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.
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How to Get a Medical Card in Illinois in Minutes.
Fill out a 30-second, confidential questionnaire. We’ll send it to one of our available medical marijuana practitioners for review.
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 containing your PDF certification along with instructions to finish your state registration via Illinois’s online MMJ registration portal.
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 Illinois certification and med card are valid for one, two, or three years, depending on the registration fee you paid.
Why get a medical cannabis card in Illinois?
Meet your perks.
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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!!"
Qualifying conditions in Illinois
Most Common Conditions
- Anorexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Migraines
- Neuropathy
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
All Conditions
- 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
- Endometriosis
- 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
- Ovarian cysts
- 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
Most states with medical cannabis programs also offer patients the option to designate a caregiver to help them purchase, administer, and even cultivate their medicine. Minor cannabis patients often need to have a parent or guardian designated as their caregiver in order to participate in the program. Illinois is no exception, and the caregiver application process is fairly straightforward.
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 they 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 1 year
- $50 for 2 years
- $75 for 3 years
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 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.
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 see a practitioner 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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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.
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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.
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- 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
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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.
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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.
Medical cannabis patients in Illinois are afforded greater protections than recreational users as well. The state is working on, but has not enacted employment protections for recreational users. However, the state does have employment protections in place for medical cannabis patients.
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.
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The following fees apply to medical cannabis cards:
- Patient Card (initial): $15
- Patient Card (six-month renewal): $15
- Guardian Card (initial): $68.25
- Guardian Card (six-month renewal): $24
- Caregiver Card (initial): $68.25
- Caregiver Card (six-month renewal): $14
- Non-Utah Resident Card (initial & renewal): $15
The cost of a practitioner's visits will depend on your medical health care coverage.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Yes! You can see any Illinois state-licensed MD, DO, physician assistant, or advance 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.
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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.
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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.