Short answer: Minnesota does not issue a medical marijuana card. The state runs a patient registry instead. The Office of Cannabis Management’s Division FAQ says “We do not issue medical cannabis cards,” and enrolled patients can print a registry verification document from their account. A Minnesota-licensed physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse certifies your condition, you enroll online, and enrollment lasts three years. The state’s annual patient enrollment fee was eliminated effective July 1, 2023, so the state charges no yearly fee for enrollment; any practitioner visit is priced by that practitioner.
If you are comparing how each state runs its card program, our Medical Cannabis Card Guide sets out the differences. HealthDataConsortium.org is a publisher, not a clinic and not a government office, so use the state pages linked below for enrollment decisions.
How do I get a medical marijuana card in Minnesota?
Minnesota’s how-to become a patient page lays out three stages: certification, enrollment and purchase.
Step 1: Get your condition certified
Before you can participate, you must get your medical condition certified online in the Medical Cannabis Registry by a Minnesota-licensed physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse. The how-to page tells you to give your email address to your practitioner and to ask for an appointment summary and a list of your current medications. Take that to your initial visit at your medical cannabis dispensary. After certification you receive a confirmation of your condition and your unique online enrollment link.
Your certification expires if your enrollment application is not submitted and approved within 90 days. The how-to page advises completing the application within the first 60 days, and says the application may take up to 30 days to process after you submit a completed application. Minn. Stat. 342.52 subd. 2 also requires a practitioner certification dated within 90 days before you submit the application (Minn. Stat. 342.52).
Enroll online
Before you start, gather your Minnesota driver’s license or identification card and a mobile device to photograph it. If you add a parent, legal guardian or spouse, you also need their ID and the birth or marriage certificate. Adding one of them is optional unless the patient is a minor. Each patient, caregiver, parent, guardian, spouse and provider needs a different email address for a Registry account, according to the Division FAQ.
Step 3: Buy your medical cannabis
Once enrollment is approved, you can access your Registry account and pick up medical cannabis at your nearest dispensary. The approval email includes links for your patient self-evaluation (PSE) and for contacting a dispensary. Before you go:
- Complete the PSE online in your Registry account. A registered caregiver can complete it for you.
- Complete a new PSE before your first purchase. After that, the how-to page says PSEs are required quarterly in your first year as a patient.
- Schedule your appointment. Before your first purchase, the Division FAQ says a consultation with a Minnesota-licensed pharmacist or a certified medical cannabis consultant is required.
Do I need a medical marijuana card in Minnesota?
You do not need a card, because the state does not issue one. You do need to be enrolled to buy medical cannabis under the program. The Division FAQ says that to be protected by Minnesota’s medical cannabis laws, you must purchase from a Minnesota-licensed medical dispensary. Your proof of enrollment is the registry verification document you print from your Registry account.
What conditions qualify for a medical marijuana card in Minnesota?
Minn. Stat. 342.01 subd. 63 defines a qualifying medical condition in two ways: a condition for which your practitioner has recommended, approved or authorized cannabis to treat it, or one of the diagnoses below.
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Autism spectrum disorder that meets the DSM-5 requirements
- Cancer, if the cancer or its treatment produces severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting
- Chronic motor or vocal tic disorder
- Chronic pain
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Intractable pain, as defined in Minn. Stat. 152.125
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis
- Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Sickle cell disease
- Terminal illness with a probable life expectancy under one year, if the illness or its treatment produces severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting
A qualifying condition gives you legal access to the program. It is not proof that cannabis will help you. The full definition is in Minn. Stat. 342.01.
Can you get a medical card for anxiety?
Anxiety by itself is not one of the named diagnoses in Minn. Stat. 342.01 subd. 63. The list does include post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the first clause covers any condition your practitioner recommends cannabis for. Ask your practitioner whether your condition fits.
What should I tell my doctor to get a medical card?
Under Minn. Stat. 342.55, before enrollment your practitioner decides, in their medical judgment, whether you have a qualifying condition. They must also give you information about the possible risks, benefits and side effects of the proposed treatment. Share your symptoms and the condition you believe applies, give your practitioner your email address, and ask for the appointment summary and medication list described on the how-to page.
Why would a medical card be denied?
Minn. Stat. 342.52 subd. 4(b) limits denials to five grounds. The Office may deny enrollment only if the patient:
- does not submit a practitioner certification or, for a veteran, the documentation the Office requests
- has not signed the required disclosure
- does not provide the information the Office requires
- provided false information on the application
- is enrolled in a federally approved clinical trial for a qualifying medical condition with medical cannabis at the time of application
If the Office denies enrollment, it must give written notice of all reasons. The denial is a final decision that is subject to judicial review under chapter 14.
Can veterans enroll without a doctor’s certification?
Yes. The how-to page says a veteran can self-certify using a separate veteran certification form in place of a health care practitioner certification. Minn. Stat. 342.52 subd. 3 says the Office may request a copy of the veteran identification card and an attestation that the veteran has been diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition. Veterans who receive care from the VA are exempt from the practitioner duties in Minn. Stat. 342.55 but must meet the certification requirements in 342.52 subd. 3.
How much does a Minnesota medical marijuana card cost?
There is no card, so there is no card fee. The costs come in separate pieces, and the state publishes only some of them.
| Cost item | What the official page states | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| State enrollment fee | The annual patient enrollment fee was eliminated effective July 1, 2023 | Division of Medical Cannabis key dates |
| Practitioner certification visit | No visit price is stated on the official pages; confirm it with the practitioner. | How-to page |
| Enrollment term | Valid for three years | Minn. Stat. 342.52 subd. 7 |
| Renewal | Recertify and re-enroll every three years | Re-enrollment page |
| Gross receipts tax on medical purchases | Medical items bought by or for an enrolled patient are exempt from the cannabis gross receipts tax | Minn. Stat. 295.81 subd. 4(b) |
Ask your practitioner for the visit price before you book. The Department of Revenue’s cannabis tax page says taxable cannabis products carry a 15% gross receipts tax plus the 6.875% state general rate sales tax. The statute’s exemption named above covers the gross receipts tax. Ask the Department of Revenue whether the sales tax applies to your purchase.
Is a medical marijuana card worth it?
That call is yours. Here is what enrollment gives you under the state’s rules:
- Priority service at medical cannabis retail businesses for enrolled patients and caregivers, under Minn. Stat. 342.51.
- The gross receipts tax exemption on medical items.
- Patient protections, covered below.
The cost you can identify is the practitioner visit, including recertification every three years; no price for it is stated on the official pages, and the quarterly PSEs in your first year are a requirement, not a stated fee. If you think you may qualify, the practical first step is to ask a Minnesota-licensed practitioner whether your condition fits and what the visit costs.
How is medical marijuana different from recreational marijuana?
This guide covers the medical program run by the Office of Cannabis Management’s Division of Medical Cannabis. For enrolled patients, the state’s rules add these differences:
- Enrollment in the registry and a registry verification document.
- A pharmacist or certified consultant consultation before your first purchase, according to the Division FAQ.
- A gross receipts tax exemption for medical items, under Minn. Stat. 295.81 subd. 4(b).
- Priority service at endorsed businesses, under Minn. Stat. 342.51.
- A business may not sell vaporized medical products to an enrolled patient under 21, under Minn. Stat. 342.51 subd. 2(c).
For the adult-use rules, ask the Office of Cannabis Management, starting from the Division FAQ linked above.
When was marijuana legalized in Minnesota?
The Division of Medical Cannabis key dates page says medical cannabis legislation was signed into law on May 29, 2014. It says medical cannabis products became available to patients on the state’s Medical Cannabis Registry on July 1, 2015. That page covers the medical program only. For the date adult-use sales became legal, check the Office of Cannabis Management.
Can I use an out-of-state medical card in Minnesota?
Minnesota residents enroll here. The visitor rule covers people who are not Minnesota residents. Under Minn. Stat. 342.51 subd. 2a, a business with a medical cannabis retail endorsement may distribute to a visiting patient who shows a valid registration verification card, or equivalent, from another state, plus a valid photo ID. The business must apply a patient-specific label and report each visiting transaction to the Office weekly. Before you visit, ask the dispensary or the Office of Cannabis Management what it needs from you.
Can I travel with medical marijuana to another state?
No. The Division FAQ says federal law prohibits crossing state lines with cannabis, even to a state where cannabis is legal. It also says Minnesota’s patient protections do not extend beyond the state’s borders, and advises enrolled patients not to take medical cannabis to another state or country.
How long does enrollment last, and how do I renew?
Enrollment lasts three years under Minn. Stat. 342.52 subd. 7. The re-enrollment page says reminder emails arrive 60 days and 30 days before enrollment expires, and you can check the expiration date in your Registry account. To renew, have a practitioner recertify your condition (the re-enrollment page says these visits can be done by telemedicine), then complete the reenrollment application through the certification link. Review can take up to 30 days. The FAQ says you can re-enroll as early as 90 days before your enrollment expires. If you do not finish within 90 days, you start over with recertification. Veterans submit the veteran certification form instead. If your account expires, you cannot pick up medical cannabis.
Can a caregiver pick up medical cannabis for me?
Yes. A registered designated caregiver must be at least 18 years old and may help you administer medical cannabis or pick it up. Under Minn. Stat. 342.52 subd. 9, a caregiver may serve no more than six registered patients at one time. Your patient adds you to their Registry profile, which triggers an email with your registration form. A spouse, parent or legal guardian can be added at enrollment without a separate registration form. The caregiver page lists the documents: proof of marriage for a spouse, a birth or adoption certificate for a parent, and guardianship papers for a legal guardian, plus a government-issued photo ID. The caregiver page states that as of July 1, 2024, caregivers no longer have to complete a background check.
Where can I buy medical cannabis in Minnesota?
Buy from a Minnesota-licensed medical dispensary. The Office’s dispensary locations page lists them with addresses and phone numbers, so check it for current details. The key dates page says patients can use telemedicine to consult a dispensary pharmacist, and can use curbside pickup.
What patient protections does Minnesota law give?
Under Minn. Stat. 342.57, there is a presumption that an enrolled patient is engaged in authorized use or possession of medical cannabis. Possessing a registry verification or an enrollment application does not by itself constitute probable cause or reasonable suspicion. A patient’s use of medical cannabis is treated as the equivalent of an authorized medication for medical care, including organ transplants. Unless failing to do so would violate federal or state law or regulations, or cause an employer to lose a monetary or licensing-related benefit under federal law or regulations, an employer may not discriminate based on enrollment or a positive cannabis drug test, unless the patient used, possessed, sold, transported, or was impaired by medical cannabis on work premises, during working hours, or while operating an employer’s machinery, vehicle, or equipment. Employers, schools and landlords must give written notice at least 14 days before taking an action the statute prohibits. For how drug tests and firing rules work at work, read our medical marijuana card at work guide.
Who should skip medical marijuana, and what are the side effects?
MedlinePlus, a National Library of Medicine site, lists the following possible effects of marijuana use. The same page says the FDA has not approved marijuana for treating any health conditions.
| Type | Possible effects |
|---|---|
| Physical | Fast or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, slow reaction times, drowsiness |
| Mental or emotional | A strong feeling of happiness or well-being, short-term memory loss, trouble concentrating, confusion, decreased or increased anxiety |
| Other concerns | Dangerous driving or other risky behavior, lung irritation, dependence or addiction |
MedlinePlus lists people with heart disease (some studies have linked marijuana use with increased risk of heart attack and stroke), pregnant women, and people with a history of psychosis as those who should not use medical marijuana. It also says providers are not allowed to prescribe medical marijuana to people younger than 18. The state’s how-to page does not set a minimum age to enroll. Talk with your practitioner before you enroll about whether these points apply to you. The full MedlinePlus page is at MedlinePlus medical marijuana.
Be wary of sites that charge for a “card”
Be cautious with any site that charges a fee for a Minnesota card or offers copies of state forms. The Division FAQ says the state does not issue medical cannabis cards. Proof of enrollment is the verification document you print from your own Registry account. Enrollment runs through the Medical Cannabis Registry, and the annual state enrollment fee was eliminated effective July 1, 2023. The veteran certification form is linked from the state’s how-to pages.
Before you enroll: a short checklist
- Ask your practitioner for the visit price before you book. The state does not set it.
- Confirm with your practitioner that your condition fits the list or the recommendation clause.
- Give your practitioner an email address that no other account uses, since each Registry account needs its own.
- Plan to finish enrollment within 60 days of certification, well inside the 90-day limit.
- If you are a veteran, check the documents the veteran certification form requires.
- If you are visiting, ask the dispensary what a visiting patient needs before you go.
By HealthDataConsortium.org Research Team
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.
