How to Get Your Montana Medical Marijuana Card

Quick Facts

Qualifying Conditions

Montana uses a defined list built around debilitating conditions and the symptoms they produce.

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV or AIDS
• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Severe chronic pain
• Intractable nausea or vomiting
• Epilepsy or an intractable seizure disorder
• Severe or persistent muscle spasms, including those caused by multiple sclerosis
• Crohn disease
• Painful peripheral neuropathy
• A central nervous system disorder resulting in chronic painful spasticity or muscle spasms
• Admittance into hospice care
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Severe chronic pain is the pathway most Montana patients use, and the statute defines it in terms of persistent pain that significantly interferes with daily activities. Bring records that show duration and impact rather than a single recent complaint.

Finding a Certifying Provider

Montana requires certification from a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse licensed in Montana. Telemedicine is used heavily because of the distances involved.

The Application Process

Montana runs a state registry through DPHHS, following a provider certification.

1. 1

   Confirm Montana residency and a listed condition

   You need a Montana driver license or state ID and a condition on the statutory list. Montana does not register out-of-state patients.

2. 2

   Get certified

   A Montana-licensed physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse completes the certification, in person or by telemedicine.

3. 3

   Apply to the DPHHS registry

   Submit the application with your certification, identification and photo. Minors apply through a parent or guardian acting as caregiver, with additional requirements.

4. 4

   Pay the state fee

   Montana charges a modest annual registry fee set by rule. Caregivers register separately and are subject to their own requirements.

5. 5

   Buy at medical rates

   With the card, purchases are taxed at 4 percent rather than 20 percent, delivery becomes available, and 18 to 20 year old patients can buy at all.

Costs and Fees

The card pays for itself quickly at a 16 point tax difference if you buy regularly.

• DPHHS registry fee A modest annual fee set by state rule
• Provider certification Office rate, or 100 to 200 dollars at a clinic
• Caregiver registration Separate requirements and fee
• Medical tax rate 4 percent, versus 20 percent on adult-use
• Annual renewal Fresh certification plus the registry fee

After You Are Approved

The benefits are concrete and worth listing plainly, since adult-use retail is available to anyone over 21.

• Purchases taxed at 4 percent instead of the 20 percent adult-use rate
• Delivery from participating dispensaries, permitted under Mont. Admin. R. 42.39.413
• Purchase access for registered patients aged 18 to 20, who cannot use adult-use retail
• Curbside pickup, which Montana permits for medical and adult-use alike
• Home cultivation rights, with plant counts set by state law
• Access to the same 412 licensed dispensaries as adult-use customers
• A registered caregiver may be designated to collect on your behalf

Renewal

Montana cards run one year. Renewal means a fresh provider certification and another registry application. If your card lapses you do not lose the ability to buy, assuming you are 21 or older, but you immediately move from the 4 percent medical rate to the 20 percent adult-use rate, which is the real cost of forgetting.

Frequently Asked Questions