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HERE ARE THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDICAL CANNABIS IN MASSACHUSETTS
We have put together the answers of our most frequently asked questions originating from Massachusetts medical marijuana patients, their caregivers, providers, clinicians, and other stakeholders. If you have a question that you cannot find an answer to here, please visit our contact page and reach out to us directly.
The content on the website is not intended to be legal, financial, or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. Users should seek professional advice before making any decisions based on the content.
Examples include cancer, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), HIV/AIDS, anxiety, insomnia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, ALS, and Chron’s disease. Some states limit the number of conditions that qualify for a medical marijuana card; but Massachusetts doesn’t. Clinicians have the ability to take into account the unique needs and circumstances of each patient when determining who qualifies for medical cannabis. Some debilitating conditions are rare or not well known. This is why healthcare providers have the power to determine which conditions qualify. This gives a greater number of patients the opportunity to potentially benefit from medical marijuana if it iss determined to be an appropriate treatment option for them.
There are several reasons why many Massachusetts residents find value in obtaining their medical marijuana card.
- Oversight of a clinician: A relationship is established with a healthcare provider who is educated on the proper use of medical marijuana and can help determine the best course of treatment.
- High dose options: Patients have access to edibles with high doses of THC in order to treat their symptoms.
- No taxes: Purchases of medical marijuana are exempt from sales tax.
- Recognition as medicine: Patients enrolled in the Medical Use of Marijuana Program enjoy peace of mind knowing that their cannabis use is validated as medicine by the state of Massachusetts.
- Local access: Medical marijuana is available in a number communities that have chosen to ban recreational marijuana.
- Fair purchase limits: Most patients are limited to 10 ounces or 283.50 grams of medical cannabis in a 60-day period.
- Priority access: Patients are given priority treatment at dispensaries that sell both medical and recreational cannabis.
- Home cultivation: Patients may possess or cultivate up to 12 flowering and 12 vegetative cannabis plants to maintain their 60-day supply.
- Hardship programs: Patients with financial hardship qualify for a discount that can lower the cost of their purchase by 10% to 20%.
- Discounts: Senior, veteran, hospice, and other group discounts are available at medical dispensaries.
There are 312 physicians, 114 nurse practitioners, and 1 physician assistant currently certified with the state of Massachusetts to issue medical marijuana certifications to qualifying patients. MPAA has a comprehensive list of healthcare providers on our website who can certify patients for the medical marijuana program. The Cannabis Control Commission cannot release the complete list due to privacy protections in state law. Our site discloses clinicians and groups who publicly advertise their services. Please visit the “Access” tab of our website for our list of Massachusetts medical marijuana clinicians.
This depends on your certifying healthcare provider. Each clinician sets their own price to certify a patient for the Massachusetts medical use of marijuana program. Prices typically range between $50 and $349 dollars. This is an out-of-pocket expense that is not covered by health insurance. If you cannot afford the cost associated with getting your medical cannabis card in Massachusetts please visit our Cannabis Care Connect program.
Unfortunately, due to the federal illegality of cannabis the cost of your certification from the clinician is an out-of-pocket expense that is not covered by health insurance.
Yes, the Cannabis Control Commission has issued waivers that currently allow new patients that have never registered with the Massachusetts medical marijuana program before to conduct their initial clinical visit online via telemedicine. The temporary rule is set to expire on December 31, 2023 unless the Cannabis Control Commission rescinds the policy or adopts it permanently in regulation. Cannabis Control Commission regulations already allow online clinical visits if you are renewing your medical marijuana certification or it’s not your first time registering with the Massachusetts medical marijuana program.
Individuals 18 years and older qualify to be certified by a healthcare provider for medical cannabis. Pediatric patients under the age of 18 can also qualify but they must be certified by two Massachusetts licensed certifying physicians, with at least one being a board certified pediatrician, pediatric subspecialist, oncologist, neurologist, or family physician.
A certification is the electronic record from your healthcare provider that indicates your eligibility for the medical marijuana program. A registration is the record from the Cannabis Control Commission that indicates your enrollment status. A patient must first receive a certification from a healthcare provider before they can register with the Cannabis Control Commission and receive their plastic medical marijuana ID card. The registration’s expiration date is printed on the face of the medical card.
The length of the certification is set by your clinician and may be between 15 days and 2 years depending on the circumstances. In most cases a certification is valid for one year. The certification can only valid for two years if the patient receives Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income; or is diagnosed with a terminal illness or permanent disability after an in-person clinical visit.
Yes, a patient can ask their clinician to raise the 60-day supply. Only a healthcare provider can increase or decrease a patient’s 60-day supply. The clinician is responsible for documenting the rationale for the increase in the medical record.
There are 98 medical marijuana dispensaries currently operational across the state of Massachusetts. If you’d like to see the full list of stores please visit the Medicine page on our site for more information.
Medical marijuana dispensaries typically offer a variety of products including dried cannabis buds or flower, edibles to eat, vape cartridges, concentrates, tinctures, topicals, CBD, and even suppositories. Depending on your condition and the advice of your clinician you may discover that one mode of ingestion is easier to administer or provides greater relief than another. Both low and high low dose products are normally available to accommodate the needs of patients across the medical cannabis spectrum.
The cost of medical marijuana is not covered by health insurance. This can make it difficult for some to take advantage of. However, state regulations require each medical marijuana dispensary to offer free or reduced cost cannabis to patients with verified financial hardship. The financial hardship program at each dispensary is different but on average financial hardship programs save patients between 10% and 20% off of each purchase.
To prove financial hardship a patient must demonstrate that they are a recipient of MassHealth, Supplemental Security Income, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or via a tax return from this year or last year that shows income that does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level, adjusted for family size. Bring your documentation that proves financial hardship to the medical dispensary to qualify for the program.
Patients must bring a valid form of identification and patient ID card issued by the Cannabis Control Commission. These documents may need to be shown to a security guard or to the camera on the door buzzer prior to entry. A temporary card can be used if the plastic program ID card has not arrived yet. Once inside the staff will verify that your patient status is active and grant you access to the sales floor.
Yes, most patients are limited to 10 ounces or 283.50 grams within a sixty day period. When making a purchase at a medical dispensary, edibles and concentrates are converted into a “Dry Weight Equivalent” to ensure that you do not exceed your 60-day supply. For example, 1 gram of concentrate is equivalent to 5.30 grams and an edible with 5mg of THC is equivalent to 0.03 grams.
Yes, this is possible. In Massachusetts, a patient can designate up to two individuals to serve as their personal caregiver. Caregivers must first register with the Cannabis Control Commission and receive approval before they are given authorization to pick up medicine on behalf of their patient.
Home delivery is an option that several medical marijuana dispensaries do offer in Massachusetts. Some companies charge a delivery fee, require a minimum purchase, or do not offer delivery to your area. Be sure to verify company policies before making a delivery order. Deliveries may only be sent to the primary residence of a patient or their caregiver. Cannabis Control Commission regulations prohibit deliveries of medical cannabis to college or university designated dormitories or housing, federally-subsidized housing, shelters, or residential programs.
In Massachusetts children are not allowed inside of medical marijuana dispensaries. Only registered patients, personal caregivers, staff, and approved visitors are allowed inside of medical marijuana establishments. Similarly, state law prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from entering a recreational cannabis establishment.
Massachusetts law does allow for limited home cultivation of cannabis. Those with an active patient registration can cultivate their 60-day supply at their primary residence. If you don’t own your residence you may need to review your lease to understand whether marijuana cultivation is allowed.
This is not legal advice. Please consult with an attorney if you have any questions about the legality of cannabis cultivation at your residence.
Yes, personal caregivers may cultivate a limited number of plants sufficient to maintain a 60-day supply of marijuana for their patient and solely for that patient’s use. Under no circumstances may a personal caregiver cultivate plants in excess of 500 square feet of canopy. Personal Caregiver(s) may cultivate marijuana on behalf of a registered qualifying patient at only one location.
Cannabis Control Commission regulations say that a patient may cultivate up to 12 flowering plants and 12 vegetative plants, excluding clones. If one or more patients collectively require more than this number of plants at one residence in order to maintain their 60-day supply, then a “hardship cultivation registration” is required.
The Cannabis Control Commission is expected to open applications for hardship cultivation registrations in the near future. The registration authorizes a patient to cultivate a number of plants at their residence to maintain their 60-day supply of medical marijuana. Patients whose access to a medical marijuana dispensary is limited by verified financial hardship, a physical incapacity to access reasonable transportation, or the lack of a medical marijuana dispensary within a reasonable distance of their residence can qualify.
The content on the website is not intended to be legal, financial, or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. Users should seek professional advice before making any decisions based on the content.
