New Yorkers can now get their medical marijuana card online. Medical marijuana has been legal in New York since 2014 under the Compassionate Care Act.
Aspiring patients can get a recommendation, also known as a medical marijuana card, from a doctor either in person or online. Because medical marijuana is still illegal on a federal level, doctors cannot prescribe marijuana. However, patients can purchase marijuana products in legal locations, known as dispensaries.
New York Qualifying Conditions For A Medical Marijuana Card
Before you begin the process, it is first important to understand if you have a qualifying condition for a medical marijuana card. To qualify as a patient, you must have one of the following symptoms:
- Chronic Pain
- Opioid Use Disorder
- Opioid Replacement
- PTSD
- Cancer
- Positive status for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- Amyotrophic
- Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable Spasticity
- Epilepsy
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD)
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s Disease
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
- Huntington’s Disease
Find A Doctor
To get a New York medical marijuana card, you will need to find a medical marijuana doctor to recommend marijuana for your condition. Getting marijuana in a dispensary will require a doctor’s recommendation. You can choose to talk to your primary care provider about a recommendation, but most people opt to meet with a medical marijuana doctor instead, as they specialize in medical marijuana use.
In New York, you can get an online medical marijuana recommendation from a licensed medical professional utilizing a service like PrestoDoctor, or go to an evaluation center in person. The convenience of video chat, same day appointments, and the ability to skip the lines at medical clinics, makes the online option quite popular. Providing medical documents is not required, but it is encouraged.
If you do sign up for a service like PrestoDoctor, you can make an appointment with a licensed medical provider on the same day. There are several online medical cannabis evaluation services available in New York, however many of them are fraudulent, and do not follow Telemedicine guidelines.
Ensure that you speak with a medical professional via video or phone to get your recommendation. Otherwise, you will be violating medical marijuana telemedicine guidelines and laws.
What Should You Prepare For Your Appointment?
New York state requires proof of residency in order to obtain a doctor’s recommendation. For your appointment, you’ll need to have proof of residency in one of the following ways:
- ID number from your New York State Driver’s License or New York State Non-Driver ID Card. This satisfies everything! (photo ID & proof of residency).
Or
- A recent photo upload; with head and shoulders shown on a plain background (jpg format) without hats or sunglasses (for photo identification).
With one of the following:
- Pay Stub (from within the last two months).
- Copy of a current lease or similar document showing current residency.
- Copy of a utility bill (gas, electric, cable) or other document showing your residency issued within the previous two months. The document must contain your name and address.
- Mortgage Statement from one of the last two months.
- NYC Identification Card.
- Social Security Administration Official Correspondence.
- Practitioner/Hospital Bill from last two months (in NY).
Prepare to answer questions regarding your medical history and current condition.
What Should You Expect Post Appointment?
Once you are approved for your New York medical marijuana card, we will send a patient certification form on your behalf to the state. After receiving the certification form, you will need to fill out an online patient application for the medical marijuana program. We will also send detailed instructions on how to do this, post-appointment, via email.
When you are approved by our doctors and registered with the state, you can use your recommendation to purchase medical marijuana products within dispensaries for one year.
How To Renew
You are required to get your recommendation renewed annually and PrestoDoctor will provide a discounted renewal rate for all return patients.
Simply login to your account at PrestoDoctor.com and click “Schedule an Appointment”.
