FAQs

The first step in obtaining a medical marijuana card is receiving an evaluation from a qualifying physician. During the evaluation, the physician will examine your medical history and ask questions to better understand your condition and whether you are eligible for medical cannabis.

If you’re approved by the doctor, they will issue an MMJ recommendation following this evaluation. Ultimately, you can't get a med card without this recommendation.

An MMJ evaluation is the first thing you need to receive before obtaining a med card. Once you've undergone an MMJ evaluation, and if approved, your evaluating physician will issue an MMJ recommendation. The recommendation is the document referencing your medical condition(s) and qualifying you to use medical cannabis. You can register with your state MMJ program (if required) using this recommendation.

Each state sets its own qualifications for who is eligible to become a medical marijuana patient. Check your state to understand the age, qualifying conditions, and other factors.

No, NuggMD is not a medical clinic and does not issue MMJ recommendations to patients. Rather, NuggMD is a telehealth platform that connects patients with evaluating physicians online. The state-certified MMJ doctors on NuggMD can review patient medical records, conference with patients, and issue medical recommendations using our secure, HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform. 

Many people in states with MMJ programs may be interested in or benefit from medical cannabis. However, finding an evaluating physician who is aware of the benefits of cannabis can be difficult. Luckily, patients can connect with state-licensed doctors through NuggMD to perform their necessary MMJ evaluations from the comfort, convenience, and privacy of their own homes.

Absolutely! Every practitioner who operates through NuggMD is fully licensed in the state or states for which they provide evaluations, and has obtained all required state training and certifications.  NuggMD only provides its platform to practitioners in states that allow medical marijuana evaluations to be conducted by telemedicine. Not all states allow this convenience for their patients. If your state does not allow telemedicine evaluations to be conducted by telemedicine, you can contact your legislature and let them know that you would like to have this option.

Yes! We take patient privacy seriously and comply with all state and federal regulations to keep your information confidential and secure. Our telemedicine platform is HIPAA compliant, and you can trust that your evaluating physician will be the only person at Nugg who accesses your medical records (and only with your consent). A few states do require your medical record or a statement with your specific condition for a medical marijuana card application. These states take additional precautions to protect the privacy of these records.

NuggMD is HIPAA compliant and takes all available actions to keep patient information confidential and secure. Important privacy note: while medical patient information is subject to HIPAA protections, MMJ patient status is still accessible by law enforcement in some states. Some states also require submission of medical records with the MMJ card application, but these states take precautions to safeguard patient information.

For collecting payments, we process your card using a secure processor that utilizes the same encryption technology that all major banks use.

NuggMD takes every precaution to protect patient information, and we will never share or disclose patient information without your permission. Some states do make MMJ patient status available to law enforcement, but those databases are not available to the general public.

While states like New York have taken steps to protect employees who use medical cannabis, available protections – and exceptions – vary by state. MMJ patients and prospective patients can check the NuggMD Learning Center for more information about each state’s policies as well as links to additional resources.

Depending on the state and offense, possession of a medical marijuana card may provide legal protection or an affirmative defense in the case of an arrest. However, your medical patient ID is not a blanket protection from legal offense. MMJ patients and prospective patients with legal questions should consult with an attorney.

Each state is able to determine whether it accepts out-of-state MMJ cards. Before traveling, we recommend looking up each state’s laws & regulations in the NuggMD Learning Center.

Patients can connect with MMJ physicians on the NuggMD platform from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM local time every week. In addition, our customer support team can be reached from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM local time on weekdays, and 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekends. 

Our hours may differ on holidays. And there may be rare instances where an evaluating physician is not immediately available. If this happens when trying to meet with a doctor for your evaluation, please reach out to our customer support team at hello@nuggmd.com.

With NuggMD, you only pay if you’re approved! If you’re approved, we offer some of the lowest prices online (cost by state varies) for an official MMJ recommendation.

No, insurance does not cover medical cannabis or NuggMD evaluations at this time. Other physicians may accept insurance, and some states are working on legislation that would allow or even require insurance companies to cover cannabis treatment.

You can use all major credit or debit cards to pay for your NuggMD evaluation. We are not currently able to accept cash or medical insurance, but you can pay using your HSA or FSA. If you use HSA/FSA for your payment, we will send you an 'itemized' receipt following your evaluation.

You won’t find any of that at NuggMD. Our prices are clear and set. Note that most states require patients to pay a registration fee with the state. Those fees are separate from the cost of an evaluation, and we do our best to clarify those fees on our website, according to each state.

It's always our intention to provide our customers with the best service possible. Therefore, we always work to ensure that you are 100% satisfied with using the NuggMD platform. If you sign up and pay for your evaluation, but then cancel before your evaluation, there is a small $10 fee for the payment processing. While our refund policy varies by state, we are able to issue a refund in most states within 30 days if you aren’t happy with our service. However, we are unable to provide a refund once our doctor has issued your MMJ recommendation.

If you would like to request a refund, email our customer support team at support@nuggmd.com with "Refund Request" in the subject line and a short explanation of your issue and the reason for your refund request. When a refund is issued, it should arrive in your account within 3 - 5 business days. If any issues or delays arise, please contact us for further assistance.

Our customers residing in California can receive refunds within 14 days so long as they have not used their NuggMD-issued med card at any dispensaries. Keep in mind that these med cards are deactivated, by law, as soon as your refund is processed. Out-of-state patients who apply for a CA recommendation are not eligible for a refund.

Receiving an MMJ evaluation with NuggMD is a straightforward process. First, select the state you live in and click the "Get Your Card" button. You’ll be asked a few preliminary questions about your health. Don't worry; these questions only take a few minutes to complete. Finally, you’ll upload a copy of your photo ID or driver's license and your payment information. 

After you complete the sign-up process, you’ll automatically enter the NuggMD virtual waiting room where an evaluating physician will connect with you. 

Following your MMJ evaluation, and if you’re approved, you'll receive an email with instructions for how to register with your state MMJ program. Depending on your state, this email may also include a PDF copy of your MMJ recommendation. 

If you are not approved for MMJ use, there is no cost to you and the authorization to your card will drop off within 24 hours.

The evaluating physicians on the NuggMD platform are available from 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM local time every day of the week. 

If you have any questions before meeting with a physician, you can use our live chat feature to talk to a member of our customer support team. Our support staff can be reached anytime from 5:00 AM - 10:00 PM Pacific time every day of the week.

As soon as you submit the pre-evaluation information and upload an image of your photo ID (both steps should only take a couple minutes), you'll move into the NuggMD virtual waiting room. From there, you'll connect with one of our evaluating MMJ doctors. 

Although the evaluation will occur remotely, it is still a face-to-face meeting with a medical professional, so you’ll receive the same attention, care, and privacy you would expect from an in-person doctor’s visit. If you do not have the internet connection or computer necessary for a teleconference, some states allow your evaluation to be conducted by phone. In this case, we encourage you to contact our support team prior to your evaluation to understand your options.

Absolutely! We work with medical cannabis doctors who are passionate about helping patients get the answers and care they need. Bring any questions you have about your condition or the use of cannabis to your online evaluation for the friendly support you deserve.

While a majority of NuggMD evaluations are completed in around 15 minutes, the duration of your evaluation will depend on your needs and the questions you have for the doctor.

Most laptops, desktop computers, and smartphones have a built-in camera you can use for your consultation. And don’t worry if you experience any issues while connecting or meeting with the doctor. Our excellent support team is here to help resolve any technical glitches.

We do our best to accommodate patients who may not have access to a webcam. Unfortunately, not all states allow medical cannabis evaluations to be conducted by phone, and your ability to conduct the evaluation by phone will depend on your state of residence. 

If you have questions about conducting your evaluation by phone, please contact our customer support team at hello@nuggmd.com from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekdays, and 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekends.

We do our best to accommodate patients who may not have access to reliable internet. Unfortunately, not all states allow medical cannabis evaluations to be conducted by phone, and your ability to conduct the evaluation without an internet connection will depend on your state of residence.

If you have questions about conducting your evaluation without a reliable internet connection, please contact our customer support team at hello@nuggmd.com from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekdays, and 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekends.

You’ll need your government-issued photo ID and a U.S. phone number. Your particular state may have different acceptable forms of ID.

In some states, all you need to meet with a NuggMD doctor is a US phone number and a valid U.S.-issued photo ID. Other states require that you upload your medical records – including prescriptions, physician’s letters, x-rays, and other documentation – to help support your diagnosis. Regardless of state requirements, we recommend you have your medical records accessible for your evaluation if possible.

In order to protect your privacy, we do not obtain medical records for current or prospective patients.

Yes. Whether you’ve used NuggMD, seen a doctor in-person, or gone through another online med card service, you can always meet with a NuggMD doctor for your next MMJ evaluation.

Getting your doctor’s recommendation is the first step in getting your MMJ card. In many states, MMJ patients must submit their recommendation and register with the state before obtaining their medical cannabis card.

Policies vary by state, and most states require you to register with the state before you are eligible to make a medical cannabis purchase. You should check your state page for more information, or contact our incredible support team with any questions you may have.

No. The MMJ recommendations provided by the physicians on the NuggMD platform are legal medical documents recognized by both dispensaries and legal offices throughout your state. The only way to legally change your recommendation date is by renewing your med card.

In most states, you must complete and submit your medical marijuana application yourself. But NuggMD makes it easy with step-by-step instructions for how to complete your application. Visit your state page to learn more about how the application process works in your state.

The time it takes to obtain your medical marijuana card after your evaluation varies by state.

Yes, most states require you to renew your med card every year. Avoid potential lapses in coverage by completing your evaluation with NuggMD! We’ll send you an email reminder when it’s time to renew your card, including the steps you’ll need to take to complete your renewal.

Yes! Renewing your MMJ card with NuggMD is as easy as completing your initial evaluation. In addition, renewing your med card costs the same low price as a first-time recommendation, and you can complete the process entirely online. It should only take about five minutes to register on our website. And don’t worry if you don’t have your initial recommendation – you won’t need it! Just tell the doctor you’re renewing once you start the evaluation.

Most (but not all) states require patients to pay a renewal fee and be re-evaluated by a qualifying physician each year, which costs the same as your initial evaluation.

Each state program may differ slightly, but depending on the state, a medical cannabis card may confer the following benefits: 

• Access to additional state dispensaries,
• Exemption of some or all state cannabis sales taxes,
• Some legal protections if you are arrested for cannabis-related crimes (although these protections vary widely from state to state, and you should consult an attorney if you need additional information),
• Better protection of parental rights for med card holders,
• More significant legal possession limits,
• Less extensive limits on cultivation,
• Med cardholders can purchase medical marijuana at 18 years old in most states (19 years old in Mississippi), whereas recreational users must be 21 or older.

While some states allow patients to purchase cannabis products using their medical marijuana recommendation, most states require a medical cannabis card. Getting your physician’s recommendation is the first step toward obtaining a med card in most states.

Each state sets its own cannabis purchase limits for medical marijuana patients. You can check your state website or visit our Patient Guides for more information.

Not all states allow cannabis cultivation. Those that do usually limit patients to six plants or less, with some only allowing two mature plants. Check the rules for your state in the laws and regulations section to learn more.

In some states, yes. But you'll need to check the rules for your state to know whether it's allowed and what the limits are.

Most states disallow public smoking altogether. A few states allow cannabis to be smoked in any place where cigarette smoking is allowed. Some states also allow public consumption lounges. Check out the laws and regulations section to see the rules pertaining to your state.

Patients and dispensaries can verify a medical cannabis card online at https://app.nuggmd.com/verify.