How to Obtain an MMJ Card in California

The state of California's medical marijuana program allows patients who are suffering from various medical conditions to use cannabis for medicinal purposes. Individual counties within California --rather than the state government itself -- oversee their residents' participation in the program. Although applications to participate in the program must be approved by the state Department of Public Health, the individual counties receive the applications and then forward them to the state to be reviewed and processed.

Instructions

1

Get a diagnosis from a licensed physician stating that you have an ailment that qualifies you to participate in California's medical marijuana program. Patients are eligible for medical marijuana if they've been diagnosed with one of several conditions including AIDS, arthritis, cancer, migraines, muscle spasms and seizures. After the diagnosis, ensure that the physician fills out and gives you a copy of California Health & Human Services form COPH 9044, which verifies that you've been diagnosed with the condition.

2

Find and contact the medical marijuana program in the county you live in. An alphabetical listing of all programs, including their full street addresses, phone numbers and business hours, is located on the California Department of Public Health website. A link to the list is included in the Resources section on this page. Once you locate the proper county agency, call or write to find out what the local guidelines are and to request a medical marijuana application form.

3

Read and fill out the California Health and Human Service Agency's medical marijuana program application form after receiving it from your county's medical marijuana program. The four-page form has to be filled out fully and truthfully by the patient or an authorized caregiver. Failing to furnish all the requested information can result in the application being rejected.

4

Return the completed application, fees and copies of any supporting documentation to your county's medical marijuana program in person or by mail and wait to hear back. As of April 2011, the application fee is $66, or $33 for patients already participating in California's Medi-Cal health program. However, counties are also allowed to add administrative costs to the application fee; the county costs vary from location to location, so if you're mailing the application, check with the county to find out what the total fee will be.