
Talk about EASY!! The whole process took 15 minutes, including the call with the Doctor!!! Amazing!
Get your medical card online in minutes!
Get startedApply now
1
You can speak to a doctor and qualify for a California medical marijuana card online. The cost of the online consultation is $49 for a CA physician’s medicinal cannabis recommendation letter. For $59, we’ll also send you a physician-issued Leafwell ID card. You are only billed if approved.
2
During your appointment, a Leafwell physician 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.
3
We’ll immediately email your certificate after your successful appointment. Your certificate is valid for one year and includes an ID number that allows you to visit dispensaries in California and protects you under the state’s medical marijuana laws.
We’ll also send you a hard copy in the mail.
4
Though you don’t need an MMJ card in California, you can also apply for a state-issued medical marijuana ID card. You will need a state-issued MMIC in order to benefit from reciprocity and tax benefits. A physician-issued card and recommendation is not enough.
Talk about EASY!! The whole process took 15 minutes, including the call with the Doctor!!! Amazing!
Shocked how easy! Kind and understanding, definitely the best way to get your med card.
Incredibly calm and easy experience, will only use Leafwell moving forward and would recommend to anyone!
Fast, easy application process.
You don’t have to have an MMJ card to legally buy cannabis in California, but there are multiple reasons to become a cardholder.
Save money
Medical cannabis patients in California pay less tax compared to non-medical adult users. Medical cannabis patients pay only the excise tax and, if applicable a local cannabis business tax, which at the time of writing means a total tax rate of between 15% and 19.75% on medical cannabis.
Recreational customers pay retail sales tax as well as excise tax, with a tax range of between 27.5% and 40.75%, depending on municipality. Medical marijuana patients can save up to 25% on tax when purchasing cannabis!
You must have a “state-issued” MMIC card to be eligible for tax benefits (state sales tax exemption only). Medical patients and MMIC holders will still need to pay the excise tax (15%) and local cannabis business tax, if applicable. Local cannabis business taxes can range between 5-15%, but some dispensaries will cover this tax for customers/patients.
Easier Access
Medical cannabis patients also have access to a greater number of products and dispensaries. Only 161 of California’s 482 municipalities allow recreational dispensaries.
Reciprocity
Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, US Virgin Islands, Utah and Washington DC recognize a valid, state-issued medical card identity card (MMIC) from California.
California became the first state to vote for cannabis legalization back in 1972. The Proposition failed, but the state went on to become the first in the country to legalize medical marijuana in the mid-1990s.
The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 exempts patients and defines caregivers who possess or cultivate cannabis for medical treatment and who have a physician’s recommendation from punishment.
The state legalized recreational marijuana use in 2018, allowing anyone 21 or older to possess 1 ounce or less of cannabis (max. 8 g of concentrates). However, most Californians would benefit from obtaining a medical marijuana card instead of opting for recreational use.
How to qualify
To apply for a Medical Marijuana Card or recommendation in California, you must be a legal state resident 18 or older.
The person you care for is legally entitled to use medical marijuana.
You meet the legal definition of a primary caregiver under the California Compassionate Use Act (CUA).
In California, the following conditions may qualify you for a medical marijuana recommendation:
Patients can carry up to 8oz of flower or concentrate. Recreational users can only have up to 1oz of flower and 8 g of concentrate.
Do not take your cannabis over state lines. Keep your cannabis in California. If you are moving around California with cannabis, keep it to reasonable amounts (e.g., 1 ounce/28.5 grams or less of dried flower or 8 g of hashish/concentrate, as per recreational laws), and preferably locked away and safely kept.
If you carry both concentrate and flower, you cannot exceed the equivalent possession amounts. This means you cannot carry an ounce of dried cannabis flower and 8 g of concentrate simultaneously. This applies to recreational cannabis users, and medical patients may have some leeway, but we don’t recommend tempting fate wherever possible.
Yes, you can cultivate cannabis at home. You can grow up to six plants at any one time. You can only grow plants at home, which must be in a lockable space that is not visible from off the property. Some California cities and counties have their own laws regarding cultivation — some allow more than six plants, while others prohibit outdoor growing.
Caregivers
You qualify as a primary caregiver under California marijuana law if:
01
You have been designated for that purpose by a legal medical marijuana user
02
You are consistently responsible for that person’s housing, health, and/or safety
03
The care you provide is independent of assistance you give the person in taking medical marijuana
04
You began taking care of the person at or before the time you assumed responsibility for assisting with medical marijuana
California doesn’t recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards, but visitors to the state can apply for a medical marijuana identification card (MMIC).
Arkansas, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington, D.C., recognize in-date out-of-state medical marijuana cards. A state-issued California MMIC (not physician-issued) is required for reciprocity with other states.
This reciprocity is one key benefit for medical marijuana users. Unlike recreational cannabis users, medical marijuana users with a medical marijuana card can travel to the states listed and purchase the medical marijuana they require while out of state.
Telehealth services like Leafwell make it easy to get a medical marijuana card, but meeting with a cannabis doctor is only the first part of the process.
Discover CBD, or Cannabidiol and learn more about the properties this key chemical in cannabis has for medical marijuana patients.
What is it like to see a medical marijuana doctor? Learn more about the process, and what to expect during your Leafwell visit, in our guide.
Medical Marijuana recommendation letter = $49 at Leafwell
Medical Marijuana recommendation letter and Leafwell card = $59 at Leafwell
It is not mandatory to get a California Medical Marijuana Identification Card. However, you can purchase one if you wish.
Each county in California can set its own price for a Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) but cannot exceed $100. A 50% reduction per card is available across all counties for Medi-Cal eligible applicants. Patients participating in the County Medical Services Program may have this fee waived entirely.
Plus, now you can sign up with a friend and each save 10% on your consultation with Leafwell.
In California, the following conditions may qualify you for a medical marijuana recommendation:
Any other chronic or persistent medical symptom that either substantially limits a person’s ability to conduct one or more of major life activities as defined in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or if not alleviated, may cause serious harm to the person’s safety, physical, or mental health.
There are three simple steps to seeing a Leafwell provider in California to obtain your Medical Marijuana Card online:
You must be at least 18 years of age in order to apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in California without a parent or guardian. Caregivers must also be 18 years of age.
Yes, medical marijuana patients in California can have a caregiver. You qualify as a primary caregiver under California marijuana law if:
To apply as a caregiver, follow this process:
In order to receive a medical marijuana identification card (MMIC), patients and caregivers must apply in person through their appointed county office and provide the following documents:
The state registration is completely optional. This allows you to obtain a “STATE ISSUED” card.