Getting a Medical Marijuana Card in New York is a process with an indefinite time span. The amount of time it takes to complete the whole process depends on the applicant, the practitioner who is certifying the applicant and the state of New York. One has to understand the role each of the three play and the possible time it may take to complete each step of the process.
However, the process is not as hard as it seems and the state of New York tends to give faster reception to issues of MMJ card application than other states. So, before you start stressing about how long does it take to get a NY medical marijuana card, first worry about getting certified by a doctor or physician in New York.
How Long Does it Take to Get Certification?
Well, this is the most indefinite part of the process. To get certification, one has to get evaluated by a medical marijuana doctor first. After the doctor approves of your condition’s eligibility to be treated by cannabis, the doctor then certifies you. Well depending on the clinic you use, you may receive your certification in your email within 24-36 hours or even less.
The practitioner however, can certify on spot if you qualify. This means he or she will enter your information in the Medical Cannabis Data Management System (MCDMS), generate your certificate and send it to you right away.
Again, this depends on the clinic you use.
Certification and Telemedicine?
With the introduction of telemedicine, the process of getting certification for a Medical Marijuana Card in New York, has never been easier. Instead of walking into a clinic physically to get evaluated by a medical practitioner, you can complete the whole process digitally. This means through trusted online clinics like NY Medical Card, you can get an appointment with a doctor and get evaluated through a video call.
The time it takes for you to get an evaluation after getting an appointment however depends on the clinic you choose to use but some clinics do not take more than 15-30 minutes to give you a call. This has proved to be both a money and time saving way to get certification.
How Long Does it Take to Register With The State?
Registering your certification with the state of New york is one of the easiest processes. Well, this is probably because the state also offers guides on how to register to those who do not understand the process.
All you have to do is register your certification with the state registry. The process is a bit faster if you already have an account with the state registry. It will only take about 3-6 minutes or more depending on the applicant. However, if you do not have an existing account, you have to make one first before registering with the state. The process may even take longer for someone who has an existing account but has forgotten the login information.
So, if the state approves your application, you will receive a Temporary Registration Card that will allow you to access cannabis products from the state marijuana dispensaries as you wait for the physical card. The Temporary MMJ ID is supposed to be used in conjunction with a state issued photo ID.However it is advisable to stay with your certification as a supporting document.
How Long Does it Take to Receive Your Physical Card?
According to the Office of Cannabis Management OCM website in New York State, it may take about 7 business days to receive your physical medical marijuana card in your mail. However, this is not quite definite. It may take more time, about 9 days for you to receive your MMJ card in the mail.
Renewal Process
In New York State, the process of renewing your MMJ card is a bit easier than in other states. Instead of going through the whole process again, practitioners can extend the existing certification if they are the one who issued it. The certification number remains the same although a new copy of the certification is sent to the applicant.
For the patient whose certification has been extended, the patient does not need to re-register. The patient can continue using his or her existing Registry ID card.
Caregiver’s ID
Application to be a caregiver takes almost the same effort and time as that of a patient. However there are three basic steps to becoming a registered caregiver for a medical cannabis patient. Firstly, you must get designated by a certified patient or other appropriate person (for patients who are minors or incapable of consent) as a caregiver on the patient registration. The patient should have an approved registration.Secondly, you must create an account in the state registry and register as a caregiver. If you are approved you may receive a temporary registry ID card that can be printed and used immediately in conjunction with a government-issued photo ID. You can visit a dispensing facility to purchase products for your patient, with the temporary registry ID as you wait for the physical card.
State registration and the waiting time for a physical card can take the same time as that for a patient. An individual may act as a designated caregiver for up to four patients.
Summary
For patients looking for certification from a medical practitioner, telemedicine is a faster way and you can complete that part of the process in less than an hour. The time you take to receive the certification depends on the doctor and clinic.
State registration my.ny.gov is a very easy process which takes less than 10 minutes to complete depending on the applicant.
It takes about 7 working days for the state registry to process and deliver a physical registry card to your mail. Meanwhile they give you a temporary ID which you can use to access cannabis products.
Also read: How to Get a New York Medical Marijuana Card? A Definitive Guide
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- Source: https://nymedicalcard.com/blog/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-ny-medical-marijuana-card/
