How to get a Medical Marijuana Card in Michigan

By Samantha Smith

Originally published on Leafly.com

May 24, 2019

When the Marijuana Legalization Initiative bill, also known as Proposal 1 was passed in Michigan last November, many people assumed they would be able to buy marijuana without a medical marijuana card but that was not the case. Since the passing of the bill, Michiganders who are over the age of 21 are allowed to possess up to 12 marijuana plants of their own, have up to 10 ounces of marijuana flower at home, travel with no more than 2.5 ounces of marijuana flower as well as possess up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. 

However, the state is predicting that no one will be able to purchase marijuana without a medical marijuana card until March 2020, at the earliest. As it currently stands, those without a medical marijuana card are only allowed to have marijuana in their possession if it is gifted to them for free. 

As a social media manager for a provisioning center in Michigan, I get asked questions about the marijuana industry everyday but because people still have to have a medical marijuana card to buy from provisioning centers, the question I get the most is how do I get my card? This article will explore all the steps you need to take to get your medical marijuana card in Michigan.

Step One: Find out if you qualify

There are many qualifying conditions in Michigan ranging from progressive illnesses to psychological and neurological disorders, gastric issues, chronic illnesses and more. These conditions include: 

·          AIDS

·          Alzheimer’s disease 

·          Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

·          Cancer

·          Glaucoma

·          Hepatitis C 

·          Multiple sclerosis 

·          Parkinson's disease 

·          Anxiety

·          Depression 

·          Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

·          Panic Attacks 

·          Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

·          Schizophrenia 

·          Brain injury 

·          Cerebral Palsy

·          Epilepsy 

·          Tourette’s Disease 

·          Arthritis 

·          Chronic Pain Disorders 

·          Rheumatoid Arthritis 

·          Spinal Cord injuries 

·          Chron’s Disease 

·          Chronic nausea and vomiting disorders 

·          Gastric ulcers 

·          Irritable Bowel Syndrome 

·          Ulcerative Colitis 

·          Wasting Syndrome 

·          Autism 

·          Asthma

·          Diabetes 

·          Nail Patella Syndrome

·          Organ transplant

 Step two: Get your documentation

 You don’t need a referral from your primary care doctor or a specialist to get approved for a medical marijuana card in Michigan but you do need documentation from a doctor’s office stating that you have a condition that qualifies you for a medical marijuana card. Many people have told me that this is the most nerve-racking step in the entire process because they are intimidated about having a conversation about medical marijuana with their doctor and that’s completely understandable. 

Doctors in the state of Michigan are becoming more accepting of medical marijuana but there are still doctors out there who are against it and in some cases will stop seeing their patients if they start asking questions. Although, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 gives every patient the right to view and obtain their medical records. Most medical marijuana clinics suggest that their patients tell their primary doctor or specialist that they want copies of their medical records for personal reasons.

“You have every right to your own medical records so you don’t have to tell your primary care doctor why exactly you want them. A doctor at the [medical marijuana] clinic will certify you,” said a receptionist from Pure West Clinic in Holland.   

To obtain your records, your primary care doctor or specialist will have you fill out a patient access request and authorization form, which is normally sent through the mail. After you receive the letter, fill out the form and send it back to your doctor’s office, you should have your records within 5 to 10 business days. 

 Step three: Call a certified medical marijuana clinic to schedule your appointment but do some research on the clinic first.

I say call a few different clinics before scheduling your appointment because some clinics go through the scheduling process differently. Most clinics require you to make an appointment and bring your documentation that states you have one of the qualifying conditions with you to your appointment. However, there are other clinics such as Michigan Holistic Health in Kalamazoo who prefer the patient to send in their documentation before scheduling their appointment so their in-clinic doctor can review it and make sure the person actually qualifies for a card before their examination. 

“We’ve had people try to qualify for things like having reoccurring sinus issues or other conditions that they can’t qualify under," said a receptionist at Michigan Holistic Health. "We want to make sure they have documentation for a condition that they can qualify under before they make the trip out here.” 

If you are unsure of where to find a medical marijuana clinic in Michigan, leafly provides a database that lists cities in Michigan where medical marijuana clinics can be found; https://www.leafly.com/doctors 

Step Four: Go to your appointment and make sure to bring some money with you

Going to a medical marijuana clinic for an appointment is just like going to any other doctor’s office. A medical assistant will come into the room, get your vitals and briefly discuss with you why you have decided to see the doctor. Then the doctor will come into the room, perform a standard exam, review your records and discuss with you why you think you need a medical marijuana card. If the doctor agrees that you fit the criteria for a card, he or she will have a staff member come into the room and go over all of the laws, rules and regulations you have to follow to be a part of the medical marijuana program while the doctor does the part of the paperwork that is required of them. 

While scheduling your appointment, you will most likely be told to bring money with you the day of. While there are strides being made in the banking industry with congress recently passing a bill aimed at increasing access to banks for marijuana businesses’, the state of Michigan still has no solid banking solution for the marijuana industry so you will most likely have to pay in cash. Most clinics require a $200 certification fee plus an additional $60 fee that the patient sends in to the state with their application. If you are approved for a card there is $150 renewal fee every three years. 

Helpful Hint: Bring a list a questions with you that you may have for the doctor to your appointment. 

If you’re new to this, think about some questions you may have for the doctor beforehand. These questions could be anything from what cannabinoids are, what strains may work best for remedying your condition or what method of cannabis use would be best for you. Whatever it is, write it down before you go into the doctor’s office. Once you start talking about your medical records and legalities with the doctor, you may become overwhelmed and forget to ask a question that you really wanted to know the answer to. Just remember that no question is a stupid question and the people at these clinics are here to help you in any way they can.    

Step 5: Fill out your application

After the doctor signs their part of the paperwork for your card you will be given a paper application in the office or you can fill out the application online. The online application came with the passing of the bill in November and while it may seem easier to fill out online, clinics want people to know that just because you filled out an application online does not mean you can get a card without seeing a doctor first. 

“They can fill out and submit their application online but they cannot have it justified,” said Tara Howley, Clinic Manager at U-Med Center in Dowagiac. “You still have to see a certified doctor at a clinic to get your card.”    

If you are interested in filling out an application online go to https://aca3.accela.com/MIMM/Default.aspx to create an account with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. 

Step Six: Send off your application and wait for your card to come in the mail. 

The state of Michigan will send you your card within four to six weeks after receiving your application. If you do not receive your card within two months of submitting your application call the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program at 517-373-0395.

Step Seven: Visit a state certified provisioning center and work with a budtender to learn about different products 

Most provisioning centers carry a variety of cannabis products including marijuana flower, oils, tinctures, edibles, concentrates and topicals. Many people do research online before going into a provisioning center to buy products and that’s all fine and good but I would suggest asking the budtender questions about products as well. I may be bias because I was a budtender at one point, but I have found that patients tend to listen to first hand testimonials about the effectiveness of products. Additionally, part of a budtender’s job is to know important information about each product, including

·     Having knowledge about THC to CBD ratios and percentages in certain strains

·     Knowing what different methods can be used to consume or use cannabis 

·     Knowing the differences between sativa, Indica and hybrid strains

·     Knowing what terpenes are and how they effect you  

·     Knowing how the products are made

All of these things are determining factors in which strain may suit your needs best. 

For example, if you have a neurological issue like epilepsy or multiple sclerosis, you probably will want to look for strains such as cannatonic or critical mass, which have low THC: CBD ratios but if you’re looking for something to beat depression you may want to look for something higher in THC as well as a strain that has a high amounts of limonene terpenes such as pineapple express.

Step Eight: Purchase your products, sit back, relax and find what works best for you. 

Normally when I explain this process to people, they’re surprised that getting a medical marijuana card can be so complicated and that so many steps are involved but I always tell them that the time and investment it takes to get a medical marijuana card is worth it because at the end of the day, if you are struggling with an ailment that has not been able to be helped by traditional medicine or if you are looking for an alternative way to treat an illness, you have nothing to lose from trying this plant, if anything you will gain more knowledge and confidence in where the future of medicine is able to go.