How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Michigan

What is Medical Marijuana?

Medical marijuana is a drug that can be used to treat certain medical conditions. It is made from the cannabis plant. It is sometimes called medical weed or medical pot, but it should not be confused with industrial hemp, which has no psychoactive properties. In most jurisdictions the use of cannabis for these purposes is illegal. However, there are several studies showing its effectiveness in treating pain and nausea caused by cancer treatments and other causes.

What are the Qualifying Conditions for Medical Marijuana in Michigan?

To be a qualifying condition for medical marijuana in Michigan, your illness or disease must have a set number of symptoms.

No matter the severity of the symptoms, only one of these conditions qualifies you for a certified card:

A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that results in severe and persistent muscle spasms.

Class A felony convictions related to controlled substances within the last ten years without evidence of substantial rehabilitation may disqualify patients from receiving certification.

An irreversible and incurable brain disorder that causes severe and persistent muscle spasms or seizures, such as from epilepsy or trauma.

A chronic disease or medical condition resulting from treatment for cancer which causes severe pain, nausea, vomiting, wasting syndrome, seizures, muscle spasms or difficulty breathing.

A chronic disease or infection that is resistant to conventional medicine may qualify as a debilitating condition under Michigan law if all of the following are true: The patient has been diagnosed by an MD as being infected with HIV/AIDS; The patient is considering alternative treatments involving medical use of marihuana; The patient is under the continuing supervision of a physician or psychologist licensed to practice in the state, and the physician or psychologist has discussed with the patient both alternative treatments involving use of marijuana and other treatment options.

An acquired immune deficiency syndrome wasting syndrome.

A chronic disease that produces severe impairment of a body part or organ including but not limited to nephritis, sickle cell anemia, cancer supportive care side effects from radiation therapy, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Hepatitis C.

Post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from direct exposure to a severely traumatizing event during which the person experienced intense fear as defined by 404(2)(d).

Spinal cord injury causing spasticity.

A chronic or debilitating disease, medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following: cachexia; anorexia; severe pain; severe nausea; seizures, including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy; and muscle spasms, including but not limited to those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.

Cancer which is a condition diagnosed by a physician as requiring the patient to receive chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery and/or other therapeutic procedures by a licensed health care professional who has authority to prescribe such therapy.