Requirements & Qualifying Conditions For a Medical Cannabis Card in Illinois
Medical content reviewed by Dr. Shatha Atiya on April 16, 2024
Illinois has an expansive list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis, and many residents are taking the opportunity to get medical cards. So should you.
By the end of this page, you will have the answers to these questions:
- What are the qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Illinois?
- What are the qualifications for a medical card in Illinois?
- How to get a medical marijuana card in Illinois?
The ever-expanding list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Illinois is due to the participation of its residents. The Illinois Medical Cannabis Program allows residents to submit petitions to add new illnesses annually. The most recent additions to the list included autism, chronic pain, IBD, and migraines.
All the information on this page is sourced directly from the official Illinois Medical Cannabis Patient Program. So you can trust you are receiving the most accurate and recent information.
Looking for a Medical Marijuana Doctor?
Qualifying Conditions for a Medical Marijuana Card in Illinois 2024
If you are battling any of the conditions below, then medical marijuana may bring you relief. You can book your appointment to speak with one of our compassionate medical marijuana doctors today.
Below are the qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana card in Illinois:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Arnold-Chiari malformation
- Autism
- Cachexia/Wasting Syndrome
- Cancer
- Causalgia
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
- Chronic Pain
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type II (CRPS)
- Dystonia
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fibrous Dysplasia
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Hepatitis C
- Hydrocephalus
- Hydromyelia
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis.
- Lupus
- Migraines
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Myoclonus
- Nail-patella Syndrome
- Neuro-Bechet’s Autoimmune Disease
- Neurofibromatosis
- Neuropathy
- Osteoarthritis
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
- Post-Concussion Syndrome
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
- Residual Limb Pain
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Seizure disorder, including epilepsy
- Severe Fibromyalgia
- Sjogren’s 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
- Terminal Illness
- Tourette Syndrome
- Traumatic Brain Injury
The Opioid Alternative Pilot Program Requirements
The Opioid Alternative Pilot Program is a new program in Illinois that allows qualifying patients to use medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids.
To be eligible for the program:
- Patients must be at least 21 years old.
- The patient must be a resident of Illinois.
- A state-licensed physician must certify that the patient has a medical condition for which an opioid has been or could be prescribed based on generally accepted standards of care.
- Also, veterans with a current prescription for an opioid who are receiving medical services at VA facilities are eligible.
- Pay the $10 government fee for each 90-day registration period.
Patients registered with the program can buy 2.5 ounces of medicinal cannabis every 14 days until their 90-day certification expires. After the 90-day period, you can renew your certification to maintain access to medical marijuana in Illinois. It should be noted that having a medical card is cheaper than renewing your certification because only one renewal is needed per year instead of every three months or so.
How to Get a Medical Card in Illinois
The process of getting a medical card in Illinois is easy and straightforward.
All you need to do is follow these two steps:
1. Obtain a marijuana certification from a cannabis doctor in Illinois.
2. Register with the Illinois Medical Cannabis Patient Registry Program.
Not sure how to get a marijuana certification?
With Quick Med Cards, you can get your medical marijuana certification anywhere in Illinois. The entire process is online and takes less than 15 minutes!
1. Sign up with Quick Med Cards and create your account.
2. Speak with our cannabis doctor via video call.
3. If approved, you’ll get your certification following your appointment.
Don’t waste time waiting at the doctor’s office. Let us take care of all the hassle for you so that there’s nothing stopping what matters most – your health.
Illinois Medical Marijuana Card Requirements
To be eligible for a medical marijuana card in Illinois, you must meet the following requirements:
1. Be a resident of Illinois.
2. Have a diagnosis of one of the qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Illinois.
3. You CANNOT hold a school bus permit or Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
4. You CANNOT be an active-duty law enforcement officer, correctional officer, correctional probation officer, or firefighter.
Illinois Medical Marijuana Card Qualifications Checklist
Answer the following questions to assess whether you have all the Illinois medical card requirements:
1. Has a licensed cannabis doctor in Illinois issued you a marijuana certification?
2. Do you have an acceptable passport-style photo taken within the last 30 days?
3. Can you provide proof of identity? For example:
-
- IL Driver’s License
- IL ID card
- Passport
4. Does the address on your driver’s license or ID match the one on your application? If not, you must provide proof of residency. For instance:
-
- Valid Voter registration card with an address in Illinois
- Deed/Title, Mortgage, Rental/Lease Agreement
- Bank Statement dated less than 90 days before your application.
- Insurance Policy-Current coverage
- Medical claims/ statement of benefits
- Utility bills issued less than 60 days
- W-2 from the most recent tax year
5. Can you pay the government fees for your Illinois medical marijuana card?
-
- $50 for one year
- $100 for two years
- $125 for three years
- If you qualify for the reduced fee, you pay $25 for one year, $50 for two years, and $75 for three years.
6. Are you eligible for the reduced price? You qualify if you receive:
-
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
- U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Disability
- Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System Disability
- Illinois State Universities Retirement System Disability
- Alternatively, you must be a veteran. If you are a Veteran, upload the VA records for the most current 12-month period.
Did You Know?
Veterans in Illinois can get a medical marijuana card without having to get a certification from a cannabis doctor.
To do so:
- They must receive health care at a federal Veterans Administration (VA) facility.
- And they must provide medical records from their VA facility. These records should show they received treatment for a qualifying debilitating medical condition in the last 12 months.
All veterans are eligible, regardless of whether they served in combat or not. After meeting these qualifications, veterans can get a medical marijuana card through the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Key Highlights
- You must be a resident of Illinois with a qualifying medical condition to be eligible for medical cannabis in the state.
- The Illinois medical marijuana card costs $50 annually, $100 for two years, or $125 for three years.
- Illinois has an Opioid Alternative Pilot Program that allows qualifying patients to use medical marijuana instead of opioids.
- It costs $10 to join the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program.
- Veterans in Illinois with a qualifying illness do not need a marijuana certification to get medical marijuana cards.
Speak with Our Medical Marijuana Doctor Today
Same-day appointments available.
Got Questions About Qualifications for Medical Marijuana in Illinois?
Below are answers to common questions about the requirements and qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Illinois.
What qualifies for a medical card in Illinois?
Knowing what qualifies for a medical card in Illinois is vital if you want to access therapeutic cannabis in the state.
Basically:
- You must be a resident of Illinois.
- You must be at least 18 years old. But qualifying minors are still eligible.
- A licensed marijuana doctor must certify that you ail from one of the qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Illinois.
- You can’t hold a school bus permit or a CDL.
- You can’t be an active-duty law enforcement officer, correctional officer, correctional probation officer, or firefighter.
What illness qualifies for medical marijuana in Illinois?
There are 53 qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Illinois.
Some examples are autism, anorexia, chronic pain, migraines, and PTSD.
The Department of Health considers these diseases debilitating yet responsive to cannabis treatment. You can have an illness added to the list by submitting a petition to the Board.
Does anxiety qualify for medical marijuana in Illinois?
No. Anxiety is not a qualifying condition for medical marijuana in Illinois.
In May 2015, the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board rejected a petition to include it as a qualifying condition. The Board also dismissed diabetes as a debilitating illness treatable with cannabis. But it did approve medical marijuana for PTSD. So, patients in Illinois dealing with anxiety stemming from PTSD are eligible for marijuana treatment.
Can you get a medical card with a felony in Illinois?
Yes. You can get a medical card with a felony in Illinois.
Before, all patients had to submit their fingerprints for a background check. And patients with felonies or disqualifying criminal offenses could not have a medical card in IL. But the Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act removed these requirements in 2018.
Who can certify that I have a lifelong debilitating condition?
Only a licensed cannabis doctor can certify that you have a lifelong debilitating condition.
If they approve you for a lifelong condition, you will no longer need recertification when your medical card expires.
Patient Resources and Forms
How to Contact the Illinois Medical Cannabis Registry
State Agency: Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
Phone: 1-855-636-3688
(Medical Cannabis Program Representatives are available every weekday from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
Medical Cannabis Program Email: DPH.medicalcannabis@illinois.gov
Opioid Alternative Pilot Program Email: DPH.OAPP@illinois.gov
Website: https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/prevention-wellness/medical-cannabis.html