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Obtaining a Medical Marijuana License in Rhode Island

To apply for a medical marijuana registration card, a patient must have a qualifying medical condition and mail this application form to the Rhode Island Department of Health at:

Department of Health - Medical Marijuana Program
Office of Health Professions Regulation, Room 104
3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908-5097. 

Complete applications must include:

• Patient Form, identifying the patient, the doctor, and up to 2 caregivers,
  
• $75 fee (or $10 if the patient receives Medicaid, SSI, or SSDI),
• and Physician Form, signed by a doctor licensed in Rhode Island
• (plus Minor Form, if the patient is under 18 years of age).

The links below provide important information on relevant laws and procedures.

• Application Form for RI Dept. of Health Medical Marijuana Program
• Change Form for RI MMP patients to add or drop caregivers
• Rules & Regulations for RI Health Dept. Medical Marijuana Program
  updated Jan. 2008
• FAQ for RI Department of Health Medical Marijuana Program
  released June 2006
• Department of Health website for Medical Marijuana Program
• Annual Report on the Medical Marijuana Program, from Department of Health: released December 2006 and January 2009
• Marijuana Policy Project's financial assistance program for low-income applicants to the RI Medical Marijuana Program
  

Talking to your Doctor about Medical Marijuana

To obtain a medical marijuana recommendation, first visit a RI doctor with whom you have an established patient-physician relationship. A doctor who has known you for years likely has a better comprehension of your overall health status. Also, a specialist doctor (neurologist, oncologist, gastroenterologist, etc.) likely has a better understanding of the specific medical condition for which they have been treating you. If your specialist is unwilling to recommend medical marijuana, or you are seeking a second opinion for any reason, you may also wish to consult your primary care physician, or family doctor.

When speaking with physicians, patients may wish to bring:

• RIPAC's pamphlet on the RI Medical Marijuana Act,
• RI Medical Society's letter to RI doctors on medical marijuana,
• free pamphlets from Americans for Safe Access on medical marijuana and your condition,
• FAQs Sheet for Doctors,
• and the Dept. of Health application form,

and read up on Conant v. Walters (2003) [overview summary here] [full text here], the case under which it is legal for any doctor in the United States to write a medical marijuana recommendation, under the First Amendment, as long as the doctor does not aid or abet the patient in breaking federal law.