How to Get a Medical Marijuana License Online

How to Get a Medical Marijuana License Online

By Alex M.

Everything about going to the doctor is a drag and, for those of you living in the state of California, going to to see a medical marijuana doctor can come with a lot of extra stress. But it doesn’t have to be so bad. A lot of people, including current patients, don’t know that state laws make it really easy to get a medical marijuana license online through incredible 420 evaluations services like NuggMD. That’s right, you can get all the documents you need to legally access all aspects of the California cannabis industry, and you don’t even have to leave your house.

 

How To Get a Medical Marijuana License Online

 

 

When Proposition 215 passed in 1996, the Compassionate Use Act became the first state to bring a medical marijuana ballot to the state level. Shortly after, California Senate Bill 420 passed in 2003. Since these laws were established, all physicians, osteopaths, surgeons, and pretty much anyone licensed to practice medicine in the state of California have been able to issue medical marijuana recommendations (licenses) to any patients suffering from medical conditions that are treatable with cannabis.

 

These medical conditions include seizures, cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, chronic pain, arthritis, migraines, anorexia and any illness that is not directly listed in the state cannabis laws, such as PMS, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and more, that medical cannabis may help relieve symptoms for. With a gray area left open for doctors to determine what can be effectively treated with cannabis, getting a medical marijuana license in California is fairly easy for those who prefer herbs over pills.

 

However, not every doctor will recommend medical cannabis. Since it is completely up to their own discretion, going to a doctor who specializes in medical marijuana is typically the route to go, since even despite legalization and 20 years of medical laws on the books, most primary care physicians still stray away from blatantly recommending cannabis. Seeing a medical marijuana doctor online works in the exact same way as a visit to your primary care physician would, except without all of the hassle.

 

Instead of scheduling an appointment, traveling to the doctor’s office, and waiting to speak to a doctor, it’s easy to talk to a doctor about your conditions over the internet. Usually a 5-10 minute video chat is all it takes to wrap things up and get your medical marijuana card online. Once a patient receives a proper evaluation from a licensed doctor and goes over what the medical marijuana recommendation would be treating, the patient is typically immediately issued the recommendation. They even have the option of getting a medical marijuana card as well, if not through the website, then through the state health department of the county that they live in.

 

What’s the Difference Between a Medical Marijuana Card and a Recommendation?

 

 

 

Since medical marijuana is not legal under the federal law, doctors can not legally “prescribe” it to a patient. Instead, they give their approval for the use of medical marijuana in the form of a recommendation, which some people refer to as an MMJ license. A medical marijuana card is a bit different, but there really isn’t a whole lot of variance between the two. Both a recommendation and a card have the necessary information to prove that the person is a medical marijuana patient and has the proper documentation needed to possess medical marijuana, but having a card makes it easier for people to look up that information and to carry in your wallet as a patient.

 

The Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program (MMICP) is a voluntary registry that allows for people to verify your medical marijuana card online through the California Department of Public Health database. It’s not necessary to join such a program, which costs additional fees and will make your patient-status publically available. Instead, most online services like NuggMD will also let you purchase a medical marijuana ID card, which protects you just the same as the state version would, but with added privacy and confidentiality.

 

When you first visit a dispensary, you’ll need the full medical marijuana recommendation, which typically comes embossed with a raised seal (required by almost all California marijuana dispensaries), and is signed by the doctor himself. Any service that issues a recommendation without the signature and seal is one you should be wary of. Luckily, we’ll recommend a service at the end of this article that is not only cheap and convenient, but whose recommendations come with all the necessary requirements.

 

After your first visit to a cannabis dispensary after that, you can usually just bring your cannabis card. It’s also much more convenient than carrying around a full 8.5”x11” sheet of paper.

 

Why do I Need a Medical Marijuana Recommendation in California?

 

First of all, one needs a doctor’s recommendation in order to be able to purchase medical cannabis in California at local dispensaries. Other than that, it allows the patient and/or their caregiver to possess, travel with, and cultivate however much medical marijuana “is necessary for their personal medical use.” This amount can vary from county to county though, so make sure to check your local medical marijuana laws.

 

Without proper documentation, a person is breaking a state law if found in possession of marijuana in any form (well, now that’s changed with the passage of Prop 64, which allows you to have up to 1 ounce and/or six cannabis plants). Even if a person is suffering from a valid medical condition, they are still not allowed to possess marijuana without a doctor’s recommendation. Thankfully, a recommendation and card are not hard to get, so you’re better off saving yourself the trouble you’re going to find yourself in with law enforcement if you are caught with possession of marijuana without either of them. But, it’s important to keep in mind that you do need to renew your medical marijuana card every year.

 

Where Can I Go To Get a Medical Marijuana License Online?

 

Because you’ll need a medical marijuana recommendation in order to obtain or possess medical marijuana in the state of California, seeing a doctor is something that can’t be avoided. We probably all know that the entire process of going to a medical marijuana clinic can be long, awkward, sketchy, complicated, or all of the above, so getting in touch and talking to a medical marijuana doctor online can be the ideal option. We recommend NuggMD for a quick, easy evaluation.

 

NuggMD’s evaluation and recommendation process makes it easy to talk to a medical marijuana doctor from the comfort of your own home. Through live video chat, patients suffering from conditions that can be treated by medical marijuana can get in touch with a licensed doctor to talk about any questions or concerns they have about using cannabis to treat their ailments, and see if medical marijuana is right for them. After being properly evaluated, the doctor will issue and mail out your recommendation immediately upon qualification.

 

As we mentioned earlier, the official paper copy that comes in the mail (when issued by a NuggMD doctor) comes complete with your patient ID #, a website and phone number you can use to verify your patient-status, a hand-signature from the doctor, and a raised seal that California dispensaries look for.

 

Not only that, but NuggMD also delivers a PDF (electronic) version of your doctor’s recommendation immediately via email, which you can use to order delivery online from nearby medical marijuana dispensaries. They even credit you automatically with $20 for your first order!

 

Also be sure to check out Nugg Club

 

How Long is an Online Recommendation Valid For?

 

Since it works exactly like the walk-in medical marijuana evaluation and recommendation process, when you pay a good ol’ visit to the online weed doctor and are approved for a medical marijuana recommendation, your recommendation is valid for an entire year. If or when you decide to register for the Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program, your card will be valid for as long as your recommendation is.

 

Unfortunately, if you get your medical marijuana documents outside of the state of California, neither your recommendation nor your card will be valid at local dispensaries and you will need to be issued a recommendation specifically from the state. However, your California medical marijuana recommendation will be considered valid by some other states that have approved the use of marijuana for certain medical conditions.

 

So what are you waiting for? Grab any internet-connected device, visit NuggMD.com, and get your medical marijuana card online for a measly $39 today!