The Medical Marijuana Card: What You Should Know about Medical Marijuana Use in Arizona

Marijuana is still illegal to use in Arizona and if you are caught with any in your possession, you may be charged with a Class Six felony charge, or higher, depending on how much you have with you. The sentence can carry from six months to a maximum of two years. At the Class Six level, you will also pay a fine of $1,000 or more.

The Medical Marijuana Card (MMC)

As the whole country fights opioid addiction, potentially dangerous pain-killing solutions are harder to obtain from Arizona’s doctors, particularly when overseeing patients with work-related injuries and the regulations under which they must be treated. Getting an Arizona medical marijuana card or permit becomes a life-saver for those living with ongoing pain that moderate opioid doses cannot fix.

If you live 25 miles beyond the closest state-licensed dispensary, state on your application that you must grow your own plants. You are allowed 12 plants in a secured enclosed area.

Proposition 203 was passed in 2010, after numerous earlier failed attempts to have some type of system in place that also aligned with federal laws. Additionally, you can get the MMC only if you have one of the stated 14 conditions. Some of these conditions include:

Over time, more conditions will be added, when medical research shows that patients with other illnesses or injuries, can benefit from the use of marijuana in its different forms to ease the pain. Always check with your doctor to find out any new conditions have been added.

How Can You Get the MMC?

You must first be under a doctor’s care, who knows your medical history and is willing to certify you for the MMC. If your doctor will not, or cannot provide that certification, he or she may know a doctor willing to make the formal recommendation for the MMC application.

Application Process

You must make the application through the correct online portal here at the Arizona Department of Health Services Division of Public Health Licensing. Once you apply and are accepted for the card, you return to this same portal to renew your card 90 days or less before your card expires, or to replace it if it is lost or damaged.

You should already have had your doctor re-certify you before you renew the application. You can check for your application status on the same portal as well. Once you are approved, it will take about 10 days for the card to be issued.

Fees You Can Expect to Pay

Before you see your regular doctor, call first to find out how much it would cost to get an MMC certification. That way you will not be unpleasantly surprised by any fees at the time of paying your bill. If it is too high for your budget, check around with other providers to find out pricing and make sure your health history is forwarded on to them, or whether you can take copies over to them.

When you apply online, the fee charged for your MMC application and card is $150, unless you participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You only pay $75 during the application.

Know your state laws on where you can use your marijuana products. You cannot smoke in a vehicle, particularly if driving. Marijuana cannot be used in public places nor on college campuses.

If you need help with your workers’ compensation claim, call us at once for a consultation.602-346-9009.