Apply For Your Illinois Medical Marijuana Card Online

Patient Qualifying Conditions and Cost in Illinois

Illinois has more than 50 allowable conditions approved for medicinal legalization in 2013, including: 

• ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• An alternative to opioid treatment
• Anorexia nervosa
• Arnold-Chiari malformation
• Autism
• Cachexia/wasting syndrome
• Cancer
• Causalgia
• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
• Chronic pain
• Crohn’s disease
• CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome Type II)
• Dystonia
• Ehler-Danlos Syndrome
• Fibrous dysplasia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Hydrocephalus
• Hydromyelia
• Interstitial cystitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lupus
• Migraines
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Myasthenia gravis
• Myoclonus
• Nail-patella syndrome
• Neuro-Behcet’s Autoimmune Disease
• Neurofibromatosis
• Neuropathy
• Osteoarthritis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Post-concussion syndrome
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
• Residual limb pain
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Seizures characteristic of epilepsy
• Severe fibromyalgia
• Sjogren’s syndrome
• Spinal cord disease (including but not limited to arachnoiditis)
• Spinal cord injury
• Spinocerebellar ataxia
• Superior canal dehiscence syndrome 
• Syringomyelia
• Tarlov cysts
• Tourette syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury

After Veriheal assists with setting up patients with state-certified medical cannabis physicians at the cost of $199, the state of Illinois charges an additional one-year $50 registration fee for card registration. Patients that qualify for a reduced fee, such as veterans, only pay $25 annually.

The state also offers two-year registration cards for $100 and three-year licenses for $125. Only patients with an Illinois medical cannabis card can purchase prescribed cannabis in the state. The state does not accept out-of-state patient cards. As with all states, an Illinois patient must prove residency with a valid driver’s license or identification card to be eligible for a card.

Application Process

To qualify for an Illinois medical marijuana card, it’s a 4 step process. You’ll book an appointment to see a doctor who will evaluate your ailments and determine if you qualify for medical cannabis treatment. Once approved, you can submit your application to the state of Illinois and your card will arrive in 60 days. Once it arrives you can start buying from the dispensaries.

The Illinois Department of Public Health specifies that to qualify for the Illinois medical marijuana program, you must:

• Be an adult (at least 18-years-old or older)
• Minors must have recommendations from two physicians and their legal guardian must give consent
• Be recommended by a physician for marijuana use.
• Be an Illinois state resident with proof of residency.
• Not hold a school bus permit or Commercial Driver’s License 
• Not be a firefighter, a correctional officer, an active duty law enforcement officer, or a correctional probation officer. 

The first step to becoming a medicinal marijuana patient in Illinois is to meet with a certified Illinois doctor licensed from the state to certify patients for medical marijuana. This is the service Veriheal provides. Our physician will fill out the Physician Certification Form and submit it via mail to the Illinois Department of Health.

The application fee depends upon the length of the registration in years. For a one-year card, the cost is $50, for a two-year card the cost is $100; and for a three-year card the cost is $125. The application fee is non-refundable. 

A reduced application fee is available to those on social security disability income, supplemental security income, and for veterans. The reduced application fee is $25 for a one-year card; $50 for a two-year card; and $75 for a three-year card. 

In order to complete your application, you will need to send a 2×2 inch passport photo that was taken in the last 30 days. It is important to make sure this photo is taken with a solid colored background with nobody else in the photo with you. The easiest option is to visit your local passport photo service location and have them take your photo.

Along with your application and a photo, you will need to provide two forms of proof that you are an Illinois resident. Acceptable forms of proof include but are not limited to:

• Illinois Driver’s License
• Voter Card
• Bank Statements
• Utility bills with your name and address on them.

Possession and Cultivation of Medical Marijuana in Illinois

In 2017, the Prairie State deemed an “adequate supply” of medical cannabis at 2.5 ounces for every 14 days based on the patient’s qualifying condition(s), with the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act creating a state-wide registry excluding patients and caregivers from arrest and prosecution for possession of medical cannabis. 

Additionally, it “allows for the registration of cultivation centers and dispensing organizations,” according to ProCon.org, a Britannica Group news source. Moreover, “a tax is imposed upon the privilege of cultivating medical cannabis at a rate of 7% of the sales price per ounce.” There are 19 certified state-approved cultivation centers in Illinois.

Caregivers in Illinois

A registered caregiver is someone licensed to provide assistance to a register qualifying patient with the purchase and use of medical cannabis. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, an Illinois caregiver must be at least 21-years-old to purchase and help administer medical cannabis to a patient. Like the patient, the caregiver must also prove residency by submitting a driver’s license or state identification card. A caregiver must also undergo fingerprinting to prove they have not committed a felony. Lastly, a caregiver must submit a photo for card registration, which costs $75 with a patient application or $100 if applying without a patient. 

Registered caregivers mays serve only one (1) patient at a time, and can receive no compensation for their services. The steps to become a caregiver in Illinois are as follows:

How to Renew Your Illinois Medical Marijuana Card with Veriheal

To renew your Illinois medical marijuana card through Veriheal, you’ll need to schedule a renewal appointment with one of our physicians. They can confirm that you still need medical cannabis for your qualifying condition and help you with the renewal process. We will remind you when it’s almost time for your renewal appointment, or you can reach out to our Customer Service Department so we can assist you and apply a renewal discount for you.

How Long Does a Medical Marijuana Card Last in Illinois?

A medical marijuana card in Illinois is valid for up to three years.