How to get an MMJ card in Illinois ?

Significant Tax savings with a Medical Card in Illinois

Naperville, United States - May 11, 2023 / 1Body1Life /

How to get an MMJ card in Illinois?

Are you interested in obtaining an Illinois medical card? While Illinois became a recreational state in 2020, there are many benefits to becoming an MMJ patient. 1Body1Life wellness and alternative health clinic help make becoming an MMJ patient simple.

If you have a debilitating condition defined in the Compassionate Use of MCPP Act, you can obtain an MMJ card in Illinois. First, you will need to consult and be approved by one of the following licensed health care providers:

• Medical Doctor (MD)
• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
• Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)
• Physician Assistant (PA)

A medical card will help significantly reduce the amount of taxes you have to pay when purchasing MMJ. In this post, you will find more about MMJ, and how to get entered into the patient registry and receive your medical card to legally enter any state-approved dispensary.

What is MMJ?

MMJ refers to when specific plant medicine products are sold or offered to patients who have a medical card for medically-related reasons. As such, you need to have a state-issued medical card to be able to enter and purchase MMJ for medical use from an Illinois-licensed dispensary.

For Illinois residents looking to obtain an MMJ card, the good news is that the states MMJ program recognizes and approves a wider variety of symptoms and medical issues. To be eligible for a medical card, you must be approved by an authorized medical provider certified to recommend MMJ in Illinois for your debilitating qualifying medical conditions. Consult with an MMJ doctor in Illinois to get started with the process of joining the Illinois MCPP.

Getting an MMJ card online

While Illinois has legalized recreational, it continues to have a thriving MMJ program to best serve the needs of patients. Eligible patients must be 18 years or older to apply for their own card. Minors can only be consulted and approved with the help of a caregiver like a parent or legal guardian. Illinois state law allows for physicians to certify patients with the use of telemedicine AKA "telehealth", "online medical card", or "virtual visits."

If you have one of the following medical conditions that are debilitating as defined in the Compassionate Use of MCPP Act, you are eligible for a medical card in the state of Illinois:

• Autism
• Agitation of Alzheimers disease
• HIV/AIDS
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Anorexia nervosa
• Arnold-Chiari malformation
• Cancer
• Cachexia/wasting syndrome
• Causalgia
• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
• Chronic pain
• Crohns disease
• CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome Type II)
• Dystonia
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Fibrous Dysplasia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• Hydrocephalus
• Hydromyelia
• Interstitial cystitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lupus
• Migraines
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Myoclonus
• Nail-patella syndrome
• Neuro-Bechets autoimmune disease
• Neurofibromatosis
• Neuropathy
• Osteoarthritis
• Parkinsons disease
• Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
• Post-Concussion Syndrome
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
• Residual limb pain
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Seizures (including those characteristics of Epilepsy)
• Severe fibromyalgia
• Sjogrens syndrome
• Spinal cord disease (including but not limited to arachnoiditis)
• Spinal cord injury is damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity.
• Spinocerebellar ataxia
• Superior canal dehiscence syndrome
• Syringomyelia
• Tarlov cysts
• Tourette syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury
• Ulcerative colitis

Here is the process of obtaining a medical card in Illinois:

1. Book an appointment with a certified and licensed medical doctor.

To get started with the process of joining Illinois MCCP, schedule an appointment with a certified and licensed MMJ provider in Illinois. 1Body1Life makes it super easy to book appointments. Simply call 773-707-6020 to book an appointment or ask questions and we can walk you through the process.

2. Consult and get evaluated by an approvedhealth care provider.

Depending on your preference, you can meet a certified MMJ doctor in person or conduct a telehealth appointment. Our doctor will do the consultation and you immediately get your provisional card on the same day and then your actual card is delivered to you by mail within 7-10 business days.

Our physician will evaluate your condition and help you determine whether you are eligible for MMJ. During the consultation, make sure to tell the doctor everything about your ailments, symptoms, and current medications and supplements. You can also ask the doctor any questions regarding medications, consumption, and dosing.

How long does a medical card appointment take?

Typical in-office or telemedicine evaluation will take 10-20 minutes.

3. Register online

Once the doctor verifies or diagnoses your medical condition you will be approved and then you can continue the process of getting your MMJ card by creating a patient account in the portal. Create an account by providing your personal and basic medical health information. Your medical records are safe and secure as long you are dealing with a reputable HIPAA-compliant provider.

4. Apply for an MMJ card with the Illinois Department of Health (DOH) MedicalPatient Registry Program.

Along with the online certification, your MMJ doctor will provide you with easy-to-follow instructions. Follow them to complete the application and pay the state fee. Make sure to provide accurate information to avoid delays in processing you are usually required to submit a government-issued photo (Drivers License), proof of residence, and proof of age and identity.

How much you pay for patient registration will depend on the length of certification you want, typically one, two, or three years.

Once you and your doctor have successfully completed the application, you should receive a provisional card on your MMJ patient account, typically within 24 hours. MCPP is no longer mailing MMJ registration cards to patients and applicants.

MMJ patients are also no longer required to register with a specific MMJ dispensary when applying for cards.

On top of the requirement of having a qualified and debilitating medical condition the patient must meet the following criteria as well:

• Be a resident of the State of Illinois at the time of application and remain a resident during participation in the program;
• Have a qualifying debilitating medical condition;
• Have a certification electronically submitted by a Health Care Professional for the use of MMJ;
• Not hold a school bus permit or Commercial Driver's License;
• Not be an active duty law enforcement officer, correctional officer, correctional probation officer, or firefighter.

Exception: Veterans do not need to be certified by a registered ICTS health care professional if the following are met:

• Currently receive continuing health care at a federal Veteran's Administration (VA) facility;
• Provide medical records from the VA facility about treatment for their qualifying debilitating medical condition for the last year.

5. Download and print your card.

Within 90 days of application, the State will process your permanent card, and MCPP will make it available on your patient account. In the meantime, download the provisional medical card emailed to you and print it so you can enter a dispensary immediately.

6. Enter an Illinois state-approved MMJ dispensary

Once you have your card, you should be able to purchase medical MMJ at a dispensary and enjoy all benefits of being an MMJ patient. As an MMJ patient, you can purchase up to 2.5 ounces of medicinalproducts as opposed to 1 ounce for recreational customers.

Benefits of having an MMJ card in Illinois:

There are many benefits to becoming an MMJ patient. Here is why you might want to get a medical card:

• Grow your own MMJ harvest legally in Illinois with an MMJ Card. Illinois State law allows you to grow up to 5 plants. This is an advantage that recreation users dont get at all.
• Save on taxes and pay only 1% sales tax instead of the 10% tax on recreational products that have less than 35% of the primary medicinalchemical compound that offers medical benefits. Recreational purchases with the primarycompound above 35% pay an additional 25% in taxes. Also, avoid paying a 20% tax on products infused with MMJ, such as edible products.
• Tax Savings can be UP TO 60% with a medical card vs. a recreational purchase.
• Avoid long lines for recreational users with your medical card.
• More products to choose from with higher concentrations of the primary medicinalcompound that offers the most medical benefits.
• Preferred parking at the dispensaries.
• Purchase larger quantities of MMJ
• Purchase medical-grade MMJ

The 1Body1Life team of staff members will guide you through the entire process from start to finish. It is important to us that you are informed and comfortable with the process. Call us at 773-707-6020 to see if you qualify for a state-approved medical card. If you don't qualify you do not pay!

Article Reviewed by:

Rita J. McGuire, MD, MBA

Contact Information:

1Body1Life

24024 Brancaster Drive
Naperville, IL 60564
United States

1Body1Life Wellness
(773) 707-6020
https://1body1life.net/