Overview
There are three steps to becoming a certified patient for medical cannabis.
- Get certified. Contact your health care provider to see if medical cannabis may help. Your health care provider will give you a certification if medical cannabis is appropriate for your condition. Health care providers must meet certain requirements to certify patients. Read the requirements for more information.
- Register online. A registry ID card will be mailed to you after your application is approved. A temporary registry ID card can be printed and used immediately.
- Purchase medical cannabis. Visit a registered organization's medical cannabis dispensing facility to purchase product. Bring your registry ID card, or temporary registry ID card, and certification with you.
Qualifying Conditions
You may be eligible for the use of medical cannabis if deemed clinically appropriate by your certifying health care provider.
Please talk to your practitioner about whether medical cannabis may help you.
Find a Practitioner
How to Register
Patients must first have a certification from a health care provider.
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Patient Registration Instructions
Instructions for patients registering for the Medical Cannabis Program.
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Caregiver Registration Instructions
Instructions for caregivers registering for the Medical Cannabis Program. Note: You must be listed on a patient's registration as a designated caregiver and that patient registration must first be approved.
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Acceptable Proofs & Documents
Acceptable proofs of ID and other documentation requirements for New York State Medical Cannabis Program participants.
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Registry ID Card
A certified patient or designated caregiver who has been issued a registry ID card must notify the Medical Cannabis Program of any change in his or her name, or address, within ten (10) business days of such change. In some instances (but not all) this may generate a new Registry ID card. Click on link below for information on when to update or request a new card.
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Update or Replace a Registry ID Card
How to update a medical cannabis Registry ID card or request a replacement card.
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Add a Caregiver
A patient may designate up to five (5) caregivers to assist in purchasing and/or administering their medical cannabis products for them. Caregivers may be added during the patient registration process or at any time after the patient registration has been submitted.
Purchase Product
Certified patients or their designated caregivers who are registered with the Medical Cannabis Program can purchase medical cannabis products from a registered organization's dispensing facility in New York State. Patients must bring their registry ID cards and their certifications to a registered organization's dispensing facility in order to purchase approved medical cannabis products. Designated caregivers obtaining medical cannabis on behalf of their patients must bring their caregiver registry identification cards and their patients' certifications to the dispensing facility.
Certified patients and designated caregivers must always carry their registry ID card whenever they possess approved medical Cannabis products.
Medical cannabis products may not be transported outside of New York State.