Schedule Your Medical Marijuana Phone Consultation Today!

Although some patients can see registered doctors in their area, others may not have access to authorized providers nearby, or they may face mobility issues that make it difficult to travel.

In either case, phone consultation offers a convenient means of gaining needed approval and completing your online registration with the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program (MMP). Green Choice Medical is pleased to offer remote medical marijuana consultation for your convenience and peace of mind.

What We Do

With an approval rating of over 99%, it’s no wonder so many patients choose Green Choice Medical to help them complete their online registration with the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program or renew their card each year. Our goal is to make every step of the process easier for patients like you.

You can schedule your medical marijuana consultation through our simple online portal at a convenient time for you. From there, you’ll speak remotely with a doctor who has registered with the MMP.

If you qualify, your doctor will submit a certification to the MMP so you can complete your online registration, secure approval, and start enjoying the relief you seek.

Are You Eligible for a Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Card?

Before you set up your medical phone consultation and complete your online registration with the Pennsylvania MMP, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. First, you must have a qualifying condition suitable for treatment with medical marijuana.

You also have to meet age and residency requirements, and there are additional requirements for caregivers, as opposed to patients, registering with the MMP. How do you know if you’re eligible? Here are the requirements to receive approval for a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania.

Qualifying Conditions

The state has determined that several physical and mental health conditions qualify for treatment with medical marijuana, including:

• ALS
• Anxiety (including COVID-related anxiety)
• Autism
• Cancer, including some patients in remission
• Chronic Hepatitis C
• Crohn’s Disease
• Damage to nervous tissue within the central nervous system (brain/spinal cord)
• Dyskinetic or spastic movement disorders
• Epilepsy/intractable seizures
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Huntington’s Disease
• IBS
• MS
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Neuropathies
• Opioid use disorder, in certain cases
• Parkinson’s Disease
• PTSD
• Severe chronic or intractable pain
• Sickle cell anemia
• Terminal illness
• Tourette Syndrome

In order to gain approval for inclusion in the Pennsylvania MMP, you’ll need an approved doctor to certify your condition and eligibility.

Unless your primary physician happens to be registered with the MMP, the easiest way to do this is with a remote medical marijuana consultation from a Green Choice Medical doctor, who will review your medical history and discuss your condition over the phone.

Age and Residency Requirements

In addition to having a qualifying medical condition, you must be a resident of Pennsylvania in order to register with the medical marijuana program, which is administered by the State Department of Health (DoH).

You must provide proof of residency during the registration process with either a valid PA driver’s license or a state ID number.

Identifying information (your name, birth date, and address) on your ID has to match the data you enter during registration. If you provide a name or address different from your ID, your application could be denied, so make sure everything matches up.

There are also age restrictions you should know about before you schedule your phone consultation and register online with the MMP.

Only adult patients aged 18 and over are eligible to register for a medical marijuana card.

What about children under the age of 18 with qualifying medical conditions? While they cannot register for their own MMJ card or make purchases, a registered parent or caregiver can make purchases on their behalf.

Caregivers

Minor patients and those with physical or mental health limitations that make it difficult to obtain their own medical marijuana may turn to a registered caregiver to purchase MMJ products for them. Patients can have up to two designated caregivers registered with the Pennsylvania MMP, while registered caregivers may serve up to five patients.

In order to register through the Department of Health website, caregivers must meet specific criteria. In addition to being Pennsylvania residents, they must be age 21 or over, and they will have to submit to a criminal background check.

Is Medical Marijuana Right for You?

Another thing to consider prior to scheduling a medical phone consultation and going through the registration process is whether MMJ is right for you. Although several states have now legalized or decriminalized the use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, it remains illegal at the federal level.

If this worries you, you may feel more comfortable with options like hemp CBD products, which were federally legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill. This could also be a good choice for patients who want to avoid the psychoactive effects associated with THC. Understanding your own comfort level could save you time and money.

That said, medical marijuana is a safe, potent, and effective means of obtaining symptom relief for many patients, particularly when other treatments are ineffective or require supplemental therapies.

With doctor approval, a medical marijuana card, and serving size recommendations from an experienced pharmacist, many Pennsylvania patients find needed relief with MMJ, and Green Choice Medical makes the process fast and easy.

How to Obtain a Medical Marijuana Card

Obtaining a medical marijuana card can seem like a daunting process, especially when you’re already dealing with significant medical challenges and side effects, like chronic pain or crippling anxiety. Green Choice Medical has streamlined the process for you to ensure the quickest and most convenient means of obtaining needed relief.

Our process includes three simple steps:

• Schedule your phone consultation
• Complete your online registration
• Participate in a medical phone consultation with an approved doctor

You can find everything you need, including an online scheduling form for medical marijuana consultation and a link to register with the State Department of Health for the medical marijuana program.

Schedule a Medical Marijuana Consultation

To get started, you first need to schedule your phone consultation with a Green Choice Medical doctor. If you’re a new patient, you’ll select the “New Patient – Medical Card Consultation” option and choose a date when you’re available for a telehealth visit.

Next, you’ll pick from available time slots in the morning or afternoon. If the time you want isn’t available, you can always select a different date. From there, you’ll fill out a short questionnaire in preparation for your consultation.

It includes information like your name and date of birth, as they appear on your PA driver’s license or state ID, as well as contact information (email and phone number). There are also questions about your past medical history and current medications that will help your doctor better understand your condition.

Register with the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program

After setting up your medical phone consultation, you’ll proceed to the Pennsylvania Department of Health website to register online with the medical marijuana program.

Registering as an adult patient is simple. You just enter your full name, contact information, and PA driver’s license or state ID number, making sure the information you enter matches your PennDOT-issued ID.

Carefully check your entry before submitting, as typos could cause the rejection of your application, and false statements may lead to penalties.

Complete a Phone Consultation with a Green Choice Medical Doctor

Once you’ve started the MMP registration process, it’s time to have your phone consultation with a Green Choice Medical doctor. Our doctors are registered with the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program to ensure a smooth and hassle-free process.

During your remote consultation, the doctor will review the information you submitted and discuss your medical condition and history. With this information, the doctor can make a determination regarding your eligibility for the MMP.

If you are approved, the doctor will submit your certification to the Department of Health following your consultation. You will then receive an email from the DoH instructing you to return to their website to pay the state processing fee, after which your medical marijuana card will be issued and sent to you.

Cost to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card

There are some costs associated with completing your medical marijuana consultation and online registration with the MMP. New patients will pay a flat fee of $199 when they schedule a phone consultation with Green Choice Medical.

Once you have completed your MMP online registration and phone consultation and your doctor has certified your eligibility, you will also have to pay a $50 processing fee to the Department of Health to issue your card.

If you participate in an assistance program like Medicaid, PACE/PACENET, CHIP, SNAP, or WIC, you may qualify to waive state fees.

What If You’re Not Approved?

If you’re a PA state resident age 18 or over and you have a qualifying medical condition, you should be eligible to participate in the medical marijuana program.

However, if you are denied for some reason, you will not be prompted to pay the Department of Health fee, and Green Choice Medical will refund the service fee for your medical phone consultation. Remember, you can always apply again at a later date.

Renewing a Medical Marijuana Card

Once you have become a Green Choice Medical patient and successfully registered with the Department of Health to receive a medical marijuana card, you will find the renewal process easier, not to mention more affordable.

You’ll need to renew your MMJ card annually, and you should receive an email reminder from the DoH 60 days before your card expires, with a second email 30 days prior with renewal instructions.

This is a great time to schedule a medical marijuana consultation with Green Choice Medical. You may consult with the same doctor if you prefer, but this is not required. Our fee for renewal service is $149, and the state processing fee of $50 applies to your annual renewal as well.

It’s important that you follow instructions carefully, as the due date for paying state fees is typically about a week prior to the expiration date on your card.

When you successfully renew, your new MMJ card will be issued with an activation date the day after your previous card expires. It can take up to 14 days for your new card to arrive, so early renewal is wise.

Why Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card Online?

There’s no mystery here. Applying for your medical marijuana card via remote phone consultation and online forms is simply more convenient than finding an approved physician registered with the MMP and scheduling an in-person visit.

Some patients are not in close proximity to a registered doctor, while others face issues with physical or mental health that make in-person visits difficult. Remote registration addresses these potential hurdles.

Applying for a medical marijuana card online is an easy way to complete your registration from the comfort of your home and gain access to the safe, potent, and consistent MMJ products that offer needed symptom relief.

How to Use Your Medical Marijuana Card

Once you’ve completed your medical marijuana consultation and state registration and received your card, you can use it to purchase MMJ products at licensed dispensaries throughout Pennsylvania.

When the state legalized the possession and sale of MMJ in 2016, it provided permits for up to 50 dispensaries, with each allowed to open three locations.

Today, there are well over 150 dispensaries located throughout the state, with a heavier concentration in larger cities. If visiting a dispensary is difficult for you due to mobility issues, mental health concerns, or a compromised immune system, there are options for curbside pickup or delivery by a registered caregiver.

Types of Cannabis Available in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania allows for the sale, purchase, and possession of several different types of medical marijuana products. Initially, patients were limited to pills, oils, gels, tinctures, and topicals, as well as non-whole plant products meant for vaporization or nebulization.

Although the sale of edibles is still prohibited, the state did amend the law in 2018 to include whole-plant products due to high consumer demand. Even so, smoking flower is not allowed. Patients who purchase whole-plant products must consume them through approved means, such as vaporization.

Purchasing/Possession Limits

It’s important to understand that possession limits vary from one state to the next, with each making its own rules.

In many states, the amount of product patients can purchase or possess is a matter of volume, i.e., ounces of flower or concentrate, milligrams of edibles, etc. Pennsylvania, however, sets limits based on daily usage on a patient-by-patient basis.

During your medical phone consultation, you may discover that the doctor who certifies you is not the medical professional who will determine how much you use daily. This amount is established by a licensed physician or pharmacist at the dispensary, as each dispensary is required to have such a professional on-site during business hours.

Originally, patients were allowed to purchase a 30-day supply of product, but this increased to a 90-day supply through legislation enacted in 2021.

Rules for Consumption

Consuming cannabis in public is strictly prohibited in Pennsylvania. Qualified patients may consume medical marijuana in their homes or private residences, and the law allows for consumption in the workplace if an employer permits it.

While a Pennsylvania medical marijuana card protects you from arrest, prosecution, and discrimination when you purchase, transport, and consume MMJ, you must adhere to restrictions on where and how you can consume it.

Traveling with MMJ

If you rely on medical marijuana to deal with any of the approved medical concerns, you can’t afford to leave it at home when you travel. That said, there are laws regarding where you may travel, and you’ll want to proceed carefully.

It is legal to transport MMJ within the state. Obviously, you’ll have to do so when you pick it up at the dispensary. However, you should not transport it across state lines without first checking the laws of other states.

You also can’t take MMJ onto federal lands, such as national parks, as marijuana has not been federally legalized.

If you’ve gone through your phone consultation and state registration to obtain a medical marijuana card, make sure you have it on you any time you transport cannabis products, and if possible, keep products sealed in original packaging to avoid any question of legality.

Rules for Non-Residents

Only residents of the state may apply for and receive a Pennsylvania medical marijuana card. Although non-residents could schedule a medical marijuana consultation and fill out all applicable forms, non-resident status automatically disqualifies them from participating in the MMP.

Non-residents who have a medical marijuana card from other states are not eligible to purchase MMJ in Pennsylvania and are prohibited from transporting cannabis across state lines or consuming it in Pennsylvania.

If you are moving to Pennsylvania from out of state, you may be eligible to apply for a medical marijuana card once you have obtained a driver’s license or state ID through PennDOT.

Why Choose Green Choice Medical for Your Medical Marijuana Consultation?

Green Choice Medical is an established and trusted organization committed to improving accessibility for patients seeking relief from medical marijuana. We make it easy and convenient to schedule a phone consultation with a registered doctor and complete your registration online.

With an approval rate of over 99%, you have an excellent chance of speeding the process of receiving your MMJ card, and our flat rates for new patient and renewal consultations provide the transparency and affordability every patient deserves.

When you’re ready to apply for a medical marijuana card, Green Choice Medical is here to help. Contact us with any questions or concerns or simply schedule your phone consultation now.