Medical card
Who can buy medical marijuana?
Only medical patients can buy medical marijuana in Maine. Individuals who have received a patient certification from a medical professional may legally access medical marijuana from a registered caregiver or dispensary. Cards are available to Maine residents only.
Patients visiting Maine from another state may be able to purchase medical marijuana from a registered caregiver or dispensary if they have valid patient identification credentials (like a registry or patient identification card) and their state of residence allows them to use their state-issued credential to purchase medical marijuana in Maine.
How much does it cost to obtain a patient certification?
The cost for a patient certification depends on the medical provider conducting the examination and issuing the certification.
The Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Program provides patient cards to registered providers. In order to ensure patient access to the program, the State of Maine has never charged medical providers for the cards they provide to qualifying patients.
If an individual is interested in obtaining a medical card, they may wish to have those discussions with their primary care physician or other trusted medical provider. They may find in doing so that they are able to obtain a card at little to no cost to them.
Are temporary/digital/electronic patient certifications valid?
No. Temporary and/or digital medical marijuana patient cards or certifications are not an acceptable form of identification for the purposes of obtaining marijuana for medical use in Maine.
To be a qualifying patient in Maine's program, among other things, an individual must possess "a valid written certification..." A written certification is only valid if it is "a document on tamper- resistant paper signed by a medical provider...". These requirements are written into law and aim to preserve the integrity of the medical marijuana program by reducing the possibility of altering and tampering with valid medical certifications.
The Office of Marijuana Policy provides medical providers with tamper-resistant patient certification paper at no cost.
Overview
Pursuant to PL 2019, ch. 209 [LD 538], An Act to Ensure Access to Medical Cannabis for Visiting Qualifying Patients, as of June 6, 2019, medical marijuana patients visiting Maine from other jurisdictions are no longer required to obtain certification from a Maine-based medical provider or to designate a registered caregiver or dispensary in order to obtain medical marijuana.
Now, medical marijuana patients visiting Maine need only produce their state-issued registry identification card, certificate, or other state-issued documentation of the visiting patient’s status as a medical marijuana patient in their state of residence, in order to purchase medical marijuana while visiting Maine. The Maine Office of Marijuana Policy has reached out to states that authorize their residents to utilize marijuana for medicinal purposes to determine whether each state authorizes their resident patients to utilize their state-issued authorization to procure medical marijuana in other jurisdictions such as Maine. A visiting patient may only use their state-issued patient credential if their home state authorizes such use. From the list below patients visiting Maine can determine whether their state-issued patient credentials will allow them to purchase marijuana while visiting Maine. This list is subject to revision.
Product Limitations
Please note that the marijuana and marijuana products available to patients in Maine may differ substantially from those products available and authorized for use in the visiting patient’s state of residence. These differences include the form, concentration,
and CBD minimum and THC maximum content allowable in marijuana and marijuana products under Maine’s Medical Use of Marijuana Program: it is the sole responsibility of the visiting patient to confer with their prescriber, caregiver, or dispensary staff to determine the appropriate marijuana or marijuana product and appropriate dosage to address the visiting patient’s needs, and to comply with any limitations imposed by their state of residence on the form, type, quantity, or delivery method for medical marijuana they are authorized to purchase or possess. A qualifying visiting patient may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of a combination of medical marijuana and marijuana products every 15 days while visiting the state.
Approved States
The following states have provided the Office of Marijuana Policy with sufficient information to allow qualified medical marijuana patients visiting Maine to use their state-issued medical marijuana patient credential to obtain medical marijuana while visiting Maine:
Approved
states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut,
Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Washington, DC.
Patients who are residents of these states may purchase from a registered dispensary or caregiver medical marijuana and/or marijuana products while visiting Maine, subject to the limitations imposed by the laws and rules of the State of Maine the laws and rules of their state of residence. This list is subject to change.
Disclaimer
Nothing contained in this summary shall be construed as legal advice nor may any visiting patient purchase marijuana for medical use if prohibited by their state of residence. Maine registered caregivers and dispensaries may refuse to provide medical marijuana to any visiting patient whose credentials are suspect or otherwise insufficient to determine whether the visitor is a qualified patient in their jurisdiction of residence.
