HOW TO GET
A Maryland Medical
Marijuana Card
Facts on this page were checked by the Dr. Green Relief editorial team against official sources. Last reviewed November 5, 2026.
The main sources are the Maryland Cannabis Administration and Title 36 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article.
To get a Maryland medical marijuana card, you register with the Maryland Cannabis Administration first, at no cost, and wait for an approval email with your MCA Patient ID. Then a provider registered with the MCA, such as a physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, podiatrist, nurse midwife or physician assistant, can issue your written certification. The MCA says your registration lasts six years. The certification lasts up to one calendar year, and a plastic ID card is optional at $25.
Maryland Registers Patients Through the Cannabis Administration
In Maryland, the card is a patient registration with the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA). The MCA replaced the former Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission on May 3, 2023, under the Cannabis Reform Act (HB 556, Chapter 254 of 2023). Since July 1, 2024, registration has been free and the ID card optional, per MCA guidance; approved patients get an electronic ID by email and may print a paper copy at no charge. The program runs under Title 36 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article and COMAR 14.17.04.
Maryland Asks You to Register Before Any Certification Visit
Book a Maryland video evaluation with Dr. Green Relief for $199. The $199 evaluation fee is Dr. Green Relief’s; Maryland charges no fee to register as a patient.
The MCA’s order of steps puts registration ahead of certification, so apply in OneStop and keep your approval email, because a provider needs your MCA Patient ID to certify you. If you are certified, the provider enters it in OneStop, and the MCA says to check your allotment in your account before you go to a dispensary.
Maryland requires you to register with the Maryland Cannabis Administration first and then to be certified by a provider registered with the MCA; the MCA patient FAQ says a patient needs an in-person visit, while its provider page describes an in-person or telehealth assessment, so before you book, ask the MCA whether a telehealth visit can lead to your first certification.
| Fee | Amount | Term | Waiver or reduction | Who pays | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Green Relief video evaluation | $199 | Per evaluation | Not listed here | You, to Dr. Green Relief | Dr. Green Relief price list |
| Patient registration with the MCA | $0 | Six years, per the MCA FAQ | None needed | No one | MCA Patient FAQ |
| Plastic patient ID card (optional) | $25 | Per card | Free for minors and for Maryland Medicaid or VA Maryland Health Care System enrollees; no retroactive waiver; a paper or PDF copy is always free | Patient | COMAR 14.17.21.02D(1), MCA adult registration |
| Replacement ID card | $50 | Per replacement | None stated | Patient or caregiver | COMAR 14.17.21.02D(2), MCA FAQ |
| Sales tax on medical purchases | None | Every purchase | Not applicable | No one | ABC 36-302(f) |
On the 2026 federal rescheduling, the MCA’s rescheduling page says “Maryland law remains fully operative and unchanged.”
REGISTER WITH THE MCA FIRST
Create an account at Maryland OneStop, verify your email and submit the adult patient application with your Social Security Number, photo ID, a recent photo and proof that you live in Maryland. The MCA wants every document dated within the past 90 days. Registration costs nothing, and you wait for the approval email.
SEE AN MCA-REGISTERED PROVIDER
The approval email carries a 16-character Patient ID, which the provider needs to issue a written certification. The MCA FAQ says a certification lasts up to one calendar year. Under COMAR 14.17.12.04A(7), a certification that is not used to buy within 120 days of issue becomes null and void, so plan your first purchase.
USE YOUR PATIENT ID AT DISPENSARIES
Check your allotment in OneStop, then buy at any Maryland-licensed dispensary on the MCA Dispensary Locator. Bring a government photo ID plus your patient ID card or ID number, per the adult registration page. A plastic card is optional at $25 under COMAR 14.17.21.02, and a printed paper copy is free.
Qualifying Medical Conditions
Who Can Certify You in Maryland
A Maryland certifying provider is a physician, dentist, podiatrist, nurse practitioner or nurse midwife with an active, unrestricted Maryland license in good standing (ABC 36-101(m)). A physician assistant can also certify with an active collaboration agreement with a patient care team physician who is a certifying provider. The provider also needs a Maryland controlled dangerous substances registration and registration with the MCA. The MCA says a list of certifying providers is on its Medical Cannabis Program website.
Maryland's Medical Cannabis Program Requirements
Who can get a Maryland medical marijuana card?
Maryland residents with a qualifying condition can register. The MCA says “Any individual who lives in the state of Maryland whose provider recommends medical cannabis as a treatment option for a qualifying medical condition is eligible to register.” Adults 18 and over use the adult application, and a patient under 18 registers through a parent or legal guardian who serves as caregiver.
Do I have to register before seeing a Maryland provider?
Yes. The MCA patient FAQ answers “Yes” when asked whether a patient must be registered with the MCA before seeing a certifying provider. Its order of steps runs: register with the state, wait for your Patient ID by email, get certified using that ID, visit a dispensary, then renew the certification every year and the registration every six years.
What does a Maryland provider look for?
The MCA Providers page lists four criteria: a “bona fide provider-patient relationship,” a condition that is severe, other medical treatments that have proven ineffective for it, and symptoms that “must reasonably be expected to be relieved by the use of medical cannabis.” Whether you meet them is the provider’s judgment after the assessment, and no visit can promise the outcome.
What should I bring to my visit and my Maryland application?
- For the OneStop application: a working email account, your full 9-digit Social Security Number, a government photo ID (driver’s license, state ID card, military ID front and back, or U.S. passport) and a recent color photo on a white or off-white background
- Proof that you live in Maryland: if your ID is not a Maryland driver’s license or MVA ID card showing your current address, two documents from the MCA adult registration list, such as a utility bill and a bank statement, not both from the same agency, all dated within the past 90 days
- For the visit: your MCA Patient ID from the approval email, medical records about your condition and a list of the medicines you take now
Bring your records so the provider can review your history; the provider still makes the certification decision.
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