Where Can I Get My Medical Marijuana Card?

Many Canadians are already federally licensed to possess and use medical marijuana (and even grow it in some cases) anywhere in Canada because they have a medical marijuana card. The card proves that they are a recognized patient under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), which came into effect on August 24th, 2016.

Although Canada acknowledges that marijuana is a safe and side-effect free alternative to pharmaceuticals, the only way to legally possess marijuana is through the ACMPR program. This means you will need to carry a card sent to you by your licensed producer.

Once you have obtained documentation from your doctor or licensed health care professional, you can register as a client with the licensed producer of your choice. After successfully registering, you will be able to order cannabis for medical purposes, either in dry flower or oil form.

To better understand the choices between licensed producers and their unique products, Health Canada maintains an updated list of the companies on their website. Right now, Health Canada does not authorize any companies but these to issue medical marijuana cards. Therefore, a card issued to you by a storefront “dispensary” or “compassion club” does not lawfully protect you if you are in possession of marijuana.

To obtain your ACMPR cannabis card, you must take the following actions:

Step 1: See your healthcare practitioner

An authorized health care practitioner includes physicians in all provinces and territories and nurse practitioners. You may find that your general practitioner is not comfortable with issuing your documentation themselves, but they can refer you to one of the many cannabis-focused clinics around Canada who specialize in exactly this. Always be open with your family doctor about your use of marijuana; they can be your biggest ally and advocate.

Step 2: Obtain medical documentation from your health care practitioner

Medical documentation must be signed and dated by the health care practitioner and should include all of the following.

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Address of residence
• The daily amount of marijuana you are authorized to use
• The period of use—less than one year from the time of the document
• The healthcare practitioner’s name and, administrative information (profession, license number, province of license, business address, phone number, fax number, email, etc.)
• Signature attesting that the information contained in the document is correct and complete.

Never send your documentation to Health Canada and do not use your doctor’s recommendation to purchase cannabis from a source other than a Canadian approved licensed producer. Part of the documentation you sign when procuring your marijuana card addresses the issue of illegally-operating dispensaries and warns that one of the consequences of using the card in this way will be to have your card expelled from the ACMPR program.

If asked by law enforcement, you can demonstrate that you are in legal possession of cannabis by showing either the label on the package containing your specific client information or by showing the marijuana card that came with your licensed producer membership. The same goes for air travel within Canada; any marijuana you pack in your luggage should be sealed, and you must show your marijuana card if requested by officials.