How to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Connecticut

As of July 2026, there are currently 45 marijuana dispensaries in CT where patients and adults aged 21+ can buy cannabis. Check out the complete list of Connecticut marijuana dispensaries and their locations.

When making a medical purchase, bring your active medical marijuana registration certificate and valid government-issued photo identification.

Connecticut has continued to add qualifying conditions since 2020. DCP’s current list includes chronic pancreatitis and movement disorders associated with Huntington disease, effective in 2021, as well as autism spectrum disorder and female orgasmic difficulty/disorder, effective in 2024. Chronic pain qualifies only when it has lasted at least six months, is associated with a specified underlying chronic condition, and is refractory to other treatment interventions.

In 2012, the Connecticut state government made the first steps in creating legislation concerning the medical use of marijuana through the Connecticut Marijuana Laws. House Bill 5389, signed on May 31, initiated this by requiring every qualified patient to be registered with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). 

Later that year, on September 23, the CT medical marijuana program came into being. And with the registration portal now available for prospective patients, medical marijuana in CT was legal. Afterward came the list of medical marijuana qualifying conditions, and several medical conditions have been added to the list ever since. 

Since 2020, Connecticut’s DCP has added qualifying conditions including chronic pancreatitis, movement disorders associated with Huntington disease (2021), and autism and female orgasmic difficulty/disorder (2024). To qualify, chronic pain must exceed six months, stem from a specific underlying condition, and resist other treatments.

Coming a long way from its modest beginning in 2014, the CT Medical Marijuana Program now boasts numerous dispensaries across its state borders, run by many manufacturers.

Employers cannot refuse to hire someone just because of their status as a qualifying patient. Moreover, employers cannot discharge, penalize, or threaten an employee because they have a CT medical card.

However, an employer can prohibit the use of marijuana during work hours or take disciplinary actions against intoxicated employees in the workplace.

For an adult patient or emancipated minor, the certifying physician, PA, or an APRN evaluates whether a caregiver is needed and documents that need in the written certification. A qualifying patient may have no more than one caregiver at a time.

For a patient under 18 who is not an emancipated minor, or a patient who otherwise lacks legal capacity, the caregiver must be a parent, guardian, or person with legal custody of the patient.

You may begin the recertification process up to 30 days before your current certification expires.

Under the standard renewal process:

1. Meet with a Connecticut-licensed physician, PA, or APRN who is treating you for your qualifying condition.
2. If the practitioner recertifies you, they will initiate the renewal through BizNet.
3. Log in to BizNet, review or update your information, provide current proof of identity and Connecticut residency, complete the required attestations, and submit the renewal.

DCP does not charge patients or caregivers a state registration fee. 

If an eligible adult patient’s certification expires before the standard renewal is completed, a licensed dispensary pharmacist may grant one temporary extension of up to 90 consecutive days per year. The pharmacist may charge no more than $25. This temporary option is not available to patients under 18 or patients with glaucoma.

You don’t need a medical card to purchase recreational cannabis in CT–as long as you’re 21 or older.

However, if you want to buy medicinal cannabis, you must have a medical marijuana card.

Keep in mind that there are no age restrictions for qualifying patients with medical cards. But minors cannot buy from dispensaries; that duty falls to their caregivers.

Yes. Connecticut issues a medical marijuana registration certificate, which is commonly called a medical marijuana card.

A Connecticut-licensed physician, PA, or APRN treating the patient must submit the certification electronically. After approval, DCP emails the permanent registration certificate. DCP does not mail a physical card.

Patients and caregivers must show their registration certificate and valid government-issued photo ID when purchasing medical cannabis. Minor patients use their emailed approval confirmation and registered caregiver’s certificate as proof of registration.

Medical cannabis prices vary by product type, potency, package size, retailer, and month. DCP publishes average price data, but fixed price lists can quickly become outdated. 

Check DCP’s cannabis statistics and licensed dispensary facility or hybrid retailer menus for current prices. Registered qualifying patients and caregivers do not pay cannabis taxes on medical marijuana purchases.

Yes. Registered medical marijuana patients age 18 or older and adults age 21 or older may grow up to six cannabis plants at home, including no more than three mature and three immature plants.

A household may grow up to 12 plants total. Plants must be grown indoors at the person’s primary residence, not visible from the street, and kept inaccessible to anyone under 21.