Do you live in a state with an active medical cannabis program? If so, the chances are pretty high that you would need a medical cannabis card to purchase and possess cannabis medicines. A card is a prerequisite designed to prevent program abuse. But what does a medical cannabis card actually do for consumers? And what does it not do?
Medical cannabis cards are the source of much confusion due to the states doing things differently. In addition, you have competing markets in medical cannabis and recreational marijuana. Combine all of that with the differences between state and federal laws, and you have a recipe for chaos.
What the Card Does for Consumers
A medical cannabis card is a card that demonstrates a consumer’s legal right to buy, possess, and consume cannabis for medical purposes. Most states issue their cars electronically. A patient takes their card to a local dispensary to purchase medications.
In terms of what a medical cannabis card does and does not do, let us start with the former. Its list is shorter. Obtaining a medical cannabis card allows a consumer to:
1. Purchase Cannabis Products
A medical cannabis card gives a consumer the legal right to purchase cannabis products. Using Utah as an example, a valid card holder could visit the Beehive Farmacy in Salt Lake City where he could buy cannabis flower, vape products, tinctures, edible products, lotions, and gummies. All the medical cannabis products on Beehive Farmacy shelves contain THC.
2. Possess Medical Cannabis
A card also gives the consumer the legal right to possess cannabis for medical purposes. If a card holder were pulled over for a traffic infraction, the card would serve as proof of that right to an inquisitive police officer who noticed a medical cannabis package sitting on the passenger seat.
3. Consume Cannabis
Finally, a medical cannabis card gives a holder the legal right to consume cannabis for medical purposes. This is important because recreational marijuana consumption is still illegal under federal law.
What the Card Does Not Do
The list of things a medical cannabis card does not do for consumers is a bit longer. At the top of the list is recreational consumption. Products purchased with a medical cannabis card are supposed to be used for medical purposes only. Medical cannabis is not approved solely for the purpose of getting high.
Here are some other things a medical cannabis card does not do for consumers:
- Allow patients to share their cannabis with other people.
- Allow patients to purchase cannabis products for others.
- Allow reselling medical cannabis products on the street.
- Allow carrying medical cannabis across state lines.
- Allow taking cannabis products on domestic or international flights.
- Allow patients to cultivate cannabis for sale to others.
Perhaps the most confusing aspect of medical cannabis cards is the fact that they are limited to state borders. Utah does not recognize medical cannabis cards from other states and vice-versa. That is why patients visiting the Beehive State have to apply for visitor cards if they want to continue using medical cannabis during their visits.
Not a Free-for-All
A medical cannabis card is similar to a driver’s license in the sense that it gives a card holder the legal right to engage in certain behaviors. But a card is not a free-for-all pass. Card holders are bound by restrictions imposed by their respective states. This is the way it should be. If you have been considering using medical cannabis, it is in your best interests to understand the medical cannabis card program in your state.
