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.
The Easiest Way to Get Your Med Card
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1. Signup
Fill out a 30-second, confidential questionnaire. We’ll send it to one of our available medical marijuana practitioners for review.
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2. Chat with a Practitioner Today
Our state-certified medical practitioners are standing by to help answer your questions and evaluate your cannabis needs. Once you’re approved, you’ll receive an email with any final steps to complete your state registration.
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3. Receive Your State Card
Getting your recommendation with NuggMD is fast and easy, but the state can take up to 30 days to deliver your medical marijuana license. That’s why it’s best to start as soon as possible! Your state medical marijuana card will be good for one year.
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Why get a medical cannabis card in Illinois?
Meet your perks.
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" The process was fast, easy and relatively cheap. The doctor was very personable and nice. I highly recommend NuggMD !"
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" Very pleasant experience. I was treated with professionalism and all my questions were answered. Was approved within an hour. I HIGHLY Recommend!!"
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" Wonderful to be able to talk with medical professionals that listen to you and take you seriously! Good experience!"
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" Super quick and easy. Doc was friendly. All done within about 24 hrs. Totally recommend NuggMD."
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" My experience was fantastic. friendly and caring staff. very easy to talk to. I would recommend you to anybody and everybody for your services."
Qualifying conditions in Illinois
The following conditions may qualify for medical cannabis in Illinois:
- Autism
- Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Anorexia
- Arnold-Chiari malformation
- Cancer
- Cachexia/wasting syndrome
- Causalgia
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome Type II)
- Dystonia
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Fibrous Dysplasia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Hydrocephalus
- Hydromyelia
- Interstitial cystitis
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Lupus
- Migraines
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Myoclonus
- Nail-patella syndrome
- Neuro-Bechet’s autoimmune disease
- Neurofibromatosis
- Neuropathy
- Osteoarthritis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
- Post-concussion syndrome
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
- Residual limb pain
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Seizures, including those from Epilepsy
- Severe fibromyalgia
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Spinal cord disease
- Spinal cord injury causing neurological spasticity
- Spinocerebellar ataxia
- Superior canal dehiscence syndrome
- Syringomyelia
- Tarlov cysts
- Tourette syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury
- Ulcerative colitis
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
Follow the instructions once you start the NuggMD process to fill out your application. Make sure you enter all of your information accurately to avoid possible delays in your processing. When you’re approved, your NuggMD medical marijuana practitioner will provide you with their certification to use during your registration process.
Once your practitioner provides you with your certification, you’ll receive an email notification to finish your state registration via their online portal. You’ll need to enter all of the requested information and pay the state registration fee of $50 for a one-year registration, $100 for a two-year registration, and $125 for a three-year registration.
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.
We’re the #1 medical marijuana platform in the nation.
Here's how we stack up.
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| Same day physician access |
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| 50+ in-network docs |
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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.
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:
* Autism
* Agitation of Alzheimer’s Disease
* HIV/AIDS
* Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
* Chronic Pain
* Cancer
* Cachexia/Wasting Syndrome
* Crohn’s Disease
* Chronic Migraines
* Glaucoma
* Multiple Sclerosis
* Severe Fibromyalgia
* Parkinson’s Disease
* Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
* Seizures, including Epilepsy
Other conditions include neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, and chronic pain conditions such as Lupus, Interstitial Cystitis, and Myasthenia Gravis.
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. 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@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.
