Are you interested in consulting with a medical marijuana doctor to see if MMJ treatments and the benefits of a med card are right for you? As of 2024, marijuana for medicinal use is legal in 41 states. If you live in one of these states, you likely have a state-licensed evaluating physician near you.
The only problem is: how do you find them?
With limited guidance available for prospective patients, finding a medical marijuana doctor near you could pose a challenge, depending on the state. For instance, patients may not know which physicians are specifically licensed for MMJ recommendations (not all physicians are). In addition, they may not know if telemedicine services (like NuggMD) are legal or available in their state.
To clear everything up for you, we wrote this guide to walk you through the process of finding your local medical marijuana doctor.
In short, the process looks something like this:
- Determine if you live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana,
- Determine if your state allows MMJ evaluations using telemedicine platforms,
- Locate an in-person evaluating physician in your area (or) find a doctor online,
- Use NuggMD to receive your MMJ recommendation quickly and from the comfort of your own home.
Is Medical Cannabis Legal in My State?
First and foremost, you'll need to determine if medical marijuana is legal in your state before you start looking for evaluating physicians.
The following states have legalized MMJ programs:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
And the states below allow access to cannabidiol (CBD) only with low or no THC:
Learn more about your state’s medical cannabis laws in the NuggMD Learning Center. Or visit your state's medical marijuana registry.
Is Telemedicine Available in My State?
Before seeking out medical marijuana doctors near you, take a moment to verify if telemedicine or telehealth programs are available in your state.
Some states have legalized medical cannabis but do not allow virtual evaluations and recommendations. You can check your state government's MMJ program website to learn more about their telehealth policies.
NuggMD allows patients to receive their medical card evaluation online in nearly all states that allow it.
What to Consider When Searching for a Medical Marijuana Doctor Near You
If medical cannabis has been legalized but telemedicine isn’t allowed in your state, you can still receive an in-person MMJ evaluation. Of course, some patients may prefer this over telehealth, even if it's available.
So what do you need to know when selecting a medical marijuana doctor near you?
Unfortunately, rapid and ongoing changes to state medical marijuana programs have left many patients - and some medical practitioners - unclear on the exact steps needed to ensure their medicinal cannabis recommendation is valid.
To find a state-licensed evaluating physician near you, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does your state require evaluating physicians to register with the state's MMJ program? And are they required to receive extra certifications or training in order to issue valid MMJ recommendations? You can find all this information on your state MMJ program's website.
- What kinds of medical practitioners are allowed to issue MMJ recommendations in your state?
- Does the evaluating physician uphold HIPAA and state privacy protection requirements and laws when conducting MMJ evaluations?
- Does your physician provide some kind of customer service or support if you have questions during or after your evaluation?
- Are the medical practitioner’s hours of operation or availability convenient for your schedule?
- Will your insurance help cover the cost of your evaluation (this is NOT common)?
- Finally, how much does the evaluating physician charge to issue an MMJ recommendation?
Ultimately, answering these questions will help guide your decision, whether you choose an in-person or telehealth consultation.
Brick and Mortar vs. Telemedicine Doctors
If you still aren’t sure which route to take, consider these pros and cons to help you decide between a brick-and-mortar evaluating physician or a virtual visit.
- How far away are the in-person medical marijuana doctors? Are there any close to your local area?
- How large are the medical practices there? Are the waiting rooms private or packed with other patients?
- How busy are the doctors? How long will you have to wait before your MMJ evaluation?
- Does the evaluating physician know how medicinal cannabis can help your particular medical conditions?
- Does the physician have a history of MMJ evaluations and treatments? Will they be available to renew your MMJ recommendation when the time comes?
A Comparison of MMJ Card Services
If you choose to go with an online MMJ card service, we've gathered the top providers along with the services they provide:
*Many services claim to consider refunds on a case-by-case basis but also state that refunds aren’t available after their services have been provided.
How to Find a Medical Marijuana Doctor Near You
So you made your choice between in-person or online evaluations. Now, how do you find the right cannabis doctor for you?
Choosing an In-Person Marijuana Doctor
It's a good idea to start your search for an in-person cannabis doctor with your primary care physician. If they’re able to conduct the evaluation, you’ll have saved yourself hours of time and hassle.
Keep in mind that not all doctors are qualified or willing to recommend medical cannabis. In addition, some states may not allow PCPs to recommend medicinal cannabis and instead mandate that medical patients receive their evaluations elsewhere. So don’t let it deter you if your PCP isn’t able to conduct your evaluation.
If your primary care physician can’t help, ask your friends and family (starting with those who already have a med card) if they know any state-licensed and qualified medical marijuana doctors in the area. Or if you’re comfortable putting it out on social media, someone in your network may know an evaluating physician they recommend.
If all else fails, you can always check local ads or search “medical marijuana doctors” in Google for a list of potential providers. And remember to consider the questions we listed above.
Finding a Qualified Marijuana Doctor Online
For many prospective medical cannabis patients, locating a physician that can conduct MMJ evaluations virtually is much easier than finding an in-person provider.
Just like you would when seeking out an in-person doctor, go through our list of questions above to make sure you choose a reliable and reputable medical professional. Unfortunately, many websites aren’t clear about the regulations in a given state. And if you end up working with a doctor who isn’t qualified by the state – or if you use a telehealth service in a state that doesn’t allow online evaluations – you may end up paying for an invalid recommendation.
You should also double-check that your state allows online MMJ evaluations. Many states require the evaluation be completed in person, and using a telemedicine platform in those states means your MMJ recommendation won’t be valid.
Why NuggMD is a Great Option for You
NuggMD has helped over 1,300,000 patients get approved for medical cannabis online. Every evaluating practitioner on the NuggMD platform is fully qualified and licensed to issue medical marijuana recommendations in their state. And we only offer online evaluations in states that allow telemedicine (a requirement many other sites unfortunately ignore), so you can always trust that your recommendation is valid and recognized by the state.
What has made NuggMD the #1 online medical marijuana platform?
- NuggMD adheres to all HIPAA and state laws and regulations.
- Patients can access our fantastic customer support during extended hours for your convenience: we’re available from 5am to 10pm PST (7am to 12am EST).
- Patients can be connected with evaluating physicians in as little as 15 minutes.
- Complete your evaluation from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
- All physicians on NuggMD are MMJ specialists who are excited to answer your questions.
- NuggMD has a long track record of quality service, connecting almost a million patients with new marijuana doctors since 2016.
- Save time when you’re ready to renew – we'll send a reminder when it’s time to renew, and you can complete your re-evaluation right here.
- Our low prices beat out major competitors and in-person providers, all with industry-leading convenience and customer service.
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.
