Minnesota Medical Marijuana Card Guide: Documents, Enrollment & Renewal

Minnesota does a few things differently, so it helps to understand them up front. The state’s Medical Cannabis Program is run by the Division of Medical Cannabis within the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) — it moved there from the Department of Health in early 2025. Minnesota does not issue a physical card (you print a digital Registry Verification Card instead), there is no state enrollment fee, and your enrollment lasts three years. The process is two steps: a registered practitioner certifies your condition online, then you complete your enrollment in the Medical Cannabis Registry. This guide walks you through it.

Documents needed to apply for a Minnesota medical marijuana card

You’ll need to provide the following to enroll in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program:

Medical Cannabis Certification Your Minnesota-licensed practitioner certifies your qualifying condition directly in the Medical Cannabis Registry. You will receive your certification once approved by a Kif Doctors provider.

Proof of Identity A government-issued photo ID, such as a Minnesota Identification Card, driver’s license, or passport (image file in JPG, GIF, TIF, or PNG, smaller than 4 MB).

Only Minnesota residents qualify, and there is no enrollment fee — Minnesota eliminated the former $200 annual fee on July 1, 2023.

Next steps after approval

Congratulations on getting certified!

In Minnesota, your practitioner certifies you in the registry, then you complete your enrollment using a link the OCM emails you. Important: your certification will expire if your enrollment isn’t submitted and approved within 90 days. Here’s a guide on exactly what you need to do next!

Before you start, have these ready:

A unique personal email address (not employer-based) — give this to your practitioner; the OCM uses it to send your enrollment link and updates

Kif Doctors Medical Cannabis Certification (submitted in the registry by your certifying practitioner)

Proof of Identity (required)

• Government-issued photo ID (Minnesota ID, driver’s license, or passport), as a digital image

Optional documents

• A parent/legal guardian or spouse’s ID and birth/marriage certificate (required only for a minor; otherwise optional)

An appointment summary and current medication list from your practitioner to bring to your first dispensary visit

Getting Your Minnesota Medical Marijuana Card

The whole process happens online, through your practitioner and the registry.

1. Find a participating practitioner. Speak with a Kif Doctors provider — a Minnesota-licensed physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse registered with the OCM. Telehealth visits are available and can often result in same-day certification.
2. Get certified. There are around 19 listed qualifying conditions, plus an open category — your practitioner may certify you for any condition they believe cannabis is appropriate to treat. They submit your certification in the registry.
3. Receive your enrollment email. The OCM emails you confirmation of your certification and a unique enrollment link.
4. Enroll online. Open the link, complete the enrollment application, and upload your government-issued photo ID.
5. OCM reviews your enrollment. Processing can take up to 30 days (many patients are approved within about a week); you’ll get an email when it’s done.
6. Access your verification card. Once approved, log in to your registry account and print your digital Registry Verification Card if you want proof of participation.
7. Complete your Patient Self-Evaluation (PSE). During your first year, you must complete a PSE in the registry every 90 days — dispensaries cannot sell to you if your PSE is out of date.
8. Purchase medical cannabis. Visit a licensed dispensary, where a pharmacist will review your account and recommend an appropriate product and dosage.

Please note: Minnesota’s available forms include pills, liquids, vapor oil, topicals, lozenges, gum, mints, and cannabis flower. Registered medical patients enjoy benefits adult-use customers don’t, including a full tax exemption, access at age 18, and a multifamily-housing smoking exemption.

How to renew your Minnesota medical marijuana card

It’s quick and easy to re-enroll with Kif Doctors. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Sign in to your Kif Doctors account or register as a renewal patient.
2. Speak to a Minnesota-licensed practitioner online (telehealth is available) to be recertified.
3. Your practitioner submits a new certification in the registry.
4. Watch for an email from the OCM with a link to your registry account, then complete your re-enrollment application and upload your documents.
5. Wait for OCM approval (up to 30 days), then continue purchasing with your renewed enrollment.

Minnesota enrollment is valid for three years (not annual), so you re-enroll and renew your certification every three years. You can begin re-enrolling as early as 60 days before your current registration expires.

Next steps after renewal

After receiving your renewed Kif Doctors certification, complete your re-enrollment through the Medical Cannabis Registry.

Here’s a guide on what to do next.

Re-enrolling in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program

1. Get recertified by your Kif Doctors practitioner in the registry.
2. Open the re-enrollment link the OCM emails you and log into your registry account.
3. Complete the re-enrollment application and verify your information.
4. Upload your current government-issued photo ID.
5. Submit and wait for OCM approval (no fee).
6. Once approved, continue accessing dispensaries; print an updated Registry Verification Card if needed.

Please note: Renew before your three-year expiration date so your access isn’t interrupted. The quarterly Patient Self-Evaluation requirement applies during your first year of enrollment.

Legal limitations for cardholders

Minnesota’s medical cannabis program was created in 2014 and is now administered by the Division of Medical Cannabis within the Office of Cannabis Management. Adult-use cannabis was legalized in 2023.

Registered patients may purchase quantities based on their certified condition and dosage as guided by the dispensary pharmacist, and may purchase and possess larger amounts than recreational transaction limits allow in some circumstances.

Under Minnesota medical cannabis law, registered patients generally have the right to:

• Be certified for one of the state’s qualifying conditions — or any condition a practitioner deems appropriate — and purchase from licensed dispensaries at age 18 or older.
• Be fully exempt from cannabis taxes — registered medical patients pay neither the 15% cannabis excise tax nor the 6.875% state sales tax.
• Be exempt from the statewide multifamily-housing cannabis smoking ban that applies to recreational consumers.
• Designate a caregiver to pick up medical cannabis on their behalf.

However, a Minnesota medical cannabis enrollment does not necessarily give you the right to:

• Grow medical cannabis under the medical program — patients and caregivers purchase from licensed dispensaries. (Separately, adults 21 and older may grow at home under Minnesota’s adult-use law, up to 8 plants per residence with no more than 4 flowering.)
• Use cannabis in public places, in a vehicle, or anywhere prohibited by law.
• Use or possess cannabis at your place of employment without recourse — employers may enforce drug-free workplace policies.
• Work, live, or learn somewhere that could lose a monetary or licensing benefit under federal law due to your patient status. Some federal jobs and positions requiring a commercial driver’s license may conflict with federal law.
• Sell or distribute cannabis to others.
• Drive or operate machinery while under the influence of cannabis.
• Own a firearm — federal law prohibits possession of firearms by individuals who use marijuana, including medical patients.

Recreational adult-use cannabis is legal for those 21 and older, but only Minnesota residents may enroll as medical patients. Insurance does not cover medical cannabis.

A note for veterans

Veterans who receive care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs may self-certify without a practitioner visit. You’ll submit the OCM’s Veteran Certification Form along with a Veteran Identification Card and an attestation that you’ve been diagnosed with one of Minnesota’s qualifying conditions, then complete standard enrollment — with no practitioner fee.

How to become a caregiver in Minnesota

A caregiver can pick up medical cannabis on behalf of a registered patient. To register as a caregiver:

• The patient adds you as a caregiver during their enrollment.
• You’ll receive an email asking you to register; open the link to the Medical Cannabis Registry and create an account.
• Complete the Caregiver Registration Form and upload an electronic copy of your government-issued photo ID.
• The OCM reviews and approves your registration; once approved, you can pick up medication for the patient.

For a minor patient, a parent or legal guardian acts as the primary caregiver.

Minor patient information

Minors (anyone under 18) cannot enroll on their own. A parent or legal guardian must file the application on the minor’s behalf and serve as the minor’s primary caregiver, providing their own ID and the relevant birth certificate (and, if applicable, guardianship or marriage documentation).

Can I use my Minnesota medical cannabis enrollment in other states?

Within Minnesota, your digital Registry Verification Card and a photo ID confirm your status at licensed dispensaries. Because adult-use cannabis is legal for those 21 and older, visitors and residents 21+ can also purchase adult-use products with a valid ID — though without the medical program’s tax exemption and other benefits.

Minnesota does not accept out-of-state medical cards for medical purchases. If you’re a Minnesota patient traveling elsewhere, reciprocity rules vary widely by state and dispensary, and many states require a separate visiting-patient application. States commonly cited as honoring out-of-state cards include Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington, D.C.

Reciprocity policies change frequently, so always confirm a state’s current rules before you travel — and never transport cannabis across state lines, as that remains illegal under federal law.