FAQs - Montana Medical Marijuana Card

To be able to acquire a Montana Medical Card, one must first be a resident of Montana, have a condition recognized under the law, and get a written certification by a physician licensed in Montana. Once certified, one will apply for a card online through the Montana Department of Revenue Transaction Portal (TAP). This involves submitting a passport-style photograph and the $20 state licensing fee.

Qualifying conditions in Montana include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, chronic pain, a condition involving the central nervous system causing chronic spasticity and/or muscle spasm, intractable nausea, post-traumatic stress disorder, Crohn’s Disease and more. Conditions on this list are regularly reviewed, and physicians have the discretion to certify patients suffering from debilitating conditions whose symptoms overlap with those of the listed conditions.

Yes, both chronic pain and PTSD are included as conditions eligible for MMJ certification in Montana. Chronic pain and PTSD are some of the most common conditions for which people seek out MMJ certification in the state. It’s easy to apply for and get your MMJ card if you have a documented medical history of either of those disorders.

The cost of applying is a mere $20 annually. This is one of the cheapest application fees in the US. The fee for evaluating physicians varies but is usually between $75 and $150. Telemedicine companies provide the cheapest certification services. The overall cost of getting your first Medical Marijuana Card is about $95-$170.

Yes. Telemedicine consultations are allowed in Montana to obtain certifications for medical marijuana from a licensed Montana doctor. Once your consultation and certification have been done, you fill out the form through the TAP system and get immediate access to print and download your temporary certificate that will be valid for 60 days, until your real certificate is sent to you.

Once your application has been submitted through the TAP portal, you will have a temporary card ready for immediate printing. Your actual card will be mailed to you within 7–30 days. Your temporary printed card will be recognized by any Montana dispensaries right away.

Montana medical marijuana cards are valid for a year from the date of the issuance of your certificate, unless a physician recommends a shorter period of validity in their certificate. Patients need to renew their certificate every year with a new physician certification and a $20 fee. Renewal should be done up to 60 days before the expiration date of your certificate.

Just like the application process, the renewal follows the same pattern – get your physician certification and renew through the TAP portal, and include the $20 renewal fee. The new temporary license can be printed right away, so you will not have any time when you are unable to purchase from dispensaries, since your physical card is still being processed.

Among other things that make using marijuana for medical purposes beneficial is the 4% state tax paid (compared to the 20% paid for recreational cannabis), four mature plants and four seedlings allowed for home growing (compared to two plants allowed for recreational users), high potency products that do not have any limits on the content of THC, the availability of dispensaries from the age of 18, and the usage of your Montana license in some of the reciprocity states such as Maine, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Washington D.C.

No. Montana mandates proof of residency for all patient applicants. Montana residents alone are eligible for enrolling into the Medical Marijuana Program and acquire a registration card in Montana. Visitors above 21 years old who are not residents of the state can purchase recreational cannabis; however, Montana does not have inbound reciprocity for visiting medical patients from other states.

Medical cardholders can purchase up to 1 ounce of flower per day and up to 5 ounces per month. If a patient’s medical needs exceed the standard limit, they can petition the Cannabis Control Division to increase their monthly allowance to 8 ounces. Recreational users are capped at 1 ounce total possession at any given time.

Yes. Registered patients may cultivate up to four mature cannabis plants and four seedlings at their residence – double the two mature plants and two seedlings allowed for recreational users. Plants must not be visible to the public. Patients related by blood or marriage sharing a home can combine limits for a household maximum of eight mature plants and eight seedlings.

Yes. Patients may designate up to two individuals as designated purchasers who can buy cannabis on their behalf at any licensed dispensary. Designated purchasers must be at least 21 years old, must carry the patient’s medical card when making purchases, and must be registered during the patient’s initial application or annual renewal through the TAP portal.

No. Montana does not have inbound medical marijuana reciprocity and does not accept the cards issued in other states for purchasing cannabis from the licensed dispensary. However, Montana patients can purchase medical cannabis from other states that have outbound reciprocity, such as the states of Maine, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Washington, D.C., depending on the requirement.

Yes. All patients with an issued card are allowed to purchase medical marijuana from any licensed dispensary in Montana. There are no dispensary assignments for patients; they can buy medical marijuana from any licensed dispensary.

Your permit for purchasing and possessing medical cannabis becomes invalid as soon as its expiry date arrives, and you no longer have any rights regarding the tax and cultivation benefits associated with it. It is possible for you to apply for renewal 60 days before the expiration of your card to ensure continuity in your access to the dispensary.

There are no provisions in the Montana legislation for protection against discrimination in the workforce based on medical marijuana cards. Employers are allowed to keep their workplace drug-free, not employ people with positive results in cannabis tests, and discipline workers who use cannabis during working hours, even if they possess medical marijuana cards.

No. The transportation of medical cannabis across state borders is a federal crime and is punishable accordingly, irrespective of whether or not you are carrying a medical marijuana card. Should you travel to a reciprocity state such as Maine or Nevada, you should purchase the new supply of medical cannabis there at the local dispensary using your Montana card.

Yes – it is considerably lower. Medical marijuana is taxed 4% by the state compared to the 20% taxation for recreational cannabis. The local-option tax of counties for both types of cannabis can be added, reaching 3%.