Pennsylvania Patient FAQs

NuggMD Pennsylvania 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.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health maintains a regularly updated document with registered physicians, or you can sign up with NuggMD to meet with a state-approved doctor today.

It is both possible and recommended that you register before visiting your physician. MMJ certifications require the patient ID provided after your registration.

Yes. Pennsylvania requires a state ID as proof of residence.

No. You must have a Pennsylvania driver's license or ID card in order to get a Pennsylvania medical marijuana card. For a complete list of documents needed for a Pennsylvania medical marijuana card, see the state's patient guide.

No, patients in the medical cannabis program will not have their records made public. Patients are covered under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), which prevents such information from becoming public.

Yes, and you can have caregiver help you obtain your medical marijuana as well. Pennsylvania law stipulates that you can designate no more than two caregivers to apply and register with the state program on your behalf.

It only costs $139 to get a Pennsylvania MMJ evaluation with NuggMD, and there's no risk because patients who don't qualify for the program will get their recommendation for free! After their evaluation, MMJ patients are also responsible for Pennsylvania’s $50 state registration fee.

A Pennsylvania medical ID card costs $50 for both patients and caregivers. However, the price may be discounted for qualifying residents who are enrolled in these government programs: PACE/PACENET, Medicaid, SNAP, CHIP, and WIC.

Yes, the state does allow those who participate in particular state assistance programs to qualify for fee reductions potentially. Programs mentioned on the state’s website are as follows:

• Medicaid
• PACE/PACENET
• CHIP
• SNAP
• WIC

Any Pennsylvania resident who has a serious or underlying medical condition approved by the state and is certified by a licensed physician is elible for the program.

Yes. The following medical conditions are listed as qualifying conditions for the Pennsylvania MMJ program:

-Anxiety disorders; Autism; -Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; -Crohn's disease; -Cancer (even in remission); - Nervous tissue damage in the central nervous system with an objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity , and other associated neuropathies; -Glaucoma; -Epilepsy; -Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders; -Huntington's disease; -HIV/AIDS' -Inflammatory bowel disease; -Multiple sclerosis; - Intractable seizures; -Neurodegenerative diseases; -Opioid use disorder for which conventional treatments are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions; -Post-traumatic stress disorder; - Parkinson's disease; -Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain; -Sickle cell anemia; -Tourette syndrome; -Terminal illness.

No, but Pennsylvania's list is fairly extensive and includes chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety disorders, opioid replacement and cancer. The decision as to whether you qualify is up to your physician.

Having a medical marijuana card is the only legal way to use cannabis in Pennsylvania. Even after adult-use sales begin in the state, having a med card tends to carry a range of additional benefits, such as lower taxes, higher purchase limits, and greater legal protections.

No. As cannabis is still federally illegal, most insurance companies won't cover the cost of products.

To apply for the Pennsylvania medical cannabis program, applicants must first create their profile with the state's medical marijuana registry. Applicants will be asked to submit necessary information, including their name, address and contact information. Adult applicants must have a valid driver's license or state-issued ID to complete the registration process.

To become a patient, you'll need proof of residency in Pennsylvania. This can be a Pennsylvania driver's license or a state ID card with an up-to-date address in the state. A valid email address is also required for both patients and caregivers.

First, log into your account on the Pennsylvania MMJ website (the same account when you first registered). Navigate to the 'Make Payment' section. Prompts will appear asking for your payment information. Once your payment has gone through, you'll receive an email confirmation and receipt.

Once your certification is entered into the state system, you will receive a confirmation email with the necessary instructions on paying the fees associated with your MMJ ID.

You can get your evaluation the same day with NuggMD. It takes just minutes to fill out the forms and upload your records, and evaluations are straightforward. It can take up to three weeks to get your card in the mail from the state, which includes 7 days for printing after you pay your fee, and up to 14 days for transport via mail.

You can meet with a state-certified doctor with NuggMD today, but it usually takes the state about three weeks to provide your printed med card in the mail.

Not to worry. There's no risk if you're not approved. Patients who aren't approved for the program will receive their evaluation for free.

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.

Cards typically last one year, expiring on the last day of the month registered. Patients will receive an email 30 days prior to their card expiration, prompting them to renew the card. The renewal process includes a new evaluation by an approved physician and yearly fees.

You should start your renewal at least 30 days before your card is set to expire to account for potential processing delays past the state's three week wait time. This will help you to avoid a lapse 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.

Potential Pennsylvania patients do not need to complete background checks while they are registering. However, this is not the case for those applying to be caregivers, in which criminal records will be considered during the approval process.

Learn more about PA's cannabis laws and regulations.

After you've received your MMJ ID via mail, you can legally visit any dispensary in Pennsylvania to purchase your medicinal cannabis. Be mindful that some dispensaries ask you to make an appointment if it's your first visit.

You can purchase medical marijuana at any licensed dispensary in Pennsylvania with your MMJ card.

Pennsylvania currently allows patients to purchase balms, ointments, pills, tinctures, liquids and whole plant for vaping. Edibles cannot be sold in stores.

Learn more about Pennsylvania's cannabis laws and regulations.

Patients can purchase and possess up to a 90-day supply of medical cannabis products.

Patients are allowed to possess up to a 90-day limit at any time.

Smoking medical cannabis in Pennsylvania is illegal, but you can purchase liquids and flower for vaporization. You can also purchase capsules, topicals, and tinctures.

Absolutely not. In fact, smoking cannabis is illegal in Pennsylvania. You can vape flower or oil, but never in public.

You can transport your cannabis home from the dispensary in your car, but it must be in a sealed container and no one can use cannabis in the car, even if they aren't driving. Doing so will result in a DUI.

Cannabis delivery isn't legal in Pennsylvania yet.

Not at this time. Currently, the state only permits licensed growers and cultivators.

Home cultivation isn't allowed in Pennsylvania.

Properly registered medical marijuana patients can't be fired for using cannabis off the clock. Use during work hours can be restricted.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has not enacted medical rights protections for medical marijuana transplant patients like many other states have.

That depends on the state to which you're traveling. Each state has different rules for medical marijuana program reciprocity. Some only allow patients from certain states while others only allow patients with certain conditions. Check with your destination state's medical marijuana program to learn more.

Not at this time. The state does not recognize or serve out of state cardholders. That said, discussions of a possible reciprocity program have been mentioned.

Yes, Pennsylvania allows caregivers to assist minors, home-bound adult patients and adults benefitting from assistance. Caregivers must have a Pennsylvania ID or driver's license and have a criminal history free of criminal offenses stemming from drug sales or possession in the last five years.

Every qualifying patient in Pennsylvania can designate up to two caregivers. Minors can become MMJ patients; but they are required to have a designated caregiver.

Any Pennsylvania resident aged 21 or older, unless otherwise stated by the PA Heath Department, can become a state caregiver. Caregivers must be registered with the PA Health Department and pass a background check regarding their criminal history.

After your fingerprints have been taken, it can take up to 4-6 weeks to be approved as a Pennsylvania caregiver.

First, register on the PA health department website. Complete your valid criminal history check. Finally, pay the fees associated with the MMJ ID card following your approval

Caregivers must choose one of the following, given their individual circumstances:

-Adult patient-caregiver -- Those being designated for adult patients who have already been enrolled in the MMJ program. The patient's name, date of birth, and patient ID number are necessary upon the caregiver's registration.

-Caregiver for existing patients -- Those caregivers being designated for patients already enrolled in the program but will not go to dispensaries. The patient will not need to register themselves, nor will they receive their own MMJ ID card. The designated caregiver must enter the patient's name, date or birth, and patient ID number upon their registration.

-Caregiver registering for new patients -- Those designated caregivers who are registering on behalf of patients not yet enrolled in the state program. Again, these patients will not need to register on their own, nor will they receive their own MMJ ID card. The patient's name, date of birth, address, and telephone number is necessary upon the registration by the caregiver.

-Caregiver registration approved by the Department of Health -- The registration for those caregivers who authorize the Department of Health to share their contact information with local patients in their area in need of a designated caregiver. However, if you have a specific patient in mind you'd want to be designated with, the other three options are more applicable.

Prior to your registration, you should have the patient ID along with their date of birth ready. You'll submit this information during your registration. If, however, you are already registered with the state program but have yet to designated with a certain patient, the patient will need to manually add your to their account via the "Manage Caregivers" section in their patient profile.

To become a specific patient's caregiver, you'll need a valid Pennsylvania driver's license or PA state ID card. If your patient has already registered with the PA Health Department, you'll need to provide the patient's name, date of birth, and patient ID number.

Caregivers can be designated for all patients, not just their family members. If you have been designated for a patient under 18, but you aren't the patient's parent, legal guardian, or spouse, you must be listed as their third-party caregiver by the patient's legal guardian or spouse.

The registration process is no different for patients with disabilities. If they're a minor, they, too, must have their caregiver apply for the program for them. If they're legal adults, however, they may register themselves, but they may sill have a caregiver register for them if they choose.

Yes, minors are allowed to apply for the program with an approved caregiver registering the patient.

Any Pennsylvania patient younger than 18 needs caregiver to register for them. The minor's parent, legal guardian, or spouse can easily become their caregiver one the state registration website. If, however, you are not a family member of the patient, you should first complete a form known as the 'authorization to designate a third-party caregiver.' This form can be found in your caregiver's profile on the state website. Once completed, you simply upload the form back into your profile.

Patients are permitted up to two caregivers at any time.

Caregivers are permitted to care for up to five patients at any time.

Every Pennsylvania resident must first get a valid background check before becoming a caregiver unless they are the patient's parent or guardian. If a criminal history apprears, it shall be thoroughly reviewed before approval. Those applicants who've been convicted of criminal charges regarding the sale or possession of scheduled substances within the past five years will not be approved.