It is not uncommon that patients that are suffering from chronic and debilitating illnesses in Maryland need a medical marijuana caregiver. Maryland medical marijuana patients can have a designated caregiver who is certified by the state that can help them with medical cannabis purchases and help them administer medical marijuana products.
The first part in becoming either a medical marijuana patient or a medical cannabis caregiver is to get registered with the state for a medical ID number. At Green Relief Health we can help you with this process and your certification.
What Is A Maryland Medical Marijuana Caregiver?
A caregiver is a person that is registered with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) and that has a valid MMCC caregiver ID. This ID allows them to purchase Maryland medical marijuana from any dispensary in the state on behalf of his or her designated patient. As a caregiver you are also allowed to legally transport medical marijuana for your designated patient anywhere in the state of Maryland.
According to Maryland law, a caregiver must be at least 21 years of age and are required to register with and purchase an ID card from the MMCC. To purchase cannabis for a designated patient a caregiver must present their caregiver ID at a dispensary at the time of purchase.
Requirements For Caregivers For Adult Patients
In Maryland you are eligible to be a caregiver for adult patients as well as pediatric patients. There are similar rules regarding both, but there are some differences as well. Let’s first look at what the requirements are for being a caregiver for an adult patient.
To be eligible for designation as a caregiver for a registered adult patient, you must:
- Be at least 21 years of age at the time of registration
- Register with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission
- Receive approval from the Commission
- Purchase an ID card from the Commission for a fee of $50
It is important to note that you are eligible to be a caregiver for more than one person. In fact, the law says you can be a caregiver for up to 5 people. We often have individuals worried about this if they are taking care of more than one parent or a parent and an in-law. So, it is possible to be a caregiver for more than one patient.
Requirements for Caregivers For Minor Patients
While there are similar rules for caregivers for minor patients to adult patients, there are some very important differences. Let’s look at the requirements first before we can discuss differences.
To be eligible for designation as a caregiver for a registered minor patient, you must:
- Be a parent or legal guardian of the minor patient
- Be at least 21 years of age at the time of registration
- Register with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission
- Receive approval from the Commission
- Purchase an ID card from the Commission for a fee of $50.
In the case of a minor patient (under 18 years of age), only the minor patient’s parents or legal guardians, themselves aged 21 years or older, are eligible to serve as caregivers. Minor patients’ caregivers will also be required to submit valid, US government-issued photo IDs and clear, recent color photographs as part of the registration process.
Minor patients are always required to have at least one caregiver and may have a maximum of two caregivers at any time. Additionally, caregivers serving minor patients must register with the Commission prior to registering the minor patient.
Applying To Become A Maryland Medical Marijuana Caregiver
Ok so now we know what the requirements are to become a Maryland medical marijuana caregiver lets look at the actual application process. In many ways the caregiver application process is not entirely different than the first part of the application process for a patient.
A caregiver must fill out an application with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to be designated as a caregiver. The first thing a caregiver will need is a valid and accessible email address. The commission will use this email address to communicate with you and notify you when your application as a caregiver has been approved.
In addition to an email address, you will also need to know the last four digits of your social security number. You will be asked for these while you are filling out your caregiver application. While filling out the application you will have to upload an image of a valid, government issued ID. For this you will need a US government-issued photo ID and proof of a Maryland address or patient’s treatment at a Maryland medical facility. It is important to note that you must be a resident of Maryland to be a caregiver in Maryland.
What Can A Caregiver Use to Establish Residence?
In order to establish your residency in Maryland you can use several different types of photo identification. The types of identification include:
• Driver’s license
• State issued photo Identification card
• Military ID (both front and back)
• US Passport
Now if you have provided a form of identification that is not a Maryland driver’s license or Maryland State issued ID you will need to upload two additional documents to verify your address. The types of documents a caregiver can use to prove residency include the following:
• MVA registration card or title
• Utility, telephone or cable/satellite TV bill
• Bank account statement
• Property tax bill
• Mortgage statement or proof of home ownership (Deed, Title, Bill of Sale)
• Major credit card bill (Visa, MasterCard, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.)
• Residential rental contract (lease or rental contract between landlord and tenant which includes all signatures).
• Selective Service Card
• Federal, state or local government mail issued by the state of Maryland (i.e. Social Security, social services)
• Car insurance policy
All of these documents must be dated within the last 90 days. These documents must clearly display the caregivers name and address. Also, you cannot submit two documents from the same source. As an example you couldn’t submit two cable bills.
The final part of the Maryland medical marijuana caregiver application process involves submitting a passport photo. The photo should be standard passport photo size and have an all-white background.
Designate A Registered Patient
Once you have successfully completed the caregiver application process and been approved by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, it is time to designate a patient. In this process a registered patient must log in to their MMCC account and designate a caregiver.
The process for designating a caregiver for a minor patient is slightly different. Minor patients are permitted to have a maximum of two registered, designated caregivers assigned to their accounts at one time. One caregiver is identified and automatically assigned through the Minor Patient registration process.
To add a second caregiver for a minor patient, you would need to contact the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission at 410-487-8100. Due to the additional documentation required for caregivers serving minor patients, additional caregivers for minor patients may not be added via the online registry system.
Medical Marijuana Caregiver Takeaways
If you are responsible for a person who is eligible for their medical marijuana card and are interested in becoming their registered caregiver, the staff at Green Relief Health is here to guide you through the process. Book the patient an appointment today to begin their journey to relief.
