How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Michigan in 2023

Acquiring a medical marijuana card via telemedicine is now available in Michigan, thanks to advancements made at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, patients and physicians needed to establish an in-person relationship to qualify for a Michigan MMJ certificate. Leafwell can now offer our telemedicine platform for Michigan medical marijuana users.

We’ve put together this valuable guide to answer all your questions and help individuals living in Michigan state understand the importance of applying for their Michigan MMJ Card via our easy, HIPAA-compliant process and platform.

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Benefits of Having a Medical Card in Michigan

Cannabis is legal for recreational use in Michigan. However, holding an MMJ card in the state allows you to purchase medical cannabis at a lower taxation rate. Medical patients pay just 6% tax, while adult-use purchases are taxed at 16%.

There are also higher possession limits for medical patients. Medical cannabis card holders in Michigan can possess the following:

up to 16 oz of a solid cannabis product
up to 7 g of a “gaseous” cannabis product
up to 36 fl oz of a liquid cannabis product.

Anyone over the age of 21 may legally possess up to 2.5 ounces of the product under the recreational cannabis law. However, an MMJ card guarantees access and reduces cost. Recreational marijuana must be purchased from state-licensed dispensaries, and in many parts of the state, there are few dispensaries available. Medical marijuana cards make obtaining cannabis easier throughout Michigan.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Michigan, you must be a legal resident of Michigan State. Patients must be aged 18 or over to apply for a medical marijuana card for themselves.

Can Minors Get a Medical Card in Michigan?

Minors can have caregivers apply on their behalf. Unfortunately, Leafwell does not qualify minor patients online. Minor patients also need two physicians’ MMJ certificates to submit along with their applications.

Caregivers must be aged 21 or over. A caregiver should fill out their application form, and their name must also be listed on the patient’s application form. Caregivers must not have any felonies relating to drugs or violence and have not been convicted for any crime in the past 10 years. A court-appointed legal guardian or Medical Durable Power of Attorney (MDPOA) with the authority to sign documents and make medical decisions can also apply on behalf of the applicant.

Qualifying Conditions

According to Michigan law, the following debilitating conditions may qualify you for a medical marijuana card in Michigan:

Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Arthritis
Autism
Cancer
Cerebral palsy
Crohn’s disease
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV/AIDS
Inflammatory bowel disease
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Nail patella
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Parkinson’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Severe nausea
Spinal cord injury
Ulcerative colitis
Tourette syndrome
A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following:
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Severe or chronic pain
- Seizures (including but not limited to epilepsy)
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms (including but not limited to multiple sclerosis)
Any other condition determined by your doctor and those considering your application to be acceptable for medical marijuana use

This final inclusion means that most people who are seeking to use cannabis to relieve medical complaints should be eligible to get a card. Speak with a Leafwell provider today to see if you qualify. And if you’re not approved, you’ll get your money back.

How to Apply

Documents You’ll Need

To apply for your MMJ Card in Michigan, you must show your signed certificate, which provides proof of your condition, and identification documents. You should gather together the following:

Acceptable ID, such as an unexpired driver’s license or state-produced ID, voter’s registration, or passport
Proof of residence, such as a utility bill, state correspondence, a bank statement, or mortgage/rental agreement
A signed physician’s certificate (which can be obtained via Leafwell)

Leafwell physicians don’t legally require your medical records to conduct a consultation. However, if you have them, we encourage you to upload them because it helps our physicians deliver better service, as they’ll better understand your medical history.

Steps to Apply

Register online with Leafwell and speak to a friendly physician. You can talk to a doctor and qualify for a Michigan medical marijuana certification online. The cost of the online consultation is $149. You are only billed if approved.
Attend your appointment and discuss why you would like an MMJ Card with your physician. The doctor will ask you questions based on your medical history and provide you with advice and guidance on whether medical marijuana is a good choice for you.
Receive your certificate from Leafwell. This will be emailed to you immediately after your successful appointment. You only need the PDF version to complete your Michigan Medical Marijuana Program application form. Once you have the PDF version, you can upload it as part of your application process on the government website.
Apply to the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP). They will approve or deny your application within 15 business days. As soon as you have the confirmation email, you can access medical marijuana with the printed confirmation acting as a temporary card. The physical card will arrive approximately five days after you’ve been approved.

Your certificate will be valid for two years from the date of issue.

What to Expect During Your Leafwell Appointment

Your online medical marijuana evaluation with Leafwell is quick and easy. We’ll need you to provide some preliminary details to start. We also invite you to upload relevant medical records (this is optional). These are all passed securely to one of our registered practitioners, who can familiarize themselves with your application before your consultation.

The consultation is simple and secure, taking place on our bespoke telemedicine platform. You will meet with a Michigan registered practitioner who has experience issuing certificates for medical marijuana to patients for a range of medical issues. The registered practitioner will speak with you about why you are applying and ask questions about your medical conditions and history.

At the end of the consultation, the registered practitioner can make an informed decision about whether they recommend using medical cannabis based on the medical information they have obtained. If an application is successful, the registered practitioner will complete the certification, which will be promptly emailed in PDF form, ready to be uploaded as part of an application to the Michigan government.

If the certification process is unsuccessful, you will receive an email detailing why our registered practitioner could not provide you with the certificate. You will not be charged for the consultation.

Once obtained, the certification will last for two years.

Costs

The consultation with a Michigan registered practitioner via Leafwell’s HIPAA-compliant online consultation service is a one-off fee of $149. However, you will only be charged if you qualify for an MMJ Card and our practitioner elects to approve you.

It costs $40 for the MMJ card and application form, payable to the state. This is a non-refundable fee that must be paid every time you apply. Each card is valid for two years. Every time you renew, you must meet with a state-licensed physician via a telemedicine platform like Leafwell and then renew your card via the state website.

There is no additional fee for applications that include a designated caregiver.

Insurance does not currently cover the cost of applying for an MMJ Card in Michigan because cannabis is illegal at the federal level.

Medical Marijuana Reciprocity

Some states accept out-of-state medical marijuana cards in a process called reciprocity. The following states accept medical cannabis cards from Michigan or otherwise allow access to cannabis:

Alaska ^
Arizona
Arkansas *
California ^
Colorado ^
Hawaii *
Maine
Maryland ^ (as of July 2023)
Massachusetts
Michigan (qualifying state must also have reciprocity with Michigan)
Missouri ^
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico * (recreational cannabis is legal in NM)
Oklahoma *
Oregon ^
Pennsylvania (minors only)
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
U.S. Virgin Islands *
Utah (max. 45 days, after which the patient must apply for a Utah MMJ card)
Washington ^
Washington D.C.

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

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

Applying as a Caregiver

Some patients may be eligible for an MMJ Card but unable to apply for one themselves. For example, should the patient be a minor under 18, or if the patient needs assistance accessing medical cannabis, a caregiver can be assigned to complete the process on their behalf.

Caregivers must be aged 21 or over. Caregivers must fill out their own application form and be listed on the patient’s application form. Caregivers must not have any felonies relating to drugs or violence and have not been convicted for any crime in the past ten years.

An individual can be a caregiver for up to five patients at any time.

Where to Buy Medical Marijuana

As a patient, you can purchase medical marijuana from any licensed Michigan dispensary and enjoy exemption from the additional 10% excise tax. While there aren’t medical marijuana-specific facilities, some businesses may be more patient-accommodating than others.

When seeking medical marijuana, it’s a good idea to talk to dispensary staff and ask plenty of questions. These trained professionals can assist you in identifying the best cannabis products for specific health conditions and address any questions or concerns.

Cultivation

Qualified Michigan medical marijuana patients can grow up to 12 cannabis plants. However, these plants must be locked in an enclosed space. Caregivers are also permitted to grow/possess up to twelve marijuana plants on behalf of their charges. Adults over 21 in Michigan can grow up to 12 plants for recreational use too.

You must declare your intention to cultivate when applying for your medical marijuana card.

Michigan Medical Marijuana Laws to Know

In 2016, Governor Rick Snyder signed a package of bills that allowed the operation and regulation of medical cannabis dispensaries and allowed the use of non-smokable forms such as topicals and edibles.

The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act passed in 2018 and allowed persons aged 21 and over to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis in public, up to 10 ounces at home, and cultivate up to 12 plants at home. It also set up a system for the state-licensed cultivation and distribution of cannabis, with sales subject to a 10% excise tax (in addition to the state’s 6% sales tax). The law went into effect on December 6, 2018, and the first dispensaries opened to the public on December 1, 2019.

Learn more about Michigan marijuana laws here. And if you’re ready to secure your Michigan MMJ card, meet with one of Leafwell’s physicians today.

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