Get your medical marijuana card in New York online
See a New York licensed physician by phone or video, get certified the same day, and start buying at medical dispensaries with no state fee and no excise tax at the register.
$129$149/year
$0 New York state fee — the program charges patients nothing
Get approved or money back
New York cannabis at a glance: legal status, limits, taxes, cultivation
Both programs are legal here, and they are not the same product experience. Below are the four numbers that decide whether a card is worth it for you. Every figure comes from our New York cannabis law guide, where the same facts are written out with the statute behind them.
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13% → 0%
Excise tax at the register
Adult-use purchases carry a 9% state and 4% local excise tax, in force since June 1, 2024. Medical purchases carry neither: the 3.15% medical excise is paid by the registered organization, not by you. How the tax works
Source: NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, adult-use cannabis products tax and the medical cannabis excise, with Tax Law §493.
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$0
State registration fee
New York charges patients nothing to join the Medical Cannabis Program. The old $50 fee was eliminated by the Cannabis Control Board on February 17, 2022 and has stayed waived since. Registry rules
Source: Office of Cannabis Management, Patients and its Medical Cannabis Program FAQs.
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Up to 2 years
How long a certification lasts
Your certifying provider decides the term and may set it shorter, so the date printed on the document is the one that counts. What the certification contains
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18+ vs 21+
Who can legally buy
Adult-use dispensaries sell to people 21 and older with no exceptions. The Medical Cannabis Program draws no such line: a certified patient of 18 or older is served directly at a medical dispensing facility. Limits and age rules
Source: Penal Law §222.05 for adult use and Office of Cannabis Management, Patients for the medical program.
The program is run by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. Adult-use sales and the Medical Cannabis Program run side by side: buying without a card is perfectly legal, and being a certified patient is a different legal standing on top of it — larger amounts you may carry, medical-only product forms, a provider who follows your case, and no excise tax added at the counter. Read the full law guide
Choose your path
Four ways people arrive on this page. Pick the one that sounds like you and jump straight to the part written for it.
- This is my first card Four steps, what to have ready, and what happens right after the appointment.
- I am renewing Your certification is running out and you want the shortest route to a new one.
- Pain, anxiety, insomnia You want to know whether your condition is something a provider here can certify.
- I already buy adult-use You shop at a recreational dispensary and want the math on the 13% you pay there.
Weed is legal in New York — so why do you still need a medical card?
Anyone 21 and older can walk into a licensed adult-use store today. That is real, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What the card changes is narrower and more practical: the tax line on your receipt, how much you may legally carry, the age at which you can buy at all, the product forms available to you, and whether a clinician is following what you take. Here is the honest side-by-side.
| What differs | With a medical card | Without a card |
|---|---|---|
| Excise tax at checkout | None added to your bill. The 3.15% medical excise is paid by the registered organization. Tax Department, medical cannabis excise | 13% on the retail price: 9% state plus 4% local excise, in force since June 1, 2024. Tax Department, adult-use rates |
| How much you may carry outside the home | A 60-day supply, or 3 oz of cannabis and 24 g of concentrate — whichever is greater. OCM Medical Cannabis Program FAQs | 3 oz of cannabis and 24 g of concentrate, full stop. Penal Law §222.05 |
| Minimum age to buy | A certified patient of 18 or older is served directly. OCM, Patients | 21 and older only, with no exceptions. Penal Law §222.05 |
| Clinical guidance | A New York licensed provider reviews your records, your other medications and the interactions before certifying you. | Budtender advice at the counter. No clinician involved and nothing recorded. |
| Where you buy | Medical dispensing facilities as well as adult-use stores, with medical-only forms such as tinctures, capsules, transdermal patches, oral sprays and metered preparations. Medical dispensing facilities | Licensed adult-use retail only. |
| Growing at home | Same as everyone: 3 mature and 3 immature plants per adult, capped at 6 and 6 for the household. OCM, adult-use information | Same as everyone: 3 mature and 3 immature plants per adult, capped at 6 and 6 for the household. OCM, adult-use information |
If none of those five lines matters to you, New York has already given you what you need and you do not have to buy anything from us. If the tax line alone bothers you, put your own number into the calculator below. Run the math on my spending
See how much you could save with a medical card
One number decides it: what you spend at a dispensary in a normal month. Move the slider to your own figure and the panel shows where you stand a year from now, after the $129 evaluation is paid for.
Not buying yet$800 a month
Your monthly spending:
Use the amount before tax — the subtotal printed above the excise line on your receipt, or the order total in your dispensary account. New York publishes the current adult-use rates at tax.ny.gov adult-use cannabis products tax.
Move the slider to your monthly spending and the year-one math appears here.
Where you stand after 12 months
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- Excise tax you would not pay in a year
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- Months until the $129 evaluation pays for itself
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Method: monthly spending × 12 × 13% (9% state plus 4% local excise, Tax Law §493, in force since June 1, 2024) minus $129 for the evaluation; the New York registration fee is $0 and is not part of the sum. The 3.15% medical excise is paid by the registered organization and never reaches the register, so it is not part of this. Product prices differ between stores and are not modeled here. Sources: Tax Law §493 and the Tax Department rate page for the 13%, Tax Law §490 and the medical excise page for the 3.15%, OCM, Patients for the $0 registration fee. The same arithmetic is written out in our law guide.
Prices for getting a medical card in New York: what's included
No hidden fees: Dr. Weedy prices are final. You pay for the evaluation with a New York licensed physician — the state itself charges patients nothing.
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Dr. Weedy
$129
$149/yearEvaluation with a New York licensed physician, certification issued online, and $0 state application fee.
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Other providers
$200 /year
The same $0 state application fee, a higher price for the appointment itself.
- A private appointment with a physician licensed in New York, by phone or video call.
- Review of your records, your current medications and possible interactions before any decision.
- Your certification with a registry ID, issued online right after the appointment.
- Automatic registration in the state system — nothing for you to file separately.
- Copies of your documents kept in your patient account, so a lost file is a two-minute fix.
- Support by email while you are getting certified.
Get approved or money back: if the physician does not certify you, you get your money back. That is the whole guarantee, with no small print underneath it.
Is there a free medical card in New York? Half of that is true. The state fee really is $0 — the $50 program fee was eliminated on February 17, 2022 and has stayed waived, so New York takes nothing from patients. What is never free is the medical appointment: a licensed physician has to review your case and sign the certification. Anyone promising a certification at no cost is selling something else. Check the state side yourself at cannabis.ny.gov/patients. What the state actually charges
Qualifying conditions in New York
New York has no closed list of conditions. The eleven diagnoses from the old Compassionate Care Act were removed by the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act in 2021, and since then a patient may be certified for any condition the provider deems suitable — the wording sits in Cannabis Law §3 and is repeated by the Medical Cannabis Program FAQs. In plain terms: the decision belongs to the clinician who examines you, and not finding your diagnosis on any list means nothing by itself.
That is why we do not publish a checklist to match yourself against. What matters at the appointment is that your symptoms are documented and that the provider considers cannabis clinically appropriate for them. The state explains its own position on the Office of Cannabis Management patients page, and we walk through the eligibility rule in detail in who qualifies in New York.
Conditions people are certified for in New York
One list, alphabetically: every condition the Office of Cannabis Management names as a common example, together with every condition we have reviewed for patients. It is not a checklist — New York publishes none — and a diagnosis missing from it says nothing about whether you can be certified. Where we have written a review, the name links to it.
- Alzheimer's disease
- Anorexia
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Autism
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Insomnia
- Mental health conditions
- Migraine disorders
- Military medicine
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle spasm
- Muscular dystrophy
- Nausea
- Neuropathy
- Parkinson's disease
- PTSD
- Seizures
- Substance use disorder
Common examples as published by the Office of Cannabis Management; the program itself names no closed list, and the decision belongs to the provider who examines you. Names in plain text are the ones we have not reviewed yet — that is about our library, not about your eligibility.
All the conditions we have reviewed · Check yourself in two minutes
Do I qualify? Take the 2-minute check
A few questions about your symptoms and your situation. This is a preliminary check, not a diagnosis and not an approval — only the physician who examines you can certify you, and that decision is made at the appointment.
Get your New York medical cannabis card in 4 easy steps
Everything happens online. Most patients finish the whole thing in an afternoon, and the longest part is usually gathering records rather than talking to a doctor.
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1
See whether you qualify
Two minutes of questions about your condition, what you have tried and what you take now. Take the check
Have ready: nothing. Just your own account of the symptoms.
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2
Fill out the application
Less than 5 minutes on our site: contact details, your condition, and the documents you already have. You can upload records later if they are not at hand. Which records count
Have ready: a photo ID, records that name the condition, your current medication list, and proof of a New York address or of care received here.
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3
Talk to a New York licensed physician
About 15 minutes by phone or video. The physician goes through your history, your current medications and the interactions, then decides whether cannabis is clinically appropriate for you. If the answer is no, you get your money back.
Have ready: a quiet place, your ID, and the medication list in front of you.
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4
Get certified online, right after the appointment
The certification arrives digitally with a registry ID printed on it. There is no separate state application and no card to wait for in the mail. What happens next
Have ready: your photo ID — you will need it together with the certification at the dispensary.
Who we can certify, and what proves it. Our online evaluation is for people 18 and older with a New York connection — an address in the state, or care and treatment received here. The physician checks two things at the appointment: a government-issued photo ID that shows your date of birth, and the records or your own account of the condition. Adult-use retail is a hard 21 and over under Penal Law §222.05, while the Medical Cannabis Program sets no such threshold, so between 18 and 21 certification is the only lawful route in New York. The state sets out who it registers on the OCM patients page, and the residency wording sits in Cannabis Law §3.
Your documents: what you need and how to send them
This is where most people stall, and it is almost always solvable. Pick the situation that matches yours.
You already have the paperwork
Upload photos or PDFs with the application — discharge summaries, imaging reports, a specialist letter, or the problem list from your primary care provider. A clear phone photo of a printed page is fine; the physician needs to read the diagnosis, the date and who wrote it.
How long it takes: a few minutes, inside the same form.
What we do: your files go straight into your patient account, where they stay available to you after the appointment.
The records sit with your treating doctor
Ask the practice for a copy of your visit notes for the condition — most offices in New York release them through a patient portal or by email once you request them in writing. You do not need the whole chart: the notes that name the diagnosis and the treatment you have tried are enough.
How long it takes: usually a few days, occasionally longer if the office mails paper.
What we do: book the appointment now and add the documents when they arrive; if you are not sure what to request, write to us and we will tell you what the physician will be looking for. Ask us what to request
There are no records at all
It happens: people live with pain or insomnia for years without a file being opened. New York does not require a folder of documents to certify a patient — it requires a provider who considers cannabis clinically appropriate for your condition. Come to the appointment ready to describe when the symptoms started, how they affect your day, what you have tried, and what you take now.
How long it takes: nothing to prepare beyond your own account of it.
What we do: the physician asks the questions that build the picture, and tells you plainly if something else is needed. Talk to us first
If the documents turn out to be thin. The appointment is not canceled over it. The physician tells you exactly what is missing and how to get it, and you come back with it. And if the answer at the end is no, the money comes back to you.
After approval: registration, registry ID and your first purchase
New York has taken the bureaucracy out of this part. Since the state moved registration into the Medical Cannabis Data Management System, patients are registered automatically upon certification: no separate application, no waiting for a card in the mail, and no fee.
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The appointment ends
Around 15 minutes with a New York licensed physician, by phone or video.
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The physician issues the certification
It states the term — up to two years, or shorter if your provider decides so — and it is issued online, not mailed.
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You are registered with the state automatically
The registry ID is printed on the certification itself. There is no separate application to the state and the registration fee is $0. How the registry works
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You buy at a licensed dispensary
Bring the certification together with a government-issued photo ID. That pair is what the dispensary checks.
Where to go and what to check
- The state's own patient page explains the rules you now live under, from limits to product forms: cannabis.ny.gov patients.
- Medical dispensing facilities across New York, with their current status, are listed at cannabis.ny.gov dispensing facilities.
- Before spending money in a store you have not used before, confirm it is licensed at the OCM dispensary location verification tool.
- Our own walkthrough of where patients shop in the state: guide to medical marijuana dispensaries in New York.
- Lost the certification or need it on a new phone? Every document we issue you sits in your patient account — sign in and download it again.
Being certified also changes your legal standing beyond the counter — what you may carry, and the protections written into the Cannabis Law. We keep that whole subject in one place rather than half-explaining it here: patient rights and protections in New York.
Renewing your New York medical marijuana card
A certification in New York runs for up to two years, but your provider may have written a shorter term — the date on your own document is the only one that matters, so check it there rather than assuming the maximum. Where that term comes from
Start about a month before that date. Nothing stops you from renewing later, but a gap means a gap in the legal standing you have been relying on.
Renewal is the same appointment as the first time, with the same New York licensed physicians and the same $0 state fee. What usually differs is the effort: your records already exist, your medication list is current, and the conversation is about how the past year went rather than about starting from scratch.
Trusted care: your New York licensed physicians
More than 150,000 patients evaluated since 2018. In New York you speak with a physician licensed in this state, by phone or video call, and they ask the clarifying questions that decide your eligibility for the program.
What the people who have already done this leave behind
Across 228 reviews written by patients from every state we work in. We do not sort them by score and do not hide the low ones.
- 150,000+patients evaluated — everyone who has been through an appointment with us, in every state where we are licensed
- Since 2018doing only this: online evaluations for medical cannabis programs, and nothing else on the side
The count and the score come from the Google reviews widget on our home page, checked on September 8, 2026. These are Dr. Weedy's own service numbers, counted across every state we work in — not New York program statistics. The state's own counts are in the two tiles further down, each linking to the agency that published it.
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Dr. Aaron Lee Wiegmann
Physician on the Dr. Weedy medical team.
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Dr. Lynn Buchanan
Physician on the Dr. Weedy medical team.
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Dr. Kimberly Langdon
Physician on the Dr. Weedy medical team.
Your appointment and your records are handled under HIPAA rules — read our HIPAA compliance statement and our privacy policy if you want the specifics. You can also see all our physicians or find a doctor in your state.
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71,187
Registered patients in New York
As of August 1, 2026 — Office of Cannabis Management, Medical Cannabis. Program numbers
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4,797
Certifying practitioners in New York
As of August 1, 2026 — Office of Cannabis Management, Medical Cannabis. Program numbers
Why the score and not a wall of quotes. Reviews of an online practice are not tied to a state: the people who wrote those 228 reviews live all over the country, and a column of anonymous testimonials would prove nothing about your case in New York. So we publish the count and the average as they stand, without picking the flattering ones, and leave the texts where anyone can read them in full and unedited. Judge us on what you can check instead: every state figure here names the agency that published it and links straight to it; the physicians who take these appointments are listed by name on our doctors page with the states they are licensed in; the money-back rule is stated in one sentence with no small print; and where we differ from the Office of Cannabis Management, believe the state. If you want to hear how the appointment actually goes, write to us and a person will answer.
Official New York resources for patients
Everything below is the state speaking for itself. Keep these bookmarked — they are the addresses to trust when a rule seems to have changed.
- cannabis.ny.gov/patients Certification, registry ID, possession limits and the $0 fee, from the Office of Cannabis Management.
- cannabis.ny.gov/dispensary-location-verification Check that a shop actually holds a license before you spend money in it.
- buylegal.cannabis.ny.gov The state's map of licensed dispensaries.
- cannabis.ny.gov/dispensing-facilities Medical dispensing locations and which of them are temporarily closed.
- cannabis.ny.gov/localities Which towns and villages opted out of retail sales.
- cannabis.ny.gov/report-an-incident Report an unlicensed seller, a bad product or an adverse event.
- cannabis.ny.gov/contact-us How to reach the Office of Cannabis Management directly.
- tax.ny.gov/bus/auc The current adult-use cannabis tax rates, straight from the Tax Department.
- nysenate.gov Cannabis Law The statute itself, if you would rather read the source.
- Our full New York reference list Every official source we use, sorted by subject, in the law guide.
Questions this page deliberately leaves to the law guide — what protections you have as a patient, and what happens to a New York card once you cross a state line — are answered there: patient rights and New York cards out of state.
Frequently asked questions about medical cards in New York
What documentation is required for applying for a medical cannabis card in New York?
To apply for a medical cannabis card in New York, you'll need to provide valid identification, such as a driver's license or state-issued ID, along with medical records documenting your qualifying condition. Additionally, you'll need to obtain a certification from a registered physician. If your records are with your treating doctor or do not exist yet, this section covers what to do.
How does the state registration process work for medical cannabis patients in New York?
As of March 20, 2023, the Office has streamlined the process through the Medical Cannabis Data Management System (MCDMS). Patients are automatically registered upon certification, eliminating the need for a separate registration process. There is no program fee. The state describes the same process on its patients page, and we go through it in detail in the law guide.
How much does a medical card cost in New York?
$129 for the evaluation with a New York licensed physician, down from $149. The state adds nothing on top: the registration fee is $0. If the physician does not certify you, you get your money back. What is included
Is there such a thing as a free medical card in New York?
The state part is free — the $50 program fee was eliminated on February 17, 2022 and remains waived, so New York charges patients $0. The medical part is not: a licensed physician has to review your case and issue the certification, and that appointment is what you pay for. The state states its own fee position on the OCM patients page. The state's own fee rules
My condition is not on any list. Can I still be certified?
Possibly, yes. New York does not publish a closed list: a patient may be certified for any condition the provider deems suitable. Lists you find online, including the one on this page, are examples of what providers commonly certify — not eligibility rules. How eligibility is defined
What happens if the physician decides not to certify me?
You get your money back. The physician also tells you why, and whether something specific — a record, a specialist's note, a fuller medication list — would change the picture. Nobody on our side can promise an approval in advance, and you should be careful with anyone who does.
How long does a New York certification last?
Up to two years, and the certifying provider may set a shorter term. The document itself carries the date, so read it there. When it approaches, renewing is the same appointment you had the first time. Term rules
How long do I wait after the appointment?
If the physician certifies you, the certification is issued online right after the appointment and the registry ID is printed on it. There is no separate state application and no card arriving by mail. What the day looks like
Where do I buy, and how do I know the store is licensed?
Medical dispensing facilities are listed at cannabis.ny.gov/dispensing-facilities, and any shop can be checked against the state register with the dispensary location verification tool. Our own overview is the guide to dispensaries in New York.
What do I bring to the dispensary?
Your certification with its registry ID, together with a government-issued photo ID. Separate plastic registry cards are no longer issued in New York, so that pair of documents is the whole kit. What the certification contains
I lost my certification. What now?
Sign in to your patient account — the documents issued to you are stored there and can be downloaded again. If you cannot get in, write to us and we will sort it out.
How is buying with a card different from buying recreationally?
No 13% excise tax added at the register, a larger amount you may legally carry, service from 18 at a medical dispensing facility instead of the flat 21 of the adult-use market, medical-only product forms such as tinctures, capsules and transdermal patches, and a provider following your case. Rates come from the NYS Tax Department, the age rules from OCM, Patients and Penal Law §222.05. The full comparison
Still have questions? Talk to our team
If something here did not answer your case — an unusual condition, records you cannot get hold of, a certification that is about to expire — write to us and a person will read it. Email [email protected], or use the contact form on our contacts page.
Start your New York medical card evaluation today
$129 for the year, $0 to the state, about 15 minutes with a New York licensed physician, and your certification issued online the same day. If the physician does not certify you, you get your money back.
