If you’re interested in getting your medical marijuana card in New Mexico, the process is pretty straightforward. You’d be joining nearly 60,000 other patients involved with MMJ—if they did it, so can you.
RELATED STORY
What Is a Medical Marijuana Card?
There are three types of certifications for medical marijuana:
- Personal: this is a medical card for the personal use of a qualifying adult over 18 years of age.
- Primary Caregiver: this allows an adult caregiver to purchase medical cannabis for an adult patient who is not able to make purchases in person.
- Minor Caregiver: this allows an adult to make purchases for a minor child with a qualifying condition.
Instructions for primary caregiver or minor caregiver applications can be found here.
Find medical cannabis in New Mexico. Search dispensaries nearby.
Below is our guide covering the steps for personal certification.
Do you Qualify for Medical Marijuana in New Mexico?
There are 22 conditions that qualify for medical in New Mexico. These are:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Crohn’s Disease
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C Infection currently receiving antiviral treatment (proof of current anti-viral treatment required)
- HIV/AIDS
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hospice Care
- Inclusion Body Myositis
- Inflammatory autoimmune-mediated arthritis
- Intractable Nausea/Vomiting
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord, with (proof of objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity required)
- Painful Peripheral Neuropathy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Severe Chronic Pain
- Severe Anorexia/Cachexia
- Spasmodic Torticollis (Cervical Dystonia)
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
What Should You Expect During the Application Process?
If you suffer from one of the above ailments, you can apply for a free New Mexico medical cannabis card. The application is four pages, two of which are instructions. The remaining two pages are forms: one for you to fill out and one for your health practitioner to fill out. You must print the application out and complete and sign the patient section.
It’s important to remember the original paperwork—with original signatures—must be submitted (any copies should be kept for your personal records). Additionally, you are required to provide a copy of a current, valid New Mexico driver’s license or ID.
Make an Appointment With Your Doctor
Any New Mexico practitioner with prescribing authority can sign the medical certification on the patient application. Here’s what you should expect:
- Bring the entire application to your appointment and, if you do not have a history with the medical professional you are meeting with, you will want to have your previous records sent to the office or printed out to bring with you.
- Your practitioner must fill out their part of the application, sign it, and attach their most recent notes confirming your qualifying diagnosis. Note: you must also include a copy of the notes your practitioner will attach to their part of the application with yours.
- Once you have all of the information covered in the first steps, you are ready to mail or hand-deliver your application. The program does not allow for online applications.
RELATED STORY
How to Talk to Your Doctor or Health Care Provider About Cannabis
What Happens After You Submit Your Application?
Once your application had been submitted, the state has 30 days to review and either approve or deny it. Incomplete information in the application process may delay your review, so pay attention to the details:
- Submit originals, not copies, of the application
- Provide a copy of a current New Mexico driver’s license or ID
- Make copies of your health practitioners notes on your qualifying diagnosis to attach to your portion of the application
- Be sure your application is signed and dated, by you and by your health practitioner, as noted.
How Long is a New Mexico MMJ Card Valid?
If approved, your card will arrive in the mail. Cards are valid for 12 months and must be renewed yearly. Patients must be medically recertified, which means you go through the same process as the initial application. Be sure to begin the renewal process at least 60 days before your card’s expiration to ensure no lapses in coverage.
If there are issues with your application, the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program will get in touch to let you know what is missing and give you the opportunity to provide the information required to complete your application. If you cannot provide the required documentation and are denied, you must wait six months to re-apply.
Visit Your Nearest Dispensary
There are licensed dispensaries in locations across the state, from Gallup to Roswell and Taos to Las Cruces. To visit, all you need is your card and New Mexico ID. Patients are allowed to purchase medical cannabis based on a “units” system, which is limited to possession of no more than 230 units (approximately eight ounces) over a three-month period.
Grow Your Own Medical Cannabis
Approved patients can also apply for a Personal Production License, which allows the card-carrier to grow up to 16 plants for personal use. There is a $30 fee for this application, which may be waived if you fall at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
If you rent or lease, you will have to provide written permission from the property owner. Those living in federally subsidized housing, or on federal or tribal land, may not be able to qualify for this license.
If approved, you are allowed possession of a maximum of four mature (flowers) plants and 12 seedlings.
