Conditions That Qualify for Medical Marijuana Card in California

Sample California Medical Marijuana ID Card

California is one of 17 states that have enacted laws favorable to medical patients seeking to use marijuana to relieve pain and symptoms from serious conditions where traditional drugs and treatments have been ineffective. A medical marijuana identification card offers those that are seriously ill a confidential method to verify to law enforcement officials that they qualify for the use of medical marijuana.

In order to be considered for qualification for a marijuana card, patients need to have medical records or a doctor’s recommendation that determines they have one of the following conditions:

Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Anorexia
Arthritis
Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)
Cancer
Crohn’s disease
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV/AIDS
Lyme disease
Migraine
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Muscle Spasms
Severe and chronic pain
Severe nausea
Seizures
Spasticity

Other conditions that might qualify, according to the Marijuana Medical Program (MMP) in California, are “any other chronic or persistent medical condition that limits the ability of the patient to conduct one or more major life activities as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or if not alleviated, may cause serious harm to the patient’s safety, physical, or mental health.”

Uses for medical marijuana and state regulations vary, but California doctors who write recommendations for marijuana use will generally do so for conditions diagnosed such as those above. The conditions must be determined by a physician, who in turn writes a certified recommendation for the use of medical marijuana as part of your treatment plan. With this recommendation and after signing an authorization for medical release of information with your treating physician, you may find out how to apply for a medical marijuana identification card in your county of residence through the California Department of Public Health Medical Marijuana Program website.

To apply for a medical marijuana card in Marin County, the patient or caregiver can request an application through the Medical Marijuana ID Program, provided by the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services. In Marin County, the fee for a medical marijuana card is $113, the medical fee is $56.50. The cards are valid for one year, and must be renewed annually.

If you have any further questions of medical conditions that qualify for medical use of marijuana or how to apply for a medical marijuana card, please contact us. Our website is also full of essential information regarding medical marijuana, including a list of San Francisco or Marin County doctors that write medical marijuana recommendations.

Note: Other counties in California that provide medical marijuana identification cards are: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo and Yuba.