Caregivers are often tasked with obtaining prescription medications on behalf of those they care for. It is no big deal. A caregiver can walk into the pharmacy and pick up a prescription with little issue. But what about medical cannabis? How easily can caregivers purchase it on behalf of others?
Just about everything related to medical cannabis differs from one state to the next. This is because cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. Each of the states that now recognize medical cannabis has established its own standards. In order not to run afoul of federal law, the states rarely practice reciprocity.
The bottom line is that it is fairly easy in some states but more difficult than in others. The one thing all the states have in common is that caregivers need to obtain special medical cannabis cards that give them permission to purchase cannabis for someone else.
It is Pretty Easy in Utah
Utah is currently one of the states that allow medical cannabis. According to the operators of Brigham City’s Beehive Farmacy medical cannabis pharmacy, the state issues several types of cards. The Caregiver card is one of them. Obtaining such a card is pretty straight forward.
Medical cannabis patients in Utah are allowed to designate as many caregivers as they like. Caregivers can be family members, friends, or even paid health aides. They are identified and designated within the patient’s electronic verification system (EVS) account.
As for the caregiver, she needs only wait for an email invitation from the patient. Then, she submits an application and fingerprints for a background check. If everything checks out, she pays the annual fee, and the card is issued digitally.
It is More Difficult in Florida
The process in Florida is a bit more complicated. First, patients cannot designate their own caregivers. That responsibility falls on the medical provider. The patient’s medical provider enters caregiver information into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry (MMUR) – Florida’s version of the EVS.
Next, the caregiver must complete a certification course. If the caregiver is a close relative, a document to that effect must be completed and filed. Otherwise, the caregiver must complete a background screening form and have his or her fingerprints taken. A background check follows.
If everything works out, the caregiver will be approved. But there is one more step: complete and submit the card application form along with a photo and proof of residency. The caregiver must also pay an annual application fee.
A Limited License
In its simplest form, the medical cannabis card is a license. It allows a patient to purchase, possess, and consume medical cannabis. On the other hand, a caregiver card is a more limited license. Simply put, possessing a caregiver card does not give a person permission to use medical cannabis themselves. Let us go back to Utah for purposes of illustration.
Beehive Farmacy reports that caregiver cards limit access to purchase and possession. A caregiver can visit either one of the pharmacies two locations. They can purchase cannabis on behalf of the patient and carry it home.
The caregiver cannot use the patient’s cannabis. If the caregiver wants to use medical cannabis, he or she must apply for a separate patient card. This is an important distinction, because medical cannabis patients are not allowed to share their medicines with other people.
It is pretty easy for caregivers to purchase medical cannabis on behalf of others as long as they have a valid caregiver card. But obtaining a caregiver card could be difficult in some states.
