Can You Get a Med Card for Depression in Your State?

Many patients who use cannabis medicinally find relief from depression or its symptoms. Because of this, some might wonder: can you get a med card for depression? The answer can depend on the state in which you live. Depression is currently approved as a qualifying condition to use medical cannabis in one state, Alabama. 

What are Qualifying Conditions?

Qualifying conditions are medical conditions that states allow patients to treat with medical cannabis under regulated medical marijuana programs.¹  Some states have definitive lists of qualifying conditions and require patients to be diagnosed with one or more qualifying conditions to receive a medical cannabis card. Other states have less restrictive requirements, allowing doctors to recommend cannabis for patients with any condition that they believe could be improved with the use of medical cannabis. 

Many medical conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, terminal illness, and chronic pain are frequently included in a state’s list of qualifying conditions, while others, including depression, are less common. 

It’s important to know the qualifying conditions in your state if you plan to use medical cannabis. At least one state specifically lists depression as a qualifying condition, and many others allow patients with depression to use medical cannabis under other provisions of their medical marijuana program. 

How Can I Find My State's Qualifying Conditions?

If you are interested in getting a medical marijuana card for depression or its symptoms, you’ll want to find information on your state’s medical cannabis program and its qualifying conditions. Resources for learning more about the qualifying conditions for each state include each state’s NORML chapter, the Marijuana Policy Project, and Americans for Safe Access. 

Once you have been approved for a medical card, the next step will be to research the best cannabis strains for depression. Then when you visit a dispensary you will have an idea of what products you’d like to try.

Which States Have Depression as a Qualifying Condition?

Only Alabama explicitly lists depression as a qualifying condition. In other states, related conditions or symptoms of depression (such as anxiety or PTSD) may be approved as qualifying conditions, giving patients other options to get their medical cannabis identification card.

In Alabama, depression is one of more than a dozen qualifying conditions to use medical cannabis. Other mental health conditions have also been approved, including panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Unfortunately, three years after Alabama legalized the medicinal use of cannabis, no dispensaries have opened in the state because of legal challenges to the licensing process.

Even If It's Not A Qualifying Condition, Can You Get a Med Card for Depression?

Even if your state does not list depression as a qualifying condition, it may still be possible to get a medical card. In California, for example, doctors are permitted to recommend medical cannabis for listed qualifying conditions as well as conditions or symptoms they deem limits a person’s ability to accomplish one or more life activities. As a result, many California patients with depression have learned they can get a medical marijuana card.

A similar situation exists in many other states. In Massachusetts, patients can get a medical cannabis card for one of several qualifying conditions or a debilitating condition determined by a certified physician. Meanwhile, in Maryland, patients with an approved qualifying condition or a chronic condition where other treatments have been “ineffective” may be eligible for medical cannabis. In Virginia, New York, and Oklahoma, patients can qualify to use medical cannabis if they have been diagnosed with any condition for which a physician determines cannabis may benefit the patient. 

In Florida, you can get a medical card for qualifying conditions, including PTSD and similar-class conditions to the ones listed. Washington, D.C.’s requirements to use medical cannabis are perhaps the least restrictive. It allows patients to get a medical marijuana card for any condition by self-certifying their condition.

Patients in states that have not approved depression or related illnesses as a qualifying condition may still have options to get a medical cannabis card. In Utah and Arizona, for example, patients can petition the state to approve new qualifying conditions for their state’s medical cannabis program.

Patients in states that have not approved depression or related illnesses as a qualifying condition may still have options to get a medical cannabis card. In Utah and Arizona, for example, patients can petition the state to approve new qualifying conditions for their state’s medical cannabis program.

Do Any Symptoms of Depression Count as Qualifying Conditions?

In some states, common conditions associated with depression such as anxiety, have been approved as a qualifying condition. A patient with depression who has also been diagnosed with anxiety may qualify for a medical card in Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. 

Often, patients with depression may also be diagnosed with another disorder that has been approved as a qualifying condition, such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or cancer, giving patients with these conditions another option to qualify as a patient and get their medical card. Patients with depression associated with PTSD may also qualify for a medical cannabis card as all medical cannabis states, with the exception of Alaska, list PTSD as a qualifying condition.

While not all states have listed depression as a qualifying condition to use cannabis medicinally, many have approved symptoms of the disorder or related conditions. Additionally, many states permit doctors to use their discretion, giving them the ability to recommend medical cannabis for any condition that might be helped by it. As a result, many patients with depression find they are able to qualify for a medical card and use cannabis to treat their symptoms.

References

1.  Boehnke KF, Gangopadhyay S, Clauw DJ, Haffajee RL. Qualifying Conditions Of Medical Cannabis License Holders In The United States. Health Affairs. 2019;38(2):295-302. doi:https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0526=
   ↩︎

The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.