Maine Patient FAQs

NuggMD Maine 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.

Maine no longer requires medical marijuana cards, only a doctor's recommendation, which you can get right here! NuggMD's medical practitioners are standing by to help you get your medical marijuana card in Maine.

Getting a MMJ card in Maine has never been easier. Learn how to get your Maine medical cannabis card with NuggMD.

Any Maine resident who has been recommended cannabis by a state-licensed medical practitioner will qualify for medical cannabis in the state. Patients under 18 will need to have a parent or legal guardian appointed as a caregiver to manage and administer their medication.

Maine does have a list of qualifying conditions, but the state also allows medical professionals to use their own discretion in recommending medical cannabis. So, even if you don’t have one of the state’s qualifying conditions, a medical professional can recommend medical cannabis if they feel it’s an appropriate treatment. Maine’s qualifying conditions are:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Cancer
• Chronic pain
• Chron’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Huntington’s disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBS)
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Nausea
• Nail-patella syndrome
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Yes! Maine allows licensed medical practitioners to recommend medical cannabis to any patient they feel will benefit from it. If your doctor thinks medical cannabis will be an effective treatment for you, you’ll be eligible for Maine’s medical program.

Maine medical marijuana patients and visiting patients from approved reciprocity states can purchase medical cannabis in Maine. To become a patient, you first must receive an MMJ authorization from a state-licensed weed doctor or health professional. Licensed patients can then purchase their medicinal cannabis from designated caregivers or licensed dispensaries. These MMJ IDs are only available to those who reside in Maine. For patients from other states, Maine will allow you to purchase medical marijuana so long as you're a current legal patient in a state for which they've approved reciprocity. You can see that list of states on the MMMP's website.

Maine has a number of key benefits for medical cannabis patients. Patients are able to access more dispensaries than recreational consumers, including the state’s robust network of registered cannabis caregivers. Medical cannabis patients are also exempt from the state’s 10% excise tax on cannabis sales.

Additionally, medical cannabis patients are allowed to cultivate double the number of mature plants (6) as recreational cannabis users (3).

Last but not least, Maine affords key protections to medical cannabis patients that aren’t available to adult-use consumers, including protections against discrimination in the workplace, at school, and in renting their apartments. They are also protected against discrimination when being considered for organ transplants.

It costs only $99 to see a Maine medical marijuana practitioner with NuggMD. Your evaluation is always free if you're not approved for medical marijuana treatment.

The state doesn't require patients to register. Patients only need to have their physician certification with them to claim legal protection, so your only required costs will be for your evaluation.

The cost for a NuggMD renewal evaluation in Maine is the same as the cost for the initial evaluation, just $99! Youre not required to register with the state, so this will be your only expense to become a patient.

In the U.S. cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, even for medical purposes. As a result, nearly all health insurance companies will not cover the cost of medical cannabis.

Maine does not require medical marijuana cards. Your NuggMD medical marijuana recommendation will be good for one year.

You don't need a card, just a physician's recommendation. Simply create an account with NuggMD, enter your information and medical history, and then speak to a cannabis physician face to face from the comfort of your own home. An evaluation costs only $99 and you can see a doctor as early as today.

Maine no longer requires medical marijuana cards, just a recommendation from your physician, PA, or NP. Once you have your recommendation, you will be eligible to shop at a larger selection of dispensaries, exempted from Maine’s 10% excise tax, and approved to grow up to six cannabis plants at home.

Learn more with our Maine Patient Guide.

Patients no longer need to apply for a medical marijuana card in Maine. All you need to purchase medical cannabis as a Maine resident is your doctor's recommendation.

Maine does require a state-issued photo ID for medical cannabis certificaton. However, Maine has a fairly liberal reciprocity policy and accepts out-of-state patients from most other states with medical cannabis programs.

Once your doctor recommends medical cannabis, they’ll send a copy of your certification to the state and another copy to you. Once you have your certification, you can use it to purchase medical cannabis.

Renewing your Maine med card with NuggMD is easy! Visit this page up to 30 days before your current card expires (to avoid any gaps in coverage), and we’ll connect you with a state-licensed medical professional to help with the renewal process.

Yes, patients should begin the process 30 days before their current license expires to avoid interruptions in coverage.

Absolutely. You have the right to see whatever practitioner you choose to renew your medical marijuana 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.

NuggMD will never charge a patient that isn't approved for medical marijuana treatment, so there's never a risk to you.

You can use medical cannabis in Maine if you have a criminal record, although you'll be barred from becoming a caregiver for some offenses. If you're on probation or parole, check with your supervising officer to see if your conditions of release will allow medical cannabis use.

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. Because paper certifications are all that is required to purchase medical marijuana in Maine, once your certification has shipped, a refund is no longer available. Your certification will be good for one year and should arrive at your home within 5 to 10 business days. If you don’t receive your package within 12 days, please send an email to support@nuggmd.com with the subject line “Reshipment Request,” and a brief description of your issue. The first reshipment is free if the request is made within 30 days of your evaluation. Thereafter, each reshipment request will cost $20. We want to make sure you are 100% satisfied with your purchase being that you, the customers, are the most important thing to us. If any issues arise, please feel free to reach back out for further assistance.

You only need your doctor's certification to use medical cannabis in Maine. If you lose your Maine NuggMD medical cannabis certification form, contact customer service at support@nuggmd.com for a replacement.

No. The medical marijuana registry in Maine is voluntary and most patients choose not to register with the state. Instead, they carry their physician certification with them as proof of their legal status as a medical marijuana patient.

You don't need a temporary or permanent MMJ ID in Maine to purchase medical cannabis. To qualify for Maine's MMJ program, a resident only needs a "valid written certification" Issued by a medical marijuana health professional that is licensed by the Department. Maine law dictates that these certifications are only considered valid if it is "a document on tamper-resistant paper signed by the medical provider." These stipulations were included in the marijuana legislation to prevent any tampering with the legitimate marijuana authorizations.

There are no restrictions on the types of cannabis products available in Maine. ME med patients can find nearly every marijuana product available in state dispensaries. Patients under the age of 21 may not purchase prerolled cannabis products, vapes, or items used for smoking or vaporizing cannabis.

Learn more about Maine's cannabis laws and regulations.

If you are 21 or older, you can smoke cannabis in Maine. Patients under 21 are prohibited from smoking or vaporizing cannabis.

Adult use retail products are subject to a 10% retail excise tax. Medical marijuana products are not subject to this tax.

You can purchase medical marijuana with one of Maine's several thousand caregivers, a caregiver storefront, or an adult-use retailer that is also licensed to sell medical cannabis products.

This depends on the local jurisdiction's rules.

Yes, some adult-use retailers are also licensed to sell medical cannabis products.

Both adult use and medical purchasers are subject to a 2.5 ounce purchase limit.

Maine residents over the age of 21 are allowed to possess no more than 2.5 ounces of marijuana at one time. This applies to a combination or marijuana and marijuana products, such as concentrates. However, residents cannot possess more than 5 grams of concentrates at once.

As long as you don't live in a drug free zone, you can receive cannabis deliveries at your private residence even if your municipalities does not allow cannabis storefront retailers.

Yes. Recreational sales began Oct. 9. 2020. Not all dispensaries are licensed to sell recreational marijuana. Most are caregiver retail outlets that can still only sell to medical marijuana patients, so check first before you head to your nearest store.

Cannabis can be used in private homes. Landlords can prohibit smoking or vaping on their property if they also prohibit tobacco smoking, but they can't prohibit other forms of use. Cannabis lounges were expected to open across the state in 2023, but there hasn't been much progress with this effort yet.

No. Consuming recreational or medical marijuana in an unauthorized public location will result in a $100 civil infraction. Smoking at home or on private property (with the owner’s approval) are your safest options.

While marijuana has been legalized in the state of Maine, it still remains a Scheduled substance on the federal level. This means that marijuana cannot be possessed or used on federal property of any kind.

If it's in a sealed container, yes. Do not use cannabis while driving or allow your passengers to use it. If you or your passengers are caught using cannabis while you're driving, you'll be charged with a DUI.

Yes, adults 21 and over may have up to 3 mature and 12 immature marijuana plants. Medical marijuana patients in Maine can have up to 6 mature and 12 immature marijuana plants at their homes. Maine medical marijuana caregivers can grow up to 30 mature plants or have 500 square feet of mature plant canopy and 60 immature marijuana plants. Application fees correspond to the total number of plants being grown. See: 22 M.R.S. §2425-A, 10-144 C.M.R. ch. 122, § 8(C)(1)

Maine's legalization legislation allows its residents to grow marijuana for their personal use. Those residents over the age of 21 are limited to 3 mature and 12 immature plants. Medical marijuana patients can grow 6 plants each and MMJ patients living in the same home can use the same cultivation space.

Yes, marijuana cultivation sites must be kept out of public view. If your plants can be seen from a public place (such as the street) without the use of binoculars or similar tools, then it is considered within public view. Cultivation sites also must be kept under lock and key. All Maine residents who choose to cultivate marijuana must take the necessary steps to ensure their plants cannot be accessed by anyone under the age of 21.

Landlords are allowed to prohibit cultivation on their property.

Yes, as of 2019, Maine does have reciprocity laws in place. This means that visiting patients from other states are considered valid medical patients who can shop at ME dispensaries. Maine provides a list of all the reciprocal states.

No, it is very illegal to transport Maine's medical marijuana outside state lines. This goes for both medical and recreational marijuana products. Residents should not approach border crossings with marijuana in their possession, either.

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.

Yes, medical marijuana patients with a valid state medical marijuana registry card and whose state has reciprocity for Maine medical marijuana patients can purchase from a medical marijuana dispensary or caregiver while visiting Maine.

Maine doesn't require patients to register with the state. NuggMD won’t put you on any government lists either. However, keep in mind that you will be put on the Department of Health’s list that is not accessible to the general public. NuggMD patient records are private, protected by HIPAA and Maine state law.

Yes, it is. And many municipalities in the state have banned adult use establishments. However, patients can still recieve medical or recreational deliveries at their private residence even if their local area bans cannabis sales.

Maine has enacted strict protections for medical marijuana patients attending school. Read more about these protections for Maine medical cannabis patients.

Maine has enacted organ transplant protections for medical marijuana patients. Organ transplant patients can be subjected to certain limitations as a condition of receiving their transplant. You can read about these potential restrictions.

Landlords can't refuse to rent to medical marijuana patients in Maine. They are allowed to ban the smoking of cannabis on their property if they also ban tobacco smoking, so some patients may be limited to other administration methods.

Private employers cannot alter a person's job status based strictly on medical cannabis use. Consumption may be prohibited on company property, but the employer cannot take away a person's job for consuming the medicine. That being said, some employers are held to federal workplace standards and drug free workplace standards. Federal law will prevail in those situations.

Yes, it is 100% against the law to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana. It goes without saying then that it is also illegal to use marijuana while inside of a vehicle, regardless of who's driving. If caught doing so, you can receive an OUI.

If the conditions of their release allow it. Specific rules and regulations apply to these individuals. To learn more. residents should contact their probation/parole officer.

Medical marijuana patients are not required to register for an MMJ ID in Maine. All that is needed is their physician or practitioner's certification.

The cost of becoming a Maine caregiver differs depending on the number of plants the caregiver is growing. The plant fees are as follows:

6 mature/12 immature plants $240

12 mature/24 immature plants $480

18 mature/36 immature plants $720

24 mature/48 immature plants $960

30 mature/60 immature plants $1200

Canopy: 500 Sq. Ft. Canopy/60 immature plants $1500

Yes. A licensed dispensary can sell to recreational consumers, while caregiver retail outlets can only sell to medical marijuana patients.

You must register with Maine's Office of Cannabis Policy to become a medical marijuana caregiver in Maine. Learn more about how to become a medical marijuana caregiver in Maine.