“I live outside Chicago and have had a medical marijuana card for help with the PTSD I developed as a first responder. When it expires later this year, do I have to apply for a medical card again, or is there some way to renew it more easily?”
Naoyuki
The answer is, yes, you can usually extend or renew your certification for medical weed. The Illinois Depart of Public Health (IDPH) has a page on this topic.
So there are two types of renewals. The first is if you didn’t take a three-year medical marijuana card when you first registered in the state. Then you can get a yearly incremental renewal without going through the process of being recommended for certification by an Illinois health practitioner.
And if you don’t remember to renew, don’t worry. The IDPH will send a courtesy email about your extension renewal about 45 days before expiration date on the medical cannabis registry card.
But if for some reason your registry card does expire, you’ll have to apply for your medical marijuana card again.
The second type of renewal is if you have a three-year medical card and you’re coming to the end of its term. Again, you’ll get an email reminder that you need to renew about five months before the card’s expiry date.
But in this case, you’ll have to see your certifying health care professional for a new updated online certification as well as providing a new photo and additional documents. In this case you are starting from scratch.
Byrne Gleason
I don’t know if you have a caregiver who buys medical marijuana on your behalf, but if you do, you’ll have to renew their card at the same time.
Under Illinois law, you can have up to three caregivers certified to buy weed for you from a licensed state medical dispensary.
To qualify for an Illinois patient-caregiver registry ID you must be:
- A resident of the state of Illinois during participation in the program
- At least 21 years of age
- A caregiver to only one qualifying patient
By the way, medical cannabis is a good choice for PTSD. There’s evidence to show it can help with symptoms that include anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, nightmares, and other debilitating symptoms. Good luck in getting your PTSD under control.
Louise Thelma
Whether you are renewing an expired medical cannabis card or one that has reached the end of it’s three-year period, HelloMD is a great way to get this done. Our medical card certification process for Illinois residents legally entitled to buy weed for approved health purposes has proven to be fast, easy and cost effective.
After providing some basic details about yourself online, you then have a telehealth consult with one of our Illinois practitioners who is thoroughly versed in the certification process. They’ll ask you questions about your medical history and answer any questions or concerns you may have, in a comfortable online process that typically takes 15 to 30 minutes.
You would then apply for your card through the state’s Medical Cannabis Patient Registry Program. With the card, you’ll be able to buy the medical cannabis products you need through a state-licensed dispensary.
Gerrard Ludwig
