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You’ll be able to register online with Leafwell and book an appointment with a friendly physician in Rhode Island. Our process is quick, easy, and HIPAA compliant.
2
Speak with one of our licensed RI physicians about getting a medical cannabis certificate. You can speak to a doctor about your medical condition and qualify for a RI medical marijuana card online in minutes. The cost of the online consultation is $149, and you are only billed if approved.
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Once approved by a Leafwell physician, you can apply to the state.
You receive the hard copy of the certificate in the mail (typically takes 5-7 days). Then fill in all of your details on the state application form and send it off with your physician’s certification from Leafwell. The cost of the application is $50, payable to the state. Send your application to this address:
Rhode Island Center For Professional Licensing Room
105A – 3 Capitol Hill
Providence
RI 02908-5097
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You will receive your Rhode Island medical marijuana card in two to four weeks.
Get your meds from a dispensary, or even have them delivered to you!
More information about the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program can be found here.
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.
Adult-use cannabis is decriminalized, but it is still illegal and can bring penalties if caught in possession of the plant. Possession of small amounts of cannabis is considered an offense similar to a traffic violation. However, possession of larger amounts and cultivation without a valid medical marijuana identification card can bring more severe penalties.
The only way to legally consume cannabis in Rhode Island is to get certified and qualify for a medical marijuana card.
Residents in Rhode Island could use telemedicine to access certifying providers. However, this allowance has been rolled back and in-person consultations are now required.
Here’s a brief history of medical marijuana in Rhode Island state:
- 2005 – After much legal wrangling, Senate Bill 0710 (SB 0710) is passed. It became known as the Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act.
- 2007 – SB 791 is passed, removing the repeal date for the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act and expanding the definition of a primary caregiver.
- 2009 – H5359 is passed and includes instructions for the sale, creation, administration, and regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries.
- 2013 – The first compassion center (aka medical marijuana dispensary) opened.
How to qualify
To apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Rhode Island, you must be a legal resident of Rhode Island State.
You must be aged 18 or over to get a medical marijuana card for yourself in Rhode Island.
Those under the age of 18, or those who cannot access medical cannabis for themselves, must have a registered caregiver who applies on their behalf.
An application to the Rhode Island government must include a signed and dated certificate for medical marijuana from a registered practitioner. No prior relationship with a physician is required to qualify for medical marijuana in Rhode Island. However, doctors must be licensed to practice in Rhode Island before recommending cannabis for a patient in Rhode Island.
- Registered caregivers must be aged 21 or over.
- A registered caregiver may apply on behalf of someone unable to complete the application independently.
- The caregiver application fee is $100.
Medical Conditions
According to Rhode Island law, the following conditions may qualify you for a medical marijuana card:
- AIDS/HIV
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Autism/Asperger Syndrome
- Cachexia or Wasting Syndrome
- Cancer
- Chronic Pain, Muscle Pain and Other Types of Pain
- Crohn’s Disease
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis (Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C)
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Possession and Growing
Qualifying patients may grow up to 12 plants and 12 seedlings. All marijuana must be cultivated in one location, and the plants must be stored in an indoor facility and tagged with plant tag certificates purchased from the Department of Business Regulation.
This may seem surprisingly generous for a medical marijuana program. Still, it highlights that there are not many medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, and therefore the ability to cultivate is essential for many cardholders.
Two or more cardholders may cooperatively cultivate marijuana in residential or non-residential locations subject to the following restrictions:
- Non-residential – no more than 10 ounces of usable marijuana, 48 mature marijuana plants, and 48 seedlings.
- Residential – no more than 10 ounces of usable marijuana, 24 mature marijuana plants, and 24 seedlings.
Caregivers
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. The caregiver must be listed on the patient’s application form and comply with the following conditions:
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Caregivers must be 21 years old or older.
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Must live in Rhode Island and submit a copy of one item that proves you live in the state. The item must include your name and current address. Examples of items you can use are ƒ Rhode Island driver’s license ƒ , State ID ƒ , correspondence from another state agency, current vehicle registration, car insurance bill, or voter’s registration.
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Must get a copy of a National Criminal Information Center (NCIC) background check from a local police department, the Office of the Attorney General, or by appointment with the Rhode Island State Police (401-222-1110) ƒ The background check must include fingerprints. ƒ The law enforcement agency will send the background check results directly to RIDOH. ƒ If you had a background check from the NCIC in the past two years, you can send a copy with your application. ƒ RIDOH will not review your application until RIDOH receives your background check results. ƒ Applicants can be disqualified for felony convictions, including, but not limited to, felony drug convictions.
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Must pay a $100 non-refundable caregiver application fee. The fee is $25 if you send proof with your application that you receive one of these benefits: Medicaid; Supplemental Security Income (SSI); Social Security Disability Income (SSDI); Veterans disability; Federal Railroad disability. You can get proof of your SSI or SSDI Benefit at www.ssa.gov.
Reciprocity
The following states accept or recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards:
- Arizona
- Georgia (Low-THC only)
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
- Utah
- Washington, D.C.
- AIDS/HIV
- Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Cachexia, or Wasting Syndrome
- Cancer or the treatment of cancer, inc. side-effects of chemotherapy
- Crohn’s Disease
- Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Severe, debilitating, chronic pain
- Severe Nausea
- Severe and Persistent Muscle Spasms, such as those associated with Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
- Register with Leafwell and speak to a Rhode Island licensed physician online.
- Get approved and download a copy of your doctor’s certificate immediately. You’ll receive the practitioner form by mail within 5-7 days.
- Complete the patient application form and submit it to Rhode Island’s Department of Health by mail.
- Receive your medical card within 2-4 weeks and legally purchase cannabis from a licensed dispensary.
- Get Designated. Work with the patient to determine who is/are the most appropriate caregiver(s). Note that caregiver information is always provided by the patient. The application includes information on required background checks and application fees for caregivers. https://health.ri.gov/forms/registration/MedicalMarijuanaNewApplication.pdf
- Application form and certification form is filled out, Caregiver is designated.
- Once approved, patient and caregiver will be sent a medical marijuana identification card.
- Your Practitioner Form from Leafwell – mailed within 5-7 days
- A check or money order – application fee is $50 but the following patients may qualify for the discounted $25 fee
- Recipients of Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), Federal Railroad Disability benefit or Veterans’ Disability
- Download and print the Patient Application Form
- Complete the Patient Application Form and sign it by hand
- Designate a caregiver (if applicable)
- Designated an authorised purchase (if applicable)
- Send the completed application (with the check or money order payable to the Rhode Island General Treasurer) to:
Rhode Island Center For Professional Licensing
Room 105A – 3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5097
- Receive your medical marijuana card in the mail in 2-4 weeks
- Legally purchase medical marijuana
- To purchase medical cannabis, you must bring your medical cannabis card and a valid form of photo identification, such as a driver’s license, with you to the pharmacy.
How much does a Rhode Island Medical Marijuana certificate and card cost?
Medical marijuana certificate on its own = $149 at Leafwell
State application fee = $50, or $25 for those in receipt of SNAP, Medicaid/Medicare or Veteran’s Disability.
Renewal fee = $149
Plus, now you can sign up with a friend and each save 10% on your consultation with Leafwell.
What medical conditions qualify for a Medical Marijuana Card in Rhode Island?
In Rhode Island, the following conditions may qualify you for a medical marijuana certificate and card:
What do I need to know about applying for my Medical Cannabis Card in Rhode Island online?
There are four simple steps to seeing a Leafwell provider in Rhode Island:
How old do I have to be to apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Rhode Island?
You must be at least 18 years of age in order to apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Rhode Island. Caregivers must be 21 years of age.
Can I be/have a caregiver for a medical marijuana patient in Rhode Island?
Yes, medical marijuana patients in Rhode Island can have a caregiver. A primary caregiver must be at least 21 years of age and a resident of Rhode Island. A primary caregiver can assist no more than five patients with their use of medical marijuana. Patients are limited to one caregiver.
To apply as a caregiver, follow this process:
Patients must indicate on their application whether they plan to grow medical marijuana plants for themselves. Patients who will grow marijuana and all primary caregivers must register their grow location with the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Everyone who grows marijuana, whether a patient or primary caregiver, must purchase plant tags from the Department of Business Regulation and is subject to their rules and regulations for tag use.