we don’t have listed, please let us know so we can fix it. Other than that, we wish you the best, and hope you have a fantastic day! Check out these other articles from our website.
Additional Resources:
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