Medical marijuana is legal across the state of Florida, but getting it isn’t as simple as walking into a dispensary and buying weed. Before you can access medical marijuana, you’ll need to get your Florida Medical Marijuana Card, and you’ll need to undertake various steps to get it in the first place.
Not only do you have to make sure that you have a qualifying condition, but you’ll also have to find a registered medical marijuana doctor to put you on the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. After that, you can apply for your medical card and, if you’re approved, you’ll get it within a couple of weeks. Some patients may be confused about how the process works, so here’s what it’s actually like to get your Medical Marijuana Card in Florida.
Finding Out If You Qualify & Finding A Doctor
Florida’s Medical Marijuana program is thriving, with over 300,000 patients according to recent statistics. However, that doesn’t mean that anyone can get medical marijuana. If you want to get a medical card in Florida, you have to have one of the qualifying conditions set by the state.
Fortunately, there are many qualifying conditions in Florida. These include physical conditions such as cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Epilepsy, and Multiple Sclerosis as well as mental conditions such as PTSD and Anxiety. You may also qualify if you have other severe or debilitating conditions that aren’t on the list.
A self-diagnosis isn’t enough to qualify for medical marijuana in Florida. Instead, you’ll need to find a doctor to put you on the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. Not all doctors can do this- you must find a qualified medical marijuana doctor to assess your health history and symptoms to see whether you qualify. Medical Marijuana services businesses like MY FLORIDA GREEN make it easy to find a marijuana doctor in Florida.
Your First Medical Marijuana Doctor Appointment
Once you find a qualified Florida medical marijuana doctor, you’ll need to see them face-to-face. This allows them to assess whether you’re qualified to get a medical marijuana card before they put you on the Medical Marijuana Use Registry.
Your appointment will usually consist of your doctor asking questions about your health as well as carrying out a short examination. You’ll also need to provide your medical records so your doctor can see how long you’ve been affected by your condition and determine whether medical marijuana can help.
If your doctor deems that your condition qualifies you for medical marijuana, they’ll put you on the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. This allows you to then apply for your medical card. Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay for your appointment with a medical doctor, but using a service such as MY FLORIDA GREEN can help keep the costs down.
Applying For Your Medical Marijuana Card in Florida
After your medical marijuana doctor approves you for medical marijuana and adds you to the registry, you’ll receive an email prompting you to apply for your Florida medical card. The application is carried out via the Florida Health Website and the process is fairly straightforward.
When you follow the link, you can create an account by filling in a username and password as well as any personal details necessary. You can then navigate to the “My Card” section of the website and supply any documents or photos necessary.
Usually, your Social Security Number, date of birth, and a photo from your driver’s license or state I.D. will already be there if you gave the details to your doctor. Make sure all details given are correct and make amendments if you need to.
You’ll also need to upload a copy of your license to provide proof of residence and provide a digital signature. Once you’ve filled in the details and uploaded everything you need to, you’ll need to pay a $75 application fee. When your application is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation of payment, although you’ll have to wait to receive your medical card.
Getting Your Medical Marijuana Card & Buying Marijuana
Once you complete and submit your application, you should receive an email back within around 10 business days to tell you whether you’ve been approved. If you’ve been approved, you can then start buying medical marijuana. You’ll also receive a physical card within around 2 weeks.
You can buy medical marijuana from marijuana dispensaries in Florida. Some of the most popular chains of dispensaries in Florida include FLUENT, Liberty Health Sciences, Trulieve, Surterra Wellness, and Curaleaf. You can find out which is best for you in our Florida Medical Marijuana Dispensary Guide
There are many of these across the state so you can easily find a local dispensary and start buying products. Simply provide your medical card or proof that you’re an approved patient and you’ll have access to various products including Cannabis Flower, Oils, Vape Products, and more.
Renewing Your Florida Medical Marijuana Card
Keep in mind that your Florida Medical Marijuana Card needs to be renewed each year. Around 90 days before your medical card expires, you should receive an email notifying you that you’ll soon need to renew your license. You can then renew your medical card at any point until midnight on its expiry date.
You can renew your license through the Florida Health Website and the process is fairly straightforward. You can also mail a paper renewal form to the department, although this may take longer to process.
You’ll need to pay a renewal fee of $75 as well as a small convenience charge of $2.75 if you apply online, but your license will then be renewed for another year. You can still use your old license until it expires.
The Takeaway
You’ll need to go through a few steps to get your medical marijuana card in Florida, but once you have it, you can access all the medical marijuana products you need to help with your condition.
Getting your medical card can be tricky at times- especially if you need to find a qualified marijuana doctor in your area and need help with your application. Luckily, you can get all the help and advice you need from MY FLORIDA GREEN to make the process quick, easy, and affordable.
