How to Get a Medical Marijuana Identification Card in California

California’s medical cannabis system remains available to patients who need cannabis for a qualifying medical condition, even though adult-use cannabis is legal for anyone 21 or older. A medical marijuana identification card—officially called an Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC)—is optional, but it can provide practical benefits for eligible patients.

Patients who are at least 18 and have a physician’s recommendation may purchase and use medicinal cannabis. Adults 21 and older may purchase cannabis for adult use without a medical recommendation. However, only California residents who meet the program requirements can apply for an MMIC through their county.

Who may qualify?

California recognizes several serious medical conditions for the state medical cannabis program, including:

• AIDS
• Anorexia
• Arthritis
• Cachexia, or wasting syndrome
• Cancer
• Chronic pain
• Glaucoma
• Migraines
• Persistent muscle spasms, including those associated with multiple sclerosis
• Seizures, including those associated with epilepsy
• Severe nausea
• Another chronic or persistent medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity or could cause serious harm to the patient’s safety or physical or mental health if untreated

A qualifying patient must have written documentation from a California-licensed physician, osteopath, or podiatrist stating that the patient has a serious medical condition and that medicinal cannabis is appropriate.

How to apply for an MMIC

Applications are submitted through the medical cannabis program in the California county where the patient lives. The state does not issue MMICs directly to applicants, and a physician or private evaluation clinic cannot issue the state card.

Applicants generally need to provide:

• A completed Medical Marijuana Program Application/Renewal form
• Proof of identity, such as a California driver’s license, California identification card, passport, or another government-issued photo ID
• Proof of California county residency, such as a rental or mortgage agreement, utility bill, or California vehicle registration showing the applicant’s name and address
• A current written medical recommendation or medical-record documentation from the attending physician
• Payment of the county’s application fee

County programs may charge up to $100 per card application or renewal. Medi-Cal beneficiaries receive a 50 percent reduction, up to a maximum reduction of $50 per card. Fees are waived for eligible participants in the County Medical Services Program. Actual fees and appointment procedures vary by county, so applicants should check their county health department’s requirements before applying.

The county program generally takes the applicant’s photograph for the card. Once a complete application has been verified, the county has up to 30 days to complete its review and up to five additional days to make the card available. An MMIC generally expires after one year and must be renewed with current medical information.

Benefits of having the card

Patients do not need an MMIC if they have a current qualifying physician’s recommendation, but the card can make a patient’s medical status easier to verify. It also allows eligible patients and primary caregivers to qualify for California’s sales-and-use tax exemption on medicinal cannabis when they present both a valid MMIC and government-issued identification at the time of purchase.

The exemption applies to sales and use tax; it does not eliminate California’s cannabis excise tax or all local cannabis-related taxes. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration’s cannabis tax guidance explains the documentation retailers must collect and the limits of the exemption.

MMIC participation is voluntary. California also provides privacy protections for information maintained through the state’s medical cannabis identification program.

Possession and cultivation limits

Under California law, a qualified patient or primary caregiver may generally possess up to eight ounces of dried cannabis for each qualified patient and may maintain up to six mature or 12 immature cannabis plants. A physician’s recommendation may document a larger amount when it is reasonably related to the patient’s medical needs.

Adults 21 and older may grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use under state law. Medical patients may be permitted to grow more when supported by a physician’s recommendation, but cities and counties can impose additional restrictions, such as cultivation limits, permits, security requirements, or indoor-growing rules. Patients should check local ordinances before planting or expanding a grow.

Cannabis grown or possessed for personal medical use cannot be sold. Commercial cultivation and sales require the appropriate state and local licenses.

Primary caregivers

A primary caregiver is more than someone who occasionally helps a patient obtain cannabis. Under California’s program, the caregiver must consistently assume responsibility for the patient’s housing, health, or safety. A caregiver may be an individual or, in some circumstances, an employee or operator of a licensed clinic, facility, hospice, or home health agency.

A designated caregiver must complete the caregiver portion of the application, provide proof of identity, appear with the patient at the county program when required, and consent to being photographed. A caregiver who serves more than one qualified patient must generally reside in the same county as those patients. The caregiver’s card is connected to the patient’s designation and must be returned when that caregiving relationship ends.

Buying and transporting cannabis

Medicinal cannabis may be purchased by patients age 18 or older who have a valid physician’s recommendation or MMIC. Purchases should be made from licensed retailers. Cannabis may be used on private property where the owner permits it, but public use is prohibited in many circumstances, and landlords or property owners may impose additional restrictions.

When transporting cannabis in a vehicle, it must be in a sealed container or kept in the trunk. An open cannabis container is not permitted in the passenger compartment, and driving under the influence of cannabis remains illegal.

California law does not allow cannabis to be taken across state lines, including to another state where cannabis is legal. Cannabis also remains illegal under federal law, including on federal property.

What out-of-state visitors should know

Nonresidents cannot obtain a California MMIC because applicants must reside in the California county where they apply. An adult visitor 21 or older may purchase adult-use cannabis, while a person age 18 or older may be able to purchase medicinal cannabis with a valid physician’s recommendation accepted by the retailer. However, an out-of-state recommendation does not provide the California MMIC needed for the state’s medical sales-tax exemption.

For current forms and application requirements, consult the California Department of Public Health’s MMIC forms and appeals page and contact the medical cannabis program in the applicant’s county of residence.