Becoming a
Medical Marijuana Patient

We've laid out the steps to help you get started and succeed.

Getting Started

Medical marijuana has significant potential to help manage a range of conditions and symptoms. We want to make the process of obtaining medical marijuana as seamless as possible. Follow these four simple steps to get started.

Need help with your application?

Reach out to your local dispensary for assistance with your application or any questions you have.

1. Your healthcare provider must complete the Written Certification.

For a qualifying debilitating condition, an individual must be diagnosed by a health care provider as having one or more of the following conditions to become a registered qualifying patient under the Medical Marijuana Program:

• Cancer
• Positive status for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• Decompensated Cirrhosis caused by Hepatitis C
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Agitation of Alzheimer’s Disease or related Dementia
• Crohn’s Disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Spinal Stenosis or chronic back pain, including Neuropathy or damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of Intractable Spasticity
• Glaucoma
• Epilepsy
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Anxiety Disorder
• Tourette Syndrome
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Neuropathy
• Migraine
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Brain Injury
• A terminal illness
• A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or treatment for such disease or medical condition that produces one or more of the following:
• Cachexia or Wasting Syndrome
• Severe debilitating pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures for more than three months or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects
• Intractable Nausea
• Seizures
• Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of Multiple Sclerosis

​NOTE: An individual applying to be a registered patient within the program must have a bona fide provider-patient relationship with a health care provider.

Who is a Health Care Provider

A health care provider is:

• A physician licensed by the North Dakota Board of Medicine
• An advanced practice registered nurse that is licensed by the ND Board of Nursing.
• A Physician Assistant licensed by the ND Board of Medicine.

2. Apply for a medical marijuana card.

Apply for a registry identification card to participate as a patient in the Medical Marijuana Program by following these detailed instructions.

Below, you will find the necessary link for registration.

For more information on how to become a caregiver, click this link.

Be prepared to submit the following during the application process:

• An uploaded colored photo in JPEG or PNG format – Applicant must be facing the camera directly with their full face in view. Do not tilt the photo. Do not use a filter, eyes must be open. The background of the photo should be plain (white or off-white background is best). Avoid wearing tinted glasses, hats, or head coverings in the photo.
• An uploaded copy of the front of the applicant’s ND state-issued driver’s license or ND state-issued non-driver identification card in jpeg, png, or pdf format or (if minor only) a certified birth record (birth certificate).
  Please Note: If uploaded images are of poor quality, it could result in a delay in the application process.
• Name and email address of health care provider who will be completing the written certification.
• If you are a minor , name of parent or legal guardian and accompanying information (phone number, email address, uploaded copy of ND state-issued driver’s license or ND state-issued non-driver identification card).

3. Application fee of $25.

Visit this website for detailed instructions. Ways to pay:

• Online payment with a credit card, debit card, or electronic check. The online payment portal is at the end of the application.
• Check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to the NDDoH; Division of MM. Write the application barcode number (10-digit alphanumeric number) on the payment to ensure the payment gets posted to the correct account/application.
• Mail payment to:
  NDDoH, Division of Medical Marijuana
  600 East Blvd Ave, Dept 301
  Bismarck, ND 58505

4. Receive medical marijuana card and shop the North Dakota dispensaries .

After all necessary application documentation and receipt of a written certification from the patient’s health care provider, please allow 2-4 weeks for processing. When the patient’s application comes back approved, they are welcome to start shopping.

Patients must always have their card or electronic card present whenever they visit a dispensary.