How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Rhode Island
Schedule an Evaluation with a Certified Physicians
Schedule an appointment with a licensed medical marijuana doctor.
Submit Your Application
Submit a medical marijuana card application through the Rhode Island Cannabis Licensing Portal. The state does not charge a fee.
Receive Your Card
Once your application is approved, the state will mail you your MMJ card.
Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Qualifying Conditions
To be eligible for a medical marijuana card in Rhode Island, you must be diagnosed with one of the following qualifying conditions:
- AIDS or treatment for AIDS
- Agitation related to Alzheimer’s disease
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Cancer or cancer treatment, including chemotherapy or radiation
- Glaucoma or glaucoma treatment
- Hepatitis C or treatment for Hepatitis C
- Positive status for HIV or treatment for HIV
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (patient must be 18 or older)
- Seizures (including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy)
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms (including but not limited to those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease)
- Severe nausea
- Severe, debilitating chronic pain
Where Can I Buy Medical Marijuana in Rhode Island?
There are seven marijuana dispensaries operating in Rhode Island. As a registered patient or caregiver, you can purchase a variety of products, including edibles, topicals, tinctures, and cannabis flower, and you can possess up to two and a half ounces of cannabis at a time.
About Rhode Island Cannabis Program
Medical marijuana was legalized in Rhode Island in 2006 with the enactment of the Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act. This legislation allows patients with qualifying medical conditions to obtain and use marijuana for therapeutic purposes.
To participate in the program, patients must obtain a recommendation from a licensed physician and apply for a medical marijuana card from the Rhode Island Department of Health. Once approved, cardholders can purchase marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries. The program also permits patients to cultivate their own cannabis.
How to Renew Your Card in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, medical marijuana patients must renew their MMJ cards annually. To renew your card, complete the following steps:
- Schedule Your Renewal Appointment: Book with with a licensed physician.
- Submit Your Application: Submit a renewal application through the Rhode Island Cannabis Licensing Portal. The state does not charge a fee.
- Receive Your New Card: Once your application is approved, the state will mail you your new MMJ card.
How to Become a Medical Marijuana Caregiver in RI
A caregiver is someone who assists a qualifying medical marijuana patient with the purchase, transport, administration, and/or cultivation of medical marijuana. In Rhode Island, caregivers must be state residents who’re at least 21 years old.
To become a caregiver in Rhode Island, complete the following steps:
- Submit Your Application: Once you get designated by a patient, you must submit a caregiver application through the Rhode Island Cannabis Licensing Portal. The state does not charge a fee.
- Receive Your Card: Once your application is approved, the state will mail you your caregiver ID card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can get your MMJ card online in Rhode Island. The state allows marijuana evaluations to be conducted via telemedicine.
The state of Rhode Island no longer charges an application fee for MMJ cards.
The Rhode Island Department of Health can take up to 35 days to process an MMJ card application. Once you get approved, your card will be mailed to you.
No, anxiety is not listed as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis in Rhode Island.
Yes, a minor can get medical marijuana in Rhode Island as long as a parent or legal guardian provides consent and registers as their designated caregiver.
In Rhode Island, a medical cardholder can possess up to two and a half ounces of cannabis at a time.
Adults who’re 21 and older can buy recreational cannabis in Rhode Island, but you’ll need a medical card to purchase medical marijuana products.
In Rhode Island, a medical patient can grow up to 12 mature and 12 immature cannabis plants at a time.
Yes, Rhode Island honors out-of-state MMJ cards as long as you have a physical copy and a government-issued ID from your home state.
Whether you can use your Rhode Island MMJ card in another state will depend on that state's reciprocity laws. Some states honor out-of-state medical cards, while others don't. Be sure to research other states' cannabis laws before traveling.
Yes, adults 21 and older can purchase recreational marijuana in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island medical cards are valid for one year from their date of issuance.
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