Getting the card
Who is eligible for a Pennsylvania medical marijuana card?
A Pennsylvania resident who has one or more of the program's 24 serious medical conditions and receives a certification from a registered physician. There is no catch-all clause for unlisted conditions; new ones are added only when the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board recommends them and the Secretary of Health approves. The qualifying conditions list gives the official wording of each.
What do I need to register?
Proof of Pennsylvania residency and a working email address. The Department of Health accepts a Pennsylvania driver's license or a Pennsylvania state-issued ID card, and it must show your current address. Patients do not need a background check. Our application guide covers the full sequence, from registry account to card.
Can my regular doctor certify me?
Only if he or she is an MD or DO with an active Pennsylvania license who has registered with the Department of Health and completed its four-hour approved training. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants cannot certify, and no physician may certify himself, herself or a family member. The Department publishes a list of approved practitioners.
Can I get certified over the phone or by video?
Yes. Act 44 of 2021 lets registered practitioners issue certifications through synchronous interaction, meaning a real-time audio or video exchange. The same applies at renewal. Read how online evaluations work for what counts and how to prepare.
How long until the card arrives?
After your certification is submitted, you have 60 days to pay the fee or the certification expires. Once you pay, the Department suggests allowing about 7 days for printing and about 14 days for mail delivery, so plan on roughly three weeks.
Paying for it
How much does the card cost?
$50, paid once every 12 months regardless of how many cards you receive in that period. People enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP, PACE/PACENET, SNAP or WIC pay $0. The physician's charge for the certification is separate and set by the practitioner or service. See the full cost breakdown, including replacement cards.
Is there a veterans discount?
No. Pennsylvania's fee reductions are tied only to enrollment in CHIP, Medicaid, PACE/PACENET, SNAP or WIC. The statute also lets the Department waive or reduce the fee for demonstrated financial hardship.
Using it
How much medical marijuana can I buy?
Up to a 90-day supply of individual doses. During the last seven days of any 30-day period, you may obtain the next 90-day supply. Keep unused product in its original package and carry your ID card whenever you have medical marijuana with you. The patient rules page covers forms, the smoking ban and workplace limits.
Can I smoke flower?
No. Smoking medical marijuana is illegal in Pennsylvania. Flower has been an allowed form since May 17, 2018, but only for vaporization. Dispensaries also sell no edibles, though you may mix medical marijuana into food yourself.
Can a parent buy for a child?
Yes, as a registered caregiver. Patients under 18 must take part through a caregiver, who registers, passes a fingerprint-based background check and makes the purchases. Minor patients do not get an ID card or enter dispensaries. Our caregiver guide explains who qualifies.
Where are the dispensaries?
Pennsylvania had 192 operational dispensaries as of March 1, 2026. The Department of Health publishes a list of those with product, searchable by city and ZIP code. Our dispensary guide links it and explains a first visit.
Keeping it
When do I renew?
The Department emails you 60 days before your certification and card expire, and you can be recertified any time after that email by any registered practitioner. The new card starts after the old one ends, so there is no penalty for acting early. Our renewal guide walks through the timing.
Whom do I call with a problem?
The Department of Health's medical marijuana line is 888-733-5595, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, seven days a week, excluding state holidays. The Department's program page also links a complaint form for the Bureau of Medical Marijuana.
Need a physician certification?
Online evaluations are available for Pennsylvania residents. Code DRWDY85872 takes 5% off. The physician, not the booking service, decides whether you are certified.
Book my PA evaluation →Still unsure where to begin? Check the condition list first. If your diagnosis is on it, the next step is a registry account and a visit with a registered physician.
Worth reading next
Sources
- Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program, PA Department of Health
- Patients and Caregivers, PA Department of Health
- Renew My Registration, PA Department of Health
- Resources for Medical Professionals, PA Department of Health
- Medical Marijuana Assistance Program (MMAP), PA Department of Health
- Medical Marijuana Act (Act 16 of 2016), PA General Assembly
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This page explains Pennsylvania law and Department of Health guidance in general terms; it is not medical or legal advice, and only a registered physician can certify a patient.