Are you interested in obtaining an Illinois medical cannabis card?
If you reside in Illinois and require medical cannabis card to manage your health condition, obtaining a medical cannabis card is an essential step towards accessing and using cannabis legally.
While Illinois became a recreational cannabis state in 2020, there are many benefits to becoming a medical marijuana patient. Thankfully, becoming a medical marijuana patient is relatively easy.
If you have a debilitating condition defined in the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, Illinois offers a comprehensive medical cannabis program, enabling you to obtain a medical marijuana card. However, you must first be approved by a licensed medical cannabis doctor in Illinois.
A medical marijuana card will help significantly reduce the taxes on cannabis purchases. In this post, you will find more about Illinois medical cannabis card and how to get a medical cannabis card online.
What is medical cannabis AKA medical marijuana?
Medical cannabis refers to derivatives of Cannabis sativa used to ease numerous patient symptoms and improve their medical condition. Cannabis products are sold or offered to patients through a state-approved licensed dispensary to people that have been evaluated and approved by a medical doctor to purchase cannabis with their medical card. All patients need to have a state-issued medical marijuana card to be able to purchase cannabis for medical use and to experience the tax on cannabis products.
For Illinois residents looking to obtain a medical cannabis card, the good news is that the state’s medical cannabis program recognises a wide variety of medical conditions. Even so, to be eligible for a medical cannabis card, you must be approved for qualifying medical conditions by a doctor certified to recommend cannabis in Illinois. Consult a medical marijuana doctor in Illinois to get started with the process of joining the Illinois Medical Cannabis Patient Program (MCPP).
While Illinois has legalized recreational cannabis, it continues with its medical marijuana program to best serve the needs of patients. You must be 18 years or older to apply for a card. Minors need the authorization of a caregiver, parent, or guardian.
If you have one of the following medical conditions that are debilitating as defined in the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, you are eligible for a cannabis card in the state of Illinois:
- Autism
- Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Anorexia nervosa
- Arnold-Chiari malformation
- Cancer
- Cachexia/wasting syndrome
- Causalgia
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome Type II)
- Dystonia
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Fibrous Dysplasia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Hydrocephalus
- Hydromyelia
- Interstitial cystitis
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Lupus
- Migraines
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Myoclonus
- Nail-patella syndrome
- Neuro-Bechet’s autoimmune disease
- Neurofibromatosis
- Neuropathy
- Osteoarthritis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
- Post-Concussion Syndrome
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
- Residual limb pain
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Seizures (including those characteristics of Epilepsy)
- Severe fibromyalgia
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Spinal cord disease (including but not limited to arachnoiditis)
- Spinal cord injury is damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity.
- Spinocerebellar ataxia
- Superior canal dehiscence syndrome
- Syringomyelia
- Tarlov cysts
- Tourette syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury
- Ulcerative colitis
Here is the process of obtaining a medical cannabis card in Illinois:
1. Book an appointment with a licensed medical marijuana doctor.
To get started with the process of joining Illinois MCCP, schedule an appointment with a certified medical cannabis doctor in Illinois. 1Body1Life cannabis clinic makes it super easy to get a med card. Simply call 773-707-6020 to book an appointment.
2. Consult with our state-certified medical marijuana doctor.
Depending on your preference, you can meet a certified MMJ doctor in person or conduct a Telehealth appointment. In most cases, the doctor will do the consultation immediately so that you can get your provisional card within 24 hours or less.
Your cannabis doctor will evaluate your condition and help you determine whether you are eligible for medical marijuana. During the consultation, make sure to tell your doctor everything about your ailments, symptoms, current medications, and supplement ingestion. You can also ask the doctor any questions regarding medications, consumption, and dosing.
Typical in-office or Telehealth evaluation will take 10-20 minutes. If you have a qualifying condition, the doctor will approve and certify you.
Depending on your preference, you can meet a certified MMJ doctor in person or conduct a Telehealth appointment. In most cases, the doctor will do the consultation immediately so that you can get your provisional card within 24 hours or less.
Your cannabis doctor will evaluate your condition and help you determine whether you are eligible for medical marijuana. During the consultation, make sure to tell your doctor everything about your ailments, symptoms, current medications, and supplement ingestion. You can also ask the doctor any questions regarding medications, consumption, and dosing.
Typical in-office or Telehealth evaluation will take 10-20 minutes. If you have a qualifying condition, the doctor will approve and certify you.
4. Apply for an MMJ card with the Illinois Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Patient Registry Program
Along with the online certification, your cannabis medical doctor will provide you with easy-to-follow instructions. Follow them to complete the application and pay the state fee. Make sure to provide accurate information to avoid delays in processing — you are required to submit a government-issued photo (Drivers License), proof of residence, and proof of age and identity.
The cost of registration will depend on the length of certification you want, typically 1, 2, or 3 years.
Once you and your doctor have successfully completed the application, you should receive a provisional card on your medical cannabis patient account, typically within 24 hours. MCPP is no longer mailing cannabis registration cards to patients and applicants.
Medical marijuana patients aren’t required to register with a specific marijuana dispensary when applying for cards anymore. Patients are free to go to any dispensary of their choosing.
On top of the required qualified medical condition patient must also:
- Be a resident of the State of Illinois at the time of application and remain a resident during participation in the program;
- Have a certification electronically submitted by a Health Care Professional for the use of medical cannabis;
- Not hold a school bus permit or Commercial Driver’s License;
- Not be an active duty law enforcement officer, correctional officer, correctional probation officer, or firefighter.
Exception: Veterans are excluded from being certified by a registered ICTS health care professional when these conditions are applicable:
- Currently receive continuing health care at a federal Veteran’s Administration (VA) facility;
- Provide medical records from the VA facility about treatment for their qualifying debilitating medical condition for the last year.
5. Download your card.
Within 90 days of application, the State will process your permanent card, and MCPP will make it available on your medical cannabis patient account. From our experience, patients receive their permanent card within two weeks of applying. Download and print the provisional card in the meantime to be able to purchase your cannabis medicine.
6. Enter any Illinois state-approved medical cannabis dispensary.
Once you have your card, you should be able to purchase medical marijuana at a dispensary and enjoy all benefits of being a medical marijuana patient. As a medical cannabis patient, you can purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis products as opposed to one ounce for recreational customers.
What are the benefits of having an MMJ card in Illinois?
There are numerous benefits to becoming a medical cannabis patient. If you have a qualifying medical condition and want to use cannabis as medicine under Illinois state law here are the reasons you should consider getting a Medical Cannabis Card:
- SAVE on taxes. Savings can be up to 60% with an Illinois cannabis medical card vs. recreational marijuana purchase. Avoid extremely high recreational marijuana taxes. For example:
- Pay only 1% sales tax instead of the 10% additional excise tax on recreational marijuana that has less than 35% THC concentration.
- Cannabis purchases with THC levels above 35% pay an ADDITIONAL 25% in taxes.
- Recreational marijuana 25% state retailer’s occupation tax applies to sales along with any occupation taxes the county or municipality may impose.
- Municipal cannabis retailer occupation tax can be as high as 3% and the county cannabis retailers’ occupation tax cannot exceed 75% in an unincorporated area of the county and 3% in a municipality located within the county;
- Avoid paying a 20% tax on products infused with cannabis, such as edible products.
- Grow your own cannabis legally in Illinois with a Medical Cannabis Card.
- Illinois State law allows you to grow up to five plants. This is a major advantage that recreation users do not receive.
- Avoid long lines for recreational users with your medical card.
- More products to choose from with higher concentrations of THC.
- Preferred parking at the dispensaries.
- Purchase larger quantities of cannabis.
- Purchase medical-grade cannabis.
- Get guidance from a medical doctor.
