How To Get A New Mexico Marijuana Card
In order to get a medical marijuana card in New Mexico, you must first get approved by a state-certified physician. You can then apply for your New Mexico medical marijuana card online. The state of New Mexico now offers a full-fledged medical marijuana program. Participating in the state’s medical cannabis program is not difficult. Let’s get into the details of how to get a New Mexico marijuana card online using telehealth, then we’ll go over the qualifying conditions for legal medical marijuana, New Mexico marijuana laws, as well as Q&A.
What is NM Marijuana Telemedicine?
It's the way to get a New Mexico medical card online from home!
New Mexico – Telehealth gives patients the opportunity to visit with a marijuana card doctor using your smart phone, tablet, or personal computer. Live marijuana telehealth appointments can be done from anywhere in the state online without having to leave the house. No travel, in person doctor office visit, or inconvenience.
Online medcard appointments help reduce the spread and exposure of patients to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Qualified patients can get legal THC and CBD medicine for the treatment of several qualifying conditions. It doesn’t get any more germ free than this! Your New Mexico medical card will be issued after the doctors approval.
If you’re ready, simply fill out the MMJ patient registration form, press submit, and you’re on your way to a marijuana doctors appointment from the comfort of your living room or dining room table. You will receive an email with follow up details as well. See if you qualify today!
Patient Registration Form
New Mexico Qualifying Conditions for Legal Medical Marijuana
First, in order to qualify for medical marijuana you must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition. Originally, the New Mexico medical marijuana program listed 22 qualifying medical conditions. However, in June 2019, six new qualifying medical conditions were added including Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder and three degenerative neurological disorders: Friedreich’s ataxia, Lewy body disease, and spinal muscular atrophy.
Moreover, the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board unanimously recommended that opioid use disorder be considered in the near future.
Here are the currently approve New Mexico medical marijuana qualifying conditions:
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (AlS)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Cancer
- Crohn’s Disease
- Epilepsy
- Friedreich’s Ataxia
- 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
- Lewy Body Disease
- 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)
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
2 Steps To Get a New Mexico Medical Marijuana Card
In order to be certified for a medical marijuana card in New Mexico, patients must first be certified by a physician who will attest that the patient suffers from one of the qualifying medical conditions. Once you are approved by a physician you can apply for your card.
Here are more details on each step of the process:
Step 1 – Physician Certification
The first step you’ll need to take is to speak with your personal physician and determine if he or she is willing to certify patients for medical marijuana use. If your doctor does not offer this service you will need to gather your medical records and find a doctor who does offer the service.
When you make an appointment, be sure to specify that you’re interested in getting a medical marijuana card and find out in advance if the service is available. There is a fee for this service, so you might want to shop around.
If you are approved, you’ll receive a note from your doctor that you’ll need to include with your application.
Step 2 – Register and Submit Application
Once you’ve been approved by a doctor you’re ready to apply for your card. The entire process can be taken care of online. Forms and instructions can be found here.
It can take up to 30 days from the date of application to be approved. And an additional 5 business days are required to process and issue the registry identification cards once you’ve been approved.
If you’re renewing a card, the DOH recommends that applications be submitted 45 to 60 days before expiration to avoid problems obtaining or possessing medical cannabis.
If your personal information changes — for example, you have moved, changed your phone number, lost or damaged your card, etc. — you must complete the Medical Cannabis Patient Info Change or Card Replacement form and submit it with your current Patient ID Card and/or Personal Production License Card and a copy of your New Mexico driver’s license or state identification card.
New Mexico Medical Marijuana Overview
Now you know if you qualify, let’s take a look at the big picture.
This story actually begins In 1978 when New Mexico’s original medical marijuana program was born. The law allowed for medical use but only through a federally-approved research program.
Eleven years later, in 1999 then governor, Gary Johnson, a Republican, endorsed a policy of drug legalization and called for the full legalization of cannabis claiming that the drug’s dangers were exaggerated. Johnson’s stance was condemned by various law enforcement officials as well as the state’s lieutenant governor, and the Republican Party. The secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, also resigned in protest and Drug czar Barry McCaffrey called the move “astonishing and embarrassing.” At the time Johnson was the highest-ranking elected official in the country to endorse legalization of marijuana.
It would be another eight years before legislation was enacted to establish a legitimate medical marijuana program in the state. A more comprehensive program was enacted in March 2007 with the signing of Senate Bill 523, aka the “Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act.” The measures provide for a “regulated system for alleviating symptoms caused by debilitating medical conditions and their medical treatments.”
Under the act, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) was tasked with establishing a medical marijuana Patient Registry responsible for issuing medical marijuana cards and licenses to patients and caregivers, among other duties.
It’s also important to point out that just recently Governor Lujan Grisham signed a marijuana decriminalization law in April 2019. Under the measure the first-time possession of up to a half-ounce became a petty misdemeanor offense, punishable by a $50 fine. It also decriminalized possession of drug paraphernalia.
New Mexico Medical Marijuana General Information
Here are some of the basic rules that you should be aware of if you’re considering applying for a card:
- Residency – You must be a New Mexico resident in order to apply for a medical marijuana card in the state.
- Age requirements – There is no age restriction, however, patients under 18 years of age must have a designated a Primary Caregiver.
- Primary caregiver – A primary caregiver may be designated by the Qualified Patient (QP) to take responsibility for managing the well-being of the QP in the use of medical cannabis. The patient represented must also be certified. Instructions for caregiver applications can be found here.
- Growing marijuana – Qualified patients and caregivers in New Mexico are permitted to obtain a Personal Production License (PPL) that allows them to grow medical marijuana for the qualified patient’s personal use. The license application fee is $30.00, unless your annual income is less than 200% of the federal poverty guideline in which case it is free. The patient or the primary caregiver must complete the Medical Cannabis Personal Production Application.
- Application fees – There is no charge to apply for a medical marijuana card in New Mexico. There is, however, a $50.00 fee for replacement should you lose your card.
- Available products – Medical marijuana patients in New Mexico can buy dried flower and a variety of other cannabis-infused products such as edibles, tinctures, and topicals.
- Purchase limits – Patients in the program are permitted to buy up to 230 “units” of cannabis and/or cannabis products every 90 days. For dried flower, 1 unit equals 1 gram. That means 230 units is about 8 ounces of dried flower product. For edibles, tinctures, and topicals, 1 unit is 200 milligrams (or 0.2 grams) of THC. The DOH will supply you with complete details on purchase limits and how the units system works. Your budtender can also help with this. If you run out of units within a 90-day window, you’ll need to talk to your medical provider who can recommend an increase.
New Mexico Medical Marijuana Program's Contact Information
Physical Address:
Medical Cannabis Program
1474 Rodeo Rd., Suite 200
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Mailing Address:
Department of Health
Medical Cannabis Program
PO Box 26110
Santa Fe, NM, 87502-6110
Phone: 505-827-2321
Fax: 505-476-3025
Email Address: medical.cannabis@state.nm.us
New Mexico MedCard Q&A
Other Important Information about New Mexico Marijuana Cards
No charge.
How much does a Recommending Marijuana Doctor in New Mexico Cost?The Average Cost to visit a Certified Ordering Doctor is $100 – $200 for the initial visit and $75 – $150 for the follow up visit.
Can doctors prescribe medical marijuana?Doctors are actually not permitted to prescribe medical marijuana to their patients. However, if they are registered by the state, a doctor can recommend medical marijuana and approve their patients for access to the drug.
When I get my NM MMJ card, can I grow my own marijuana?Yes, however there is a $30 fee to get the license to grow.
Where can I find a marijuana doctor near me in NM?Check out our marijuana doctors map to see if any are listed near you.
Can I Smoke Weed in New Mexico Once Qualified?
Yes
Can I Take My Medical Marijuana to a Different State?
No. According to current laws patients who obtain a medical card should use medical marijuana in New Mexico only. Medical marijuana patients may face federal and local charges of transporting marijuana if they cross state lines with the drug. This is true even if the states between which they are traveling allow medical marijuana. Should you need to travel with your marijuana it would be best to contact the state’s Bureau of health to understand the exact laws of the state you are traveling to in order to not risk breaking the law.
Is Recreational Weed Legal?
No
I see CBD Oils for sale on commercials, online, and at stores around town, is this CBD Oil legal in New Mexico?
Hemp derived CBD oil is legal.
Will CBD Oil, hemp, or cannabidiol get me high?
No. CBD is a product that has no THC if derived from hemp and very little if derived from cannabis. THC is the chemical compound that creates the “high”. CBD products are available for patients that have a need for non-euphoric treatment.
Is CBD for Pets really a thing?
Yes, CBD for Dogs, CBD for Cats, and CBD for pets in general is becoming a popular treatment for caring for pets that have arthritis, chronic pain and other ailments. The efficacy and safety of CBD for dogs, cats, and other pets have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA only evaluates foods and drugs, not supplements like these products.
Where can I get CBD for pets?
You can find CBD for pets at pet stores, retail and at holistic shops.
Are THC Infused edibles allowed in New Mexico?
Yes.
What marijuana products are legally available in New Mexico?
Medical marijuana patients in New Mexico can buy dried flower and a variety of other cannabis-infused products such as edibles, tinctures, and topicals.
Can I use Medical Marijuana Anywhere?
Similar to all states New Mexico medical cannabis card holders have to be responsible. It is important to remember that when smoking in public, it may be assumed that you are using it for recreational use, which is illegal on a Federal Level. New Mexico medical marijuana card holders are advised to consume their medicine responsibly, in the safety of their home or in a private residence.
How Much Should I consume?
You should always consult with a New Mexico marijuana doctor before using and that doctor will set the course of treatment.
