If you want to legally use medical cannabis in any state that allows it, you need to possess what is known as a medical cannabis card. Some states have reciprocal agreements with others, meaning that they recognize one another’s cards. Other states require you to obtain a card from them if you are visiting from out-of-state.
Regardless of any reciprocity, the medical cannabis card is a necessity because of ongoing conflicts between federal and state law. Unfortunately, there remains quite a bit of confusion about the card and how it works over 20 years after California first began the medical cannabis push.
What a Medical Cannabis Card Is
A medical cannabis card is a document. Most states issue them electronically, though patients are free to print them on paper. It is a document declaring that the named cardholder has the legal right to purchase and/or use medical cannabis in the state of issue.
Think of the medical cannabis card as being similar to a driver’s license. If you have a driver’s license, you have a document that says you are legally allowed to drive. You cannot drive without a license, or you will be guilty of breaking the law. The same goes for medical cannabis.
Purchasing Cannabis for Someone Else
Many states with medical cannabis programs provide cards for guardians and caregivers. Salt Lake City’s BeehiveMed says Utah is one such state. They explain that Utah’s Guardian card is intended for the parents or guardians of minors approved to use medical cannabis. A Caregiver card is for an adult providing care to an approved medical cannabis patient.
Neither of these cards allows the holder to actually use medical cannabis. They only give holders the right to purchase it on behalf of another properly carded patient. That is an important distinction.
What a Medical Cannabis Card Is Not
Now that you know what a medical cannabis card is, let us talk about what it is not. First and foremost, it is not a license to use cannabis recreationally. The term ‘medical’ is in the name for a reason. Preventing abuse is largely addressed in the states by requiring patients to get a medical evaluation before a card is issued.
A medical cannabis card is also not:
1. A Prescription
A medical cannabis card is not a prescription. A medical provider who agrees a patient should be treated with cannabis doesn’t pull out a prescription pad and jot down a set of instructions to take to the pharmacy. He simply enters information about the medical exam into the state’s electronic verification system; this information counts as an official recommendation.
2. Instructions for Use
Although some states require that either doctors or pharmacists give patients explicit instructions about use, a medical cannabis card is not the document through which those instructions are typically given. The instructions are separate.
3. A License to Sell
Possessing a medical cannabis card does not give a patient the legal right to sell cannabis to other people. The medicines a patient purchases are intended for that patient only. Selling or giving medicines to others is against the law. It is no different from any other prescription medication.
Different Forms Come to the Same Thing
Medical cannabis cards take different forms in the many states that issue them. But whether it’s a paper document, a digital license sent via email, or something else entirely, all medical cannabis cards accomplish the same thing. They all demonstrate that a patient has been given state permission to purchase and/or consume medical cannabis. And now you know.
