Get Your California Medical Marijuana Card Online
Meet a California-licensed physician online to see if you qualify for a medical cannabis recommendation. Available to eligible patients across California.
New evaluations from $49.99 · Renewals from $39.99
Pay only if approved
Pay only if approved
Medically reviewed by Cheryl Bugailiskis, MD
Last medically reviewed: October 22, 2026
Start your California evaluation
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Pay only if approved
How Much Does a California Medical Marijuana Evaluation Cost?
New-patient evaluations start at $49.99, and renewals start at $39.99. Your selected physician’s price is shown before booking.
You are charged only if the physician approves your recommendation. If the physician does not approve a recommendation, you will not be charged.
New Patients
From $49.99
- Online visit with a California-licensed physician
- Written recommendation emailed after your appointment
- No charge if you're not approved
Renewal Patients
From $39.99
- Renewal visit with a California-licensed physician
- Updated recommendation emailed after your appointment
- No charge if you're not approved
How to Get a California Medical Marijuana Recommendation Online
PrestoDoctor offers online evaluations with California-licensed physicians. California permits telehealth when the physician meets the same standard of care that applies to in-person care. A recommendation can only be made after an appropriate medical evaluation and a determination that medical cannabis is medically appropriate.
Book Your Online Evaluation
Select California, choose an available appointment and complete your booking. Same-day appointments are often available.
Meet With the Physician
The physician reviews your health information and assesses whether medical cannabis is appropriate for you. Booking an appointment does not guarantee approval.
Receive Your Recommendation
If approved, your written recommendation is emailed to you after your appointment. Your paper recommendation and plastic PrestoDoctor Medical ID Card ship from our office.
After your California evaluation
If approved: your written recommendation is emailed after your appointment. Your paper recommendation and PrestoDoctor Medical ID Card ship separately from the office. The private ID is not the state MMIC.
Before visiting a dispensary: check its identification and recommendation-verification requirements. Use a licensed California dispensary.
Need help with your documents? Email [email protected] or call (650) 542-0420. Include your account email and explain the issue. See our patient FAQs for more help.
Who Can Use PrestoDoctor's California Service?
PrestoDoctor’s California evaluation service is available to patients age 18 or older.
California’s medical cannabis program has a separate process for eligible minors, which may involve a parent, legal guardian or other legal representative. PrestoDoctor does not evaluate patients under 18; families should contact their county program and a qualified healthcare professional for guidance.
What Do You Need for a California Medical Marijuana Evaluation?
You don’t need medical records or a state MMIC to book. Be ready to discuss your health history and current symptoms, and complete the identification steps shown during sign-up.
The documents required for an official state-issued MMIC are separate from your PrestoDoctor appointment (see below).
Why Get a Medical Marijuana Recommendation in California if Adult-Use Cannabis Is Legal?
Adults 21 and older can buy adult-use cannabis in California. A physician recommendation offers a separate medicinal pathway for eligible patients.
- Medicinal access from age 18Eligible adults ages 18–20 may access medicinal cannabis with a current physician recommendation.
- Different medicinal allowancesMedicinal purchase rules differ from adult-use limits. Separate rules apply to possession and growing.
- Certain medical-use productsSome products labeled for medical use only have different package limits, subject to product and retailer requirements.
- Potential MMIC tax savingsQualifying sales/use tax savings require a separate state-issued MMIC and government ID. A recommendation alone does not qualify; cannabis excise tax still applies.
Which medical-use products can have different limits?
California rules allow qualifying orally dissolving products up to 500 mg THC per package, and qualifying concentrates or topical products up to 2,000 mg per package. Product, serving-size, labeling and medicinal-sale requirements apply; availability varies by licensed retailer.
See the DCC regulations, including §17304. These allowances are not a recommendation to use a particular product or dose.
Meet your medical reviewer
Cheryl Bugailiskis, MD sees patients with PrestoDoctor and reviews this California guide. She has more than 10 years of experience in the medical cannabis field and a background in pediatrics.
Patient Reviews of PrestoDoctor
Frequently Asked Questions About California Medical Marijuana Recommendations
More questions patients ask about California medical marijuana
Adults age 21 and older may generally grow up to six cannabis plants per private residence, subject to state and local requirements. Eligible medicinal patients may be able to cultivate more plants when their physician recommends an amount consistent with their medical needs. Cities and counties may have additional cultivation rules, so check the rules that apply where you live before growing.
A qualified primary caregiver may purchase medicinal cannabis on behalf of the patient, subject to applicable requirements and daily retail limits. California defines a primary caregiver by their consistent responsibility for the patient's housing, health or safety. Caregivers who need an official state-issued MMIC should follow the requirements of the patient's county program.
California does not recognize another state's card as a California-issued MMIC. Adults age 21 or older may purchase adult-use cannabis from licensed California retailers. Do not assume an out-of-state card qualifies you for California's MMIC-based tax exemption.
What Medical Conditions Qualify for Medical Marijuana in California?
California law (Health and Safety Code § 11362.7) lists these serious medical conditions. The list is not exhaustive: it also covers any other chronic or persistent medical symptom that substantially limits one or more major life activities or, if not alleviated, may cause serious harm to the patient’s safety or physical or mental health.
These conditions are not an automatic approval checklist. A physician evaluates your individual circumstances and decides whether medical cannabis is appropriate.
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
- Anorexia
- Arthritis
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Glaucoma
- Migraine
- Persistent muscle spasms, including those associated with multiple sclerosis
- Seizures, including those associated with epilepsy
- Severe nausea
- Other chronic or persistent symptoms that meet the legal criteria
Your Physician Recommendation and the Optional California MMIC
A physician recommendation and California’s Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) serve different purposes. Your PrestoDoctor appointment is a physician evaluation; the optional state MMIC requires a separate county application.
Physician recommendation
- Issued by
- A California-licensed physician after an appropriate evaluation, if approved.
- How you get it
- Complete your online evaluation. If approved, your written recommendation is emailed after the appointment.
- What it is for
- Medical documentation for medicinal cannabis access under California’s applicable rules.
- MMIC sales/use tax exemption?
- No. A recommendation alone does not qualify.
Optional California MMIC
- Issued by
- Your county program through California’s state MMIC program.
- How you get it
- Apply separately through the county where you live. County fees and requirements are separate from the physician evaluation.
- What it is for
- State-issued medical cannabis identification and the qualifying sales/use tax exemption.
- MMIC sales/use tax exemption?
- Yes, for qualifying purchases with the required government ID. Cannabis excise tax still applies.
PrestoDoctor Medical ID Card: This PrestoDoctor-issued convenience ID is separate from the state MMIC. It does not replace your written recommendation or qualify you for the MMIC-based tax exemption.
Optional County MMIC Application Details
How do I apply through my county?
Apply through the MMIC program in the county where you live. You generally need an application, your medical documentation, proof of identity and county residence. Check your county’s current instructions for any additional requirements.
What are the county fees and reductions?
Fees vary by county and cannot exceed $100 per application or renewal. Medi-Cal beneficiaries receive a 50% reduction, with a maximum fee of $50. Fees are waived for eligible participants in the County Medical Services Program.
This county charge is separate from your PrestoDoctor evaluation fee.
How long does processing take, and when does the MMIC expire?
For a complete application, the county has up to 30 days to verify it and five more days to make the card available. Missing information can delay processing. An MMIC may be valid for up to one year; a caregiver’s card can expire sooner with the patient’s card.
Renewal requires a new county application. See the CDPH MMIC FAQs for current rules.
When Does the Medical Cannabis Tax Exemption Apply?
California provides a sales and use tax exemption for qualifying medicinal cannabis purchases when the patient or primary caregiver presents both a valid state-issued Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) and valid government-issued identification at the time of purchase.
The exemption applies to sales and use tax only; California’s cannabis excise tax still applies.
As of October 2026, California’s cannabis excise tax rate is 15% of the gross receipts from retail cannabis sales.
A PrestoDoctor Medical ID Card or physician recommendation alone does not qualify you for the MMIC-based tax exemption.
See the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration’s cannabis retailer guidance for current requirements.
California Cannabis Purchase Limits
Daily retail purchase limits are separate from possession and cultivation rules. California also sets different allowances for adult-use customers and medicinal patients.
Adult-use daily purchases
For a customer age 21 or older, licensed retailers generally may sell up to:
- 28.5 grams of non-concentrated cannabis
- 8 grams of cannabis concentrate
- 6 immature cannabis plants
Medicinal daily purchases
For a medicinal patient or a primary caregiver buying on their behalf, the general limits are:
- 8 ounces of dried mature flower, or the statutory plant conversion
- 12 immature cannabis plants
A valid physician recommendation specifying a different amount consistent with the patient’s medical needs may support that medicinal purchase amount. Adult-use and medicinal allowances cannot be combined to exceed the applicable limits.
Source: DCC regulations, §15409.
California Possession and Cultivation Rules
Possessing medicinal cannabis
Health and Safety Code §11362.77 describes general quantities of eight ounces of dried cannabis per qualified patient, with provisions for amounts consistent with documented medical needs.
Growing cannabis
The same section describes six mature or 12 immature plants per qualified patient, with medical-needs provisions. Adult-use cultivation generally permits six plants per private residence for adults 21 and older.
These are not unlimited possession or cultivation rights. Local cultivation rules and the patient’s circumstances matter. Cities and counties may have additional requirements; check them before growing.
See Health and Safety Code §11362.77 and CDPH’s cannabis fact sheets.
How Do You Renew a California Medical Marijuana Recommendation?
A physician recommendation and a state-issued MMIC have separate renewal processes.
Check the expiration date on your written recommendation and book a renewal evaluation, starting at $39.99, before it expires. The physician will determine whether a new recommendation is medically appropriate.
If you have a state-issued MMIC, follow the renewal instructions from the county program that issued it. MMIC renewal requirements, fees and timing are separate from PrestoDoctor’s evaluation service.
Find a California Medical Marijuana Dispensary
Use PrestoDoctor’s California dispensary directory to find licensed dispensaries near you. Check licensing and current hours before visiting.