Illinois Patient FAQs

NuggMD Illinois connects prospective patients with state-licensed medical cannabis doctors so you can get your required medical evaluation fast, easy, and online from the comfort and privacy of your own home.

Browse our full list of patient FAQs, or contact our customer service team for one-on-one support.

To get an Illinois medical marijuana card, an individual must have a physician's recommendation for one or more of the state’s qualifying conditions for medical cannabis. You must then submit all documentation, including proof of ID and residency, to register with the state of Illinois.

You can apply for a medical marijuana card in Illinois with an ID from a different state, but if you do so, you’ll be required to show some other proof of residency. For a full list of documents needed for an Illinois medical marijuana card, see the IDPH patient application instructions.

No, the state of Illinois does not have reciprocity laws allowing out-of-state medical marijuana cards. That said, out-of-state visitors 21 and older can legally use marijuana while in the state. They are allowed to possess up to 15 grams of marijuana, 2.5 grams of concentrates, or 250 mg of THC.

You must be 21 or older to use recreational cannabis in Illinois, just like with alcohol sales.

NuggMD is happy to help Illinois patients with their MMJ evaluations. Patients can easily find a qualified doctor to evaluate them using our platform. Every one of our partnering physicians is fully licensed in Illinois. All have received the necessary training and certification by the state.

All medical evaluations using NuggMD are $109 in the state of Illinois. There's no charge, however, if you're not approved for medical cannabis use. So there's no risk!

The fees for an Illinois medical marijuana card are based on how long they are valid:

One year: $50
Two years: $100
Three years: $125

Qualifying Illinois residents must first be diagnosed with one of the above debilitating medical conditions that are listed by the Illinois Department of Public Health. All patients must be evaluated by a state-licensed physician and be at least 18 years of age or with the consent of a parent or guardian. Qualifying patients also must have an Illinois residency.

Qualifying conditions for an Illinois medical card include:

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
Chron’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 brian injury
Ulcerative colitis

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

Illinois medical cannabis patients have a number of advantages over recreational users. The first, and probably most obvious is access to the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries. Medical cannabis patients can also purchase and possess more cannabis than recreational users. Medical patients can purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis every 14 days, while recreational users are limited to possessing 30 grams at once.

Illinois has some of the highest cannabis prices in the nation, and the state’s taxes are equally high. Recreational cannabis users face between 10% and 25% in excise taxes on cannabis purchases, in addition to local taxes and the state sales tax. Medical cannabis sales are exempt from excise taxes.

Recreational cannabis users in Illinois cannot legally cultivate cannabis in their homes. Meanwhile, the state allows medical cannabis patients to cultivate up to 5 plants at once.

You can get your medical cannabis evaluation through NuggMD in as little as 15 minutes. But it can take the Illinois Department of Public Health up to 30 days to review your application. If you’re approved, you’ll be able to print or download your card immediately from the state’s registration portal.

Patients should expect the Illinois Department of Public Health to take up to 30 business days to fully process a medical cannabis application. Once approved, the MMJ IDs within 15 business days.

Absolutely. You have the right to see whatever practitioner you choose to renew your medical cannabis certification, so long as they're licensed in the state and qualified to certify patients for cannabis use. All NuggMD practitioners are fully licensed in the state for which they provide evaluations and have obtained all state-required education and certifications to recommend cannabis.

It costs just $109 to get your Illinois renewal evaluation with NuggMD.

Depending on what you selected when applying for your medical cannabis card, you may be required to renew it in either one, two, or three years.

With NuggMD, you are ONLY charged for your evaluation if you are approved. We believe everyone deserves access to a qualified medical cannabis doctor, 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. 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.

The Illinois MMJ program allows all of the usual forms of cannabis products, including flower, capsules, edibles, concentrates, tinctures and oils.

Illinois residents will need to present their ID when purchasing cannabis at a state dispensary, much in the same way they do for alcohol sales, and you must be 21 or older to buy cannabis. Out-of-state consumers who are 21 or older and who have a valid government-issued ID to show their age can purchase cannabis in Illinois, too, but they have a lower purchase limit than in-state residents.

Yes, you can now order cannabis for in-store pickup online.

Residents must be over the age of 21 to be able to buy adult-use cannabis in Illinois.

Learn more about Illinois' cannabis laws and regulations.

So long as residents can provide verification of their age and residency, they can purchase the following: no more than 30 grams of flower (a little over an ounce), 5 grams of concentrate, or infused products with no more than 500mg of THC.

MMJ patients can purchase up to 2.5 ounces of flower. If a dispensary has set its purchase limit lower than this, it must allow medical cannabis patients to buy 2.5 times more than the adult use limit. This is to ensure an adequate supply for the patients.

Out-of-state visitors are allowed to buy cannabis products as well but can only buy half as much as adult-use residents.

The cannabis possession limits for Illinois residents 21 and older are the following: -No more than 30 grams of cannabis flower -No more than 5 grams of cannabis concentrate (oils, dab, or kief) -No more than 500 milligrams of THC (including edibles or tinctures products). Medical cannabis patients can possess up to 2.5 ounces.

Yes, you can. It is perfectly legal to give and receive cannabis in the form of a gift. However, the recipient must be 21 or older, and absolutely no money can be exchanged at any point. Gifts must be within legal possession limits as well. Bartering with cannabis is a crime in Illinois.

No, Illinois patients cannot purchase cannabis through the mail, even if the dispensary is in the state.

Cannabis can only legally be purchased in licensed dispensaries in the state. Individual residents are not allowed to sell any amount of cannabis to anyone else.

No, using cannabis products (of any kind) in public is a crime in Illinois. Be aware that Illinois also considers your front porch a public place. Illinois residents must be on private property to use cannabis products.

Learn more about Illinois' cannabis laws and regulations.

Not under any circumstance. It is still illegal to drive while under the influence of cannabis. If Illinois residents are caught driving any motor vehicle, including boats, mopeds, and motorcycles, while under the influence, they will receive a DUI.

No, cannabis deliveries are prohibited in Illinois. Purchases can only be made at licensed dispensaries.

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.

Cannabis cultivation is legal only for licensed medical patients, who are allowed to grow up to 5 plants. No other Illinois resident can legally grow, however.

Illinois medical marijuana cards are valid for either one, two, or three years, depending on the initial fee paid.

No, cannabis users over the age of 21 and medical cannabis patients cannot be fired just because they use cannabis. Employers can, however, restrict the use of cannabis during work hours and for certain positions, and employees can face consequences if found to be under the influence at work. Employers subject to federal funding are permitted to drug test for cannabis and deny employment to users.

Yes, they can. So long as tenants are on the landlord's property, they can set the rules governing cannabis use. Be sure to review the guidelines of your lease agreement before using cannabis on a rental property.

No, Illinois residents cannot cross state lines with cannabis in their possession. This would be a violation of federal law, no matter what the amount of cannabis is. All the cannabis that is purchased in Illinois must be used in Illinois.

Patients can contact Illinois MMJ officials by mail at:
Illinois Department of Health
535 W Jefferson St, Springfield, IL 62761

By phone:
(217) 782-4977

By email:
DPH.medicalcannabis@illinois.gov

Or by visiting their website.

Individuals in Illinois can become medical cannabis caregivers if they are at least 21 years old and a resident of the state for the duration of their participation in the program. They must also accept the responsibility of assisting the patient with their medical cannabis use and not be convicted of an excluded offense.

There are two ways to register as a caregiver in Illinois. The first is that the patient can submit their caregiver's information with their application, and the second is that the caregiver can apply on their own to be linked to an active medical cannabis patient using the MCPP Caregiver Application.

No, you must be at least 21 to become a medical cannabis caregiver in Illinois.

Medical cannabis caregivers in Illinois are only permitted to have one patient, however a patient can have up to two caregivers.