Get a Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Card

Congrats on getting your medical certification! You’re almost there, but there are a few more steps to complete within 60 days to get your Pennsylvania medical marijuana ID card. Let’s dive in!

• Before You Start: What You’ll Need
  • A credit or debit card for payment
  • Your Step-by-Step Guide. We’ve Got Your Back:

Your Leafwell approved physician has already sent all the necessary details to the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Registry after your appointment. Our team has done the heavy lifting for you!

• Log In: Head over to the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Registry and log back in.
• Complete the Application: Follow the prompts to fill out your application.
• Pay the Fee: There’s a $50 state fee to process your application. Good news—if you’re part of assistance programs like Medicaid, PACE/PACENET, CHIP, SNAP, or WIC, you might qualify for a $0 fee!
• Mail Time: Your medical card will be mailed to your address once you’ve paid. Expect it to arrive in 1-2 weeks. The card will be valid for one year.
• Start Shopping: With your new card and a valid photo ID (like a driver’s license), you can now legally obtain medical marijuana from an approved dispensary.

Note: You have 60 days from your physician’s approval to complete these steps. If you miss the deadline, your certifying physician will have to resubmit your certificate to the state, and that comes with an additional fee.

It’s easy to renew your PA medical marijuana card with Leafwell. You’ll get a friendly email reminder 60 days before your card expires.

This email will have a due date, usually about a week before your card’s actual expiration date.

Missed the due date?

Our card will be temporarily deactivated, but you can reactivate it instantly by logging in and paying the annual fee.

Navigating the legal landscape can be tricky, but we’re here to break it down for you. Here are some key points you should be aware of if you have a medical marijuana ID card in Pennsylvania:

30-Day Supply: With a valid medical cannabis card, you can purchase and possess up to a 30-day supply of medical cannabis products. Make sure to keep your card handy!

No Recreational Use: Just a heads-up—recreational marijuana is still a no-go in Pennsylvania. Your medical card doesn’t give you a free pass for recreational use.

Cultivation is Off-Limits: Growing cannabis plants is illegal in Pennsylvania, even if it’s for your own medical marijuana use.

CBD and Delta-8: CBD and other minor cannabinoids manufactured from hemp-derived CBD, such as delta-8 THC and HHC, are legal per federal law and are not further regulated by the state of Pennsylvania.

If you’re looking to become a medical marijuana caregiver for a medical marijuana patient in Pennsylvania, there are some important rules and steps to follow.

Picking Up for Patients

As a caregiver, you can pick up medical marijuana from a dispensary on behalf of a patient.

Caregiver Limitations

Medical patients can designate up to two caregivers. If the patient is a minor, having a caregiver is a must.

Application Process

Caregivers need to submit a separate application to the caregiver registry through the Pennsylvania Department of Health to get their own card.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify, you must:

1. Be at least 21.
2. You need to be living in Pennsylvania and have proof of residency.
3. Have a Pennsylvania driver’s license or a state-issued ID card with your current address.
4. Background Check: You’ll need to complete a criminal history background check.
5. Clean Record: If you’ve been convicted of a criminal offense relating to drugs in the last five years, you won’t be eligible.
6. Register for an ID Card: Once you meet all the criteria, you’ll need to register and get an ID card that allows you to pick up medical marijuana products at a Pennsylvania dispensary.

Timing

It can take up to six weeks to hear back about your caregiver application status after your fingerprinting appointment.

Minor patients are able to be certified through Leafwell.

Patients under the age of 18 with a serious medical condition may get medical marijuana through a caregiver. See the Caregivers section for requirements.

Minors only need to see one certifying provider and a caregiver will be required (either a parent/legal guardian or someone designated by the parent/legal guardian).

Minors will not receive a card and caregivers will shop on their behalf. The Department will issue a medical marijuana patient authorization letter to a minor patient instead of issuing an identification card to the minor.

If you are the minor’s parent, legal guardian or spouse, you can register as their caregiver by selecting the appropriate caregiver option on the registration site.

If you are not the minor’s parent, legal guardian or spouse, it is recommended that an ‘authorization to designate a third-party caregiver’ form be completed. This form can be downloaded from the caregiver’s profile. Once completed, you can upload the form in your caregiver profile.

When a minor patient turns 18 during their cycle, the certificate will transfer over, but they need to submit a new, adult patient application through their pa.gov portal. Once the patient obtains their adult patient ID number, they will need to contact the state to have them link their adult and minor accounts.

Pennsylvania does not offer medical marijuana reciprocity to cardholders from other states.That said, these states will recognize your PA medical card:

• 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.