Colorado citizens passed Amendment 20 in November 2000, establishing the Medical Marijuana Registry. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is in charge of maintaining a confidential database of every patient who have applied for a registry identification card for the medical use of marijuana. Registry identification cards (Colorado medical marijuana ID cards) are only available to Colorado residents, and does not apply in other states with medical marijuana. The process of obtaining your ID card and achieving access to medical marijuana is very simple:
- Receive a doctor's recommendation (Physician certification form)
- Fill out necessary forms and gather application fee ($35)
- Pick a caregiver, dispensary, and/or you may choose to grow your own.
- Mail or drop off the forms to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Who is eligible for a medical marijuana card?
In order to apply for a card, you must first suffer from at least one of the approved symptoms for medical marijuana: - Cancer
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS positive
- Cachexia (loss of appetite, weight loss, muscular wasting and general mental and physical debilitation, usually due to advanced disease)
- Severe or chronic pain (E.g. degenerative disc disease, carpel tunnel, arthritis, migraines, Asthma, -
- Neuropathy, Fibromyalgia, Crohn’s Disease, GERD, Hepatitis-C)
- Severe or chronic nausea (including due to medications)
- Seizures (E.g. Epilepsy)
- Persistent muscle spasms (E.g. spastic disorders, Multiple Sclerosis)
How do I get a doctor's recommendation?
Find a licensed doctor in Colorado who is comfortable with cannabis. There are plenty of websites out there with listings of medical marijuana-friendly doctors. You can also speak to a caregiver/dispensary and they'll be able to recommend the best clinics. You may be required to pay a high fee for the doctor's visit. Some stoners pay upwards of $100 and more for an evaluation. Where do I find the necessary forms to fill out?You can find printable PDFs of all the forms here. I'm fairly you sure can also call in to the CDPHE (303-692-2184) and request that the forms are mailed to you, if you don't have access to internet/printing/etc. You will need a photo-copy of an identification that proves you are a Colorado resident. There's an application fee? As of January 1st, 2012, the application fee was reduced to $35. This fee must be paid each time you renew your card as well. What do you mean pick a caregiver/dispensary?
Colorado law requires medical marijuana patients to designate the source of their medical marijuana when applying for a I.D. card. You can either choose to have a state-licensed caregiver to grow your 12 plants for you, or have a state-licensed dispensary to do it. You may of course, choose to grow the 12 plants yourself. Or you may even split the plants between yourself, and a caregiver/dispensary. Whatever decision you make, it must be made and arranged before applying for your I.D. card. Colorado caregivers and dispensaries will be glad to walk you through the process and even notarize your documents. It's just a matter of finding one. Where do I drop off the forms and application fee? The CDPHE no longer takes applications at their office. Instead, they have designated a drop box at the southeast entrance of Building C of the Department campus inside the first set of glass doors. - The drop box is available Monday-Friday only, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- No receipt will be issued.
- All items for the drop box must be in a sealed envelope.
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Please use US Postal Service certified/registered mail if you desire a receipt for proof of mailing.Certified/Registered Mail is the only form of Proof of Submission
The address of Building C is: > 710 South Ash Denver, Colorado 80246-1530 Located in Glendale, Colorado
See a map and more information hereI have more questions!Contact the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environmentwith any questions or concerns. > E-mail: medical.marijuana@state.co.us Web site: www.colorado.gov/cdphe/medicalmarijuana Phone: 303-692-2184
Make sure to check out our other guides on ganja:How to cook with cannabis - How to clean your bong - How to make QWISO hash - Ultimate Stoner Movie List - Vaporizer Guide - US Cannabis Laws - Guide to California Cannabis Law - Science Supporting Cannabis Curing Cancer Stay regular super stoners~
