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Get approved today for a medical cannabis card in Illinois, 100% online.

Get approved today in minutes with the nation’s #1 trusted med card provider.

100% Online.
Approved or your money back.

The Easiest Way to Get Your Med Card

  • 1. Sign Up with NuggMD

    Complete a quick, confidential form. We’ll connect you with a licensed Illinois medical provider in minutes.

  • 2. Talk to a Practitioner Today

    Get answers to your medical cannabis questions. Qualifying conditions include chronic pain, PTSD, migraines, endometriosis, and more. If approved, your doctor will submit your certification, and you’ll get steps to complete your $50 state registration.

  • 3. Get Your Card

    The state processes most applications within 30 days, but some NuggMD patients receive provisional access in as little as 24-48 hours.

Get Approved Today Doctors are online 8am-10pm

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Why get a medical cannabis card in Illinois?
Meet your perks.

Registered medical patients in Illinois pay only a 1% tax (compared to recreational taxes that range from 19.5% to 34.7%).
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In Illinois, only registered medical marijuana patients have the right to cultivate cannabis. Patients can grow up to 5 plants at home.
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Recreational users are limited to just over an ounce, but MMJ patients can purchase up to 2.5 oz and can keep the cannabis they cultivate at home!
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Illinois dispensaries are required to maintain stock specifically for medical marijuana patients to guarantee availability.
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Many dispensaries throughout the state serve patients first and offer them special discounts! Call your dispensary to learn more.
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Trusted and loved by over 2M people.

  • " The process was fast, easy and relatively cheap. The doctor was very personable and nice. I highly recommend NuggMD !"

    Damian Saracina

    Damian Saracina

    4 months ago
  • " Very pleasant experience. I was treated with professionalism and all my questions were answered. Was approved within an hour. I HIGHLY Recommend!!"

    Ken Oiler

    Ken Oiler

    4 months ago
  • " Wonderful to be able to talk with medical professionals that listen to you and take you seriously! Good experience!"

    Michelle Williams

    Michelle Williams

    4 months ago
  • " Super quick and easy. Doc was friendly. All done within about 24 hrs. Totally recommend NuggMD."

    Michelle Byrd

    Michelle Byrd

    4 months ago
  • " My experience was fantastic. friendly and caring staff. very easy to talk to. I would recommend you to anybody and everybody for your services."

    William Stultz

    William Stultz

    4 months ago

Qualifying conditions in Illinois

The following conditions may qualify for medical cannabis in Illinois:

How to be a medical cannabis caregiver in Illinois

A patient may designate a caregiver either when they initially register for the Illinois medical cannabis program or add them at a later date. Illinois medical cannabis patients can designate up to three caregivers at once. In Illinois, caregivers must be over 21 years old and cannot have been convicted of one of the state’s excluded offenses. They also must formally agree to assist the patient with their medical cannabis.

To qualify as a caregiver in Illinois, you must:

  • be responsible for the management of the wellbeing of the registered patient concerning their palliative use of cannabis
  • be at least 21 years of age

Caregivers cannot:

  • have been convicted of one of the state’s excluding offenses

The caregiver application fees are:

  • $25 for one year
  • $50 for two years
  • $75 for three years

Learn more about how to become a caregiver in Illinois.

How to register for a med card in Illinois

Patients need a certification from a licensed Illinois medical provider, proof of residency, and a state application fee to apply. The IDPH offers digital medical cannabis cards that are valid for one, two, or three years, depending on your chosen option.

The application fee for an Illinois med card is $50 for one year, $100 for two, or $125 for three. Once submitted, the state processes most complete applications within 30 days — but some patients may receive provisional access sooner.

Learn more about how to get a medical cannabis card in Illinois.

How to renew your med card in Illinois

Illinois has two types of renewal for its medical cannabis program: an extension and a full renewal. If you haven’t allowed your registration to expire, you can do an extension renewal through the state’s online portal. It does not require you to visit your practitioner to recertify. However, if you have gone three years without having a practitioner recertify you or you’ve allowed your card to expire, you’ll need to be certified again.

Thankfully, the process for how to renew your Illinois medical cannabis card isn’t complicated. And NuggMD makes the process even easier!

  • We’ll send you an email reminder when it’s time to renew;
  • Sign into NuggMD to meet with one of our state-certified medical practitioners;
  • Follow the provided steps to complete your med card renewal with the state.

Whether you got your initial recommendation with NuggMD or another doctor or service in the state, our medical marijuana practitioners are standing by.

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The NuggMD Promise

We are a team of cannabis and technology professionals focused on connecting you with state-licensed practitioners. We believe all people deserve access to medical cannabis if they think it might improve their quality of life. Since our founding in 2015, we’ve held ourselves and our partners to the highest standards to ensure every patient we serve is able to access reliable cannabis information, trustworthy medical practitioners, and proactive updates on the cannabis healthcare ecosystem and legislation that may affect their experience as a medical cannabis patient.

Whether you’re a cannabis connoisseur or thinking of becoming a first-time medical marijuana patient, our network of practitioners will listen to your needs and give you an honest opinion about whether they think cannabis can help.

Get Approved Today Billed only if approved.

Frequently asked. Frequently answered.

To qualify for a medical marijuana card in Illinois, you must:

 

* be an Illinois resident with proof of residency.
* be at least 18 years old (minors may qualify with parental consent).
* be diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition by a licensed Illinois physician
* not hold a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)

 

After receiving a diagnosis, your physician will submit your certification to the IDPH as part of your application process.

Find answers to other common Illinois patient questions to find out if you qualify for an IL med card.

Qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in Illinois include chronic pain, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, PTSD, epilepsy, and more.

 

Browse the complete list of Illinois qualifying medical conditions.

According to the state’s medical cannabis legislation, the Illinois Department of Public Health maintains the list of qualifying medical conditions. It has the ability to add to the list should cannabis be deemed an appropriate treatment for a medical condition. If the Department of Public Health doesn’t currently list your medical condition, you can petition them to consider your medical condition for medical cannabis.

The benefits of having a medical marijuana card in Illinois include:

 

* Priority Access: Medical marijuana patients receive faster service than recreational users and are given priority access to products, especially during shortages.
* Higher Purchase Limits: Medical marijuana cardholders can buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis every 14 days, compared to the 30-gram limit for recreational users.
* Tax Savings: Medical cannabis purchases are exempt from the high excise taxes (10%-25%) that apply to recreational cannabis, leading to significant savings.
* Home Cultivation Rights: Medical marijuana patients are allowed to cultivate up to 5 cannabis plants at home.
* Legal Protections: Medical patients have employment protections, which are not yet available for recreational users.

Medical marijuana patients in Illinois are responsible for the state’s registration fees: $50 for a one-year registration, $100 for a two-year registration, or $125 for a three-year registration. This is in addition to the cost of a medical cannabis doctor’s evaluation. NuggMD offers low-cost, risk-free Illinois medical card evaluations, and you only pay if you’re approved for medical cannabis.

Cannabis remains illegal on the federal level in the US, even for medical purposes. As a result, most insurance companies aren’t willing to cover the cost of medical cannabis in any state. Chances are that your insurance company will not cover the cost of medical cannabis until it becomes legal on the federal level.

The Illinois Department of Public Health typically processes applications within 30 business days, and some patients receive provisional access in as little as 24-48 hours. If you’re approved, you can print or download your card immediately from the state’s registration portal.

 

You can start the process by connecting with an Illinois licensed physician in as little as 15 minutes with NuggMD.

With NuggMD, you are only charged for your evaluation if you are approved. We believe everyone deserves access to a qualified medical cannabis practitioner, and the cost of an evaluation shouldn’t be a barrier.

You’ll only be charged if you’re approved for your medical marijuana certification. If not, your evaluation is free! 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. You can also change your mind after your evaluation if you wish and request a refund, but you must do so before your certification has been submitted to the state. Once you’ve been certified, a refund for services will no longer be available. Please send an email to support@www.nuggmd.com with the subject line “Refund Request” and a brief description of your issue. Patients won’t receive a refund for failure to follow through with their certification process once the practitioner completes the certification requirements. It is the patient’s responsibility to complete their certification. If you’re stuck or having trouble completing your certification, please reach out to customer service and our agents will help you through the process. We want to make sure you’re 100% satisfied with your purchase being that you, the customer, are the most important thing to us! Once a refund has been initiated, please allow 3-5 business days for the funds to transfer back to the card you used for the transaction. A refund is no longer available more than 30 days after the date of your evaluation. If any issues arise, please feel free to reach back out for further assistance.

Yes! You can see any Illinois state-licensed MD, DO, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse to get your medical marijuana renewal evaluation. All NuggMD practitioners are licensed in the state for which they provide evaluations and have acquired all state-required cannabis training and certifications.

This depends on the state to which you’re traveling. Each state has different rules regarding reciprocity, and some don’t allow it at all. Check with your destination state to learn more.

You can apply for a medical marijuana card in Illinois with an ID from a different state, but IL laws require you to show proof of residency. For a full list of documents needed for an Illinois medical marijuana card, see the IDPH patient application instructions.