How to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Arizona

Registering as a Patient on the AZDHS Individual Licensing Portal

After securing your marijuana certification, you must submit your patient application to the Arizona Medical Marijuana Program through the AZDHS Individual Licensing Portal. Before proceeding, however, you must meet the following Arizona medical cannabis qualifications:

• Be at least 18 years old to apply as an adult.
• Be a registered resident of the state of Arizona.
• Have a diagnosis for a qualifying medical condition.

If you’re under 18, your custodial parent or legal guardian must apply on your behalf and serve as your caregiver. The AZ medical card costs $75 for participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Which documents should I submit with my Arizona medical marijuana card application?

Besides meeting the requirements mentioned above, you must have the following documents ready for upload when applying for your AZ medical marijuana card: 

• Proof of identity and Arizona residency (provide one of the following):
  • Arizona driver’s license
  • Arizona identification card
  • Arizona registry identification card
  • Photograph page of your U.S. passport
  • Birth certificate
  • U.S. Certificate of Naturalization
  • U.S. Certificate of Citizenship
• A recent passport-style photograph (taken within the last 60 days).
• A signed and dated Medical Marijuana Patient Attestation.
• A completed Medical Marijuana Physician Certification Form (filled out by one of our AZ MMJ doctors).
• Proof of SNAP participation (if applying for a reduced fee).

Your AZ medical marijuana allotment lets you buy up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis every 14 days. In addition, you can possess 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and grow 12 plants maximum in an enclosed, locked facility.

The AZ recreational allotment is much lower, where adults aged 21+ can buy up to 1 ounce of marijuana with a maximum of 5 grams as concentrate.

You can easily track your MMJ allotment through the ADHS portal as a patient by following these steps:

1. Visit the ADHS Licensing Portal
2. Log in with your credentials
3. Click “Individual Portal”
4. Select “Marijuana Program”
5. Choose “Patient” or “Caregiver”
6. Look under “Purchase History”

In the Purchase History tab, you can do the following:

• See all your card purchases
• Sort by date, amount, or other details
• Track your 14-day limit

This simple system helps ensure you stay within legal limits while meeting your needs.

Following a majority vote on November 2, 2010, Arizona officialized its medical marijuana initiative through Proposition 203. The ADHS finalized its dispensary and patient registry documentation on March 28, 2011. And on April 14, patients and caregivers could apply for the MMP, being offered protection from arrest on Schedule I regulations. 

A registered Arizona patient can possess up to 2 and a half ounces of marijuana and may also designate their caregiver to carry or possess it on their behalf. Moreover, Arizona marijuana laws stipulate that any patient living 25 miles (or further) away from a dispensary may cultivate up to 12 cannabis plants on their property. 

Out-of-state patients are eligible for legal protection for up to 30 days through their medical marijuana ID card. But they cannot use it to purchase cannabis products from a dispensary. 

In 2019, Governor Doug Ducey approved a law requiring state dispensaries to test all of their medical marijuana products through third-party laboratories for THC/CBD potency, as well as any potential contaminants. The legislature also increased the validity of medical ID cards to two years, upwards from one. 

In 2019, the Arizona Supreme Court settled State v. Jones, ruling that any concentrates, cannabis-infused edibles, or other similar products were fully legal under the Arizona medical marijuana laws. 

Ten years after its medical legalization, Arizona residents voted in a 60% majority to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana through Proposition 207. Come 2021, Arizona became one of the first states to apply its voter initiative on January 22. As a result, it became one of the hallmark states of US-wide normalization, alongside New Jersey, New York, and New Mexico.