Medical Card Access Index 2027

How the score works

Each state gets up to 100 points from four parts. We publish the weights so you can check or redo the math with the CSV.

• Cost, 35 points. The state registration fee converted to a yearly amount. No fee earns all 35; $100 a year or more earns none. The doctor's evaluation fee is not included because it depends on the clinic, not the state.
• Wait, 25 points. The longest wait the state rule or agency allows for issuing the card. No state wait earns all 25; 60 days or more earns none. Business days are converted to calendar days.
• Qualifying conditions, 25 points. 25 when the doctor decides, 17 for a list plus doctor discretion, 8 for a fixed list.
• First visit by video, 15 points. 15 when the rules allow it, none when they require an in-person exam.

Where a state card is optional and a doctor's recommendation alone gives legal protection (as in California), or the state issues no card at all, there is no state fee and no state wait, so both parts get full points.

Only full medical programs get a score. States whose law allows less rank after all of them, in this order: low-THC products only, a law with no licensed dispensaries yet, CBD oil only, no program. A $0 fee and no wait mean little when there is almost nothing to buy, so scoring them next to full programs would put them above states like Florida.

When a state does not publish a number (some agencies set no deadline, some fees are set by counties), that part gets half its points, so silence neither helps nor hurts. States with tied scores share a rank.

Every value comes from the state's own law, regulation or agency page, checked by our team between August 24 and October 8, 2026. Rules change; if you spot an outdated number, tell us and we will fix it in the next edition. This is a reference guide, not legal or medical advice.

Use this data

Journalists, researchers and bloggers can use the index for free. Please link to this page when you cite it (CC BY 4.0).

Download the full table (CSV)

Embed the table on your site <iframe src="https://content.doctorweedy.com/access-index/3/2026-12/embed" title="Medical Card Access Index 2027" width="100%" height="640" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe> <p>Source: <a href="https://dr-weedy.com/medical-card-access-index/">Medical Card Access Index 2027</a> by Dr. Weedy</p> Copy code

Questions people ask

Which state makes it easiest to get a medical marijuana card?

New York and Virginia scored highest (100 of 100): no state fee, no state waiting period, the doctor decides which conditions qualify, and the first visit can happen by video.

Which states charge nothing for a medical marijuana card?

13 states charge no state fee: California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Virginia. You still pay the doctor for the evaluation.

Where do you have to see a doctor in person?

In Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia the first certification visit has to be in person, according to the state rules we checked.