Get an Alabama Medical Marijuana Card

3 documents needed to apply for a medical card

To apply for a medical marijuana card in Alabama, you must follow a few essential steps to ensure your eligibility and successful registration.

1. Valid ID and Proof of Residency
   You must provide a valid ID and proof of Alabama residency.
2. Medical Marijuana Recommendation
   After obtaining your Patient Number, the next step is to consult with a registered MMJ physician who can evaluate your condition and provide a recommendation. It is essential to choose a physician who is experienced in treating patients with your specific condition, as they will be able to provide the necessary certification that forms a critical part of your application.
3. Medical Records
   Medical records documenting your qualifying condition are required.
   

Legal limitations for Alabama cardholders

Cost information: The patient registration application fee for a physical card is $50, and the virtual card is $10 cheaper. Replacement card fees are $25 for the physical card and $20 for a virtual card. Since marijuana is still federally illegal, Medicaid coverage is not available.

No operational medical dispensaries: Medical cannabis products are still not available for purchase in Alabama because there are no operational state dispensaries at this time. “Dispensaries” that do exist in Alabama only sell delta-9 THC products and other semi-synthetic cannabinoid-based products.

Possession limits for patients: Doctors can recommend medical cannabis for up to 12 months at a time. In most cases, the daily dosage can’t exceed 50 milligrams of THC or 75 mg per day if the doctor considers it medically appropriate.

• Registered patients are permitted to possess a maximum of 70 daily dosages of medical cannabis at one time. Doses of authorized cannabis products are capped at a maximum of 50 milligrams for the first 90 days.

Some consumption methods prohibited: Smokable products, edible products, and vaporizers are banned, but patients may purchase cannabis in the following forms:

• • Oral tablet, capsule, or tincture
  • Non-sugar coated gelatinous cube, cuboid, or lozenge
  • Gel, oil, cream, or other topical preparation
  • Transdermal patch
  • Nebulizer
  • Liquid or oil only for an inhaler
  • Suppositories

Home grow is not allowed: Cultivating cannabis is illegal in Alabama, even for medical marijuana patients.

Recreational use is illegal: Despite recent legislative efforts, recreational marijuana possession and marijuana use remains illegal in Alabama. Penalties for violating current cannabis laws range from a misdemeanor to a felony, with fines starting at $6,000 and jail time of up to 99 years.

Delta-8 & CBD products are legal: Hemp derivatives are legal, including CBD, delta-8, and other cannabinoids extracted from hemp.

Telehealth is not permitted as a means for obtaining a medical card.

How to become a caregiver in Alabama

Medical Marijuana patients in Alabama can have a caregiver.

Under Alabama law, you may qualify as a primary caregiver if you are at least 21 or the patient’s parent or legal guardian.

Can you use an Alabama medical card in other states?

Alabama does not have medical marijuana reciprocity and does not recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards.

The following states and U.S. territories do have medical cannabis reciprocity laws where your Alabama medical card may be recognized:

• Arizona
• Arkansas *
• Hawaii *
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Michigan (at the dispensary’s discretion)
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey *
• New Mexico
• Oklahoma *
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• U.S. Virgin Islands *
• Utah * (up to two 21-day periods in a calendar year)
• Washington, D.C.

*Visitors must complete a visiting patient application with the state program.