Maryland Medical Marijuana Info for Doctors

Be truly informed.

The potential benefits of medical cannabis are continuing to grow. And now, more and more patients are inquiring about the positive effects it can have on their life.

As a provider, you play an important role in helping your patients experience a better quality of life—and our team is ready to assist.

In order to be able to issue written certifications for medical cannabis to patients for treatment of a qualifying medical condition, you must register as a “Certifying Provider” with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission.

How to Register as a Provider?

Provider registration is an online process. The application form must be completed and submitted in one session; you will not be able to save and complete the application at a later time.

To complete the online registration form for provider, you will need:

A valid, accessible email account which you are comfortable using in relation to your Maryland Medical Cannabis account

Your Maryland Board of Physicians License Number (available from the Maryland Board of Physicians)

Your Controlled Dangerous Substances Registration Number (available from the Office of Controlled Substances Administration)

Medical Professional Certification Requirements

The requirements for issuing a written certification for medical cannabis are:

A “bona fide physician-patient relationship” with the patient

The patient’s condition must be severe

Other medical treatments must have proven ineffective for the patient’s condition, and the symptoms must reasonably be expected to be relieved by the use of medical cannabis

Maryland law defines a “bona fide physician-patient relationship” as a treatment or counseling relationship between a Physician and patient in which the physician reviews the patient’s relevant medical records, completes an in person assessment of the patient’s medical history and current medical condition, creates and maintains medically standardized records, expects to monitor patient program, and takes any medically indicated action to follow up.

The Physician-Patient Relationship

Physicians are not “prescribing” medical cannabis. Instead, a physician is asked to certify that the patient has a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or is receiving treatment for a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that causes a qualifying condition, and that a bona fide relationship has been established.

Physicians should have a “bona fide” physician-patient relationship with the qualifying patient.

A physician should be able to comfortably certify that the qualifying patient is under the physician’s care, either as the patient’s primary care physician, or for his or her debilitating medical condition.

Physicians may accept payment from a qualifying patient for the fee associated with the examination required before recommending medical cannabis.

Grow Your Understanding of Cannabis

As a medical professional, your mission is clear—to help your patients heal and feel better. That’s why it’s important for you to be familiar with the real benefits medical cannabis can have—and to be fully informed and comfortable recommending its use.

Verilife is devoted to disseminating the science behind medical cannabis. We’re here to guide patients and medical professionals along the way, to help them understand which products can be viable options, how to dose, and the potential effects and outcomes.