Medical Marijuana Questions and Answers

Who can use medical marijuana in Oregon?

What does Oregon law allow a registered patient to do?

How do I become a registered patient?

Who can use medical marijuana in Oregon?

People from any state may now register in Oregon, if they have been diagnosed by a doctor (MD or DO) with one of the following conditions:

• Agitation from Alzheimer's - Cancer - Glaucoma - HIV/AIDS

• Or has been treated for one of the following:

• - Cachexia (wasting syndrome) - Severe pain - Severe nausea -

• - Seizures, including but not limited to epilepsy -

• - Persistent muscle spasm, including but not limited to Multiple Sclerosis -

An MD or DO must also say that marijuana may help with the patient's condition, and some doctors are not willing or able to do so. At the MAMA clinic, we help patients gather their medical records. Our doctor reviews them and examines the patient, and, if appropriate, will sign the Attending Physician's Statement. To receive the full protection of the law, patients must register with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, an office of the Department of Human Services. If you are an Oregon resident and have one of the qualifying conditions, MAMA will help you to register with the program. As a legal patient, you will experience a freedom that few Americans know.

What does Oregon law allow a registered patient to do? 

Under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, registered patients can use marijuana, and grow it or arrange to have a caregiver grow it for them. A patient may store (possess) up to 24 ounces of dried plant material. Patients can give marijuana to other patients, but they cannot legally buy it or sell it to anyone. To produce the medicine , each patient may have a maximum of 6 mature plants and 18 starts and seedlings :

Mature vs. Immature plants - Any plant that is 12 inches or over, in height or width, or in bloom is considered mature. Each patient can have up to six of these.Starts and seedlings - Plants that are under 12 inches in all directions, with no buds or flowers, are not mature. A patient can have 18 of these smaller plants.

Patients who are not able to grow for themselves can name a grower (person responsible for the grow site) to grow for them. They may also designate someone over 18, called a caregiver, to manage their supply of medicine. Patients and growers must be careful to stay within these limits, or risk being charged with a felony, with no protection under the medical marijuana law. It is also important to send a "Change Request Form" in to the OMMP when changes are made, such as BEFORE you move plants to a new grow site. A patient who is under 18 years old must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to enter the program, and the parent or legal guardian must agree to act as the patient's caregiver. The OMMP will issue identification cards to the patient, to the caregiver if there is one, and to the grower. There is also a placard, on the paper above the grower's card, to be posted at the grow site. These cards may be shown to state and local law enforcement officers, who should not arrest registrants, or confiscate their marijuana, as long as the patient, caregiver, and grower have only the legal amounts between them. The grower must return the growsite registration card to the patient when requested to do so by the patient, or when the grower ceases producing marijuana for the patient.

How do I register as an Oregon Medical Marijuana patient?

To register with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, a patient must apply to the program, and support the application with an "attending physician's statement" - stating that the patient has the qualifying condition and that marijuana may help. Along with the application, the patient must send identification and a check or money order for the yearly registration fee.

You must provide a clear, legible, and valid copy of a U.S. State or Federal issued photographic identification card that includes last name, first name, and date of birth. If the information or expiration date is not on the front of the ID, copy the back of the card showing that it is current. 

For every application, the base application fee is: $200. 

OR  with proof of Oregon Health Plan (OHP) or Food Stamp benefits (SNAP) eligibility: $100

To be eligible for the reduced fee of $100, a patient must provide current proof that he or she receives food stamp benefits (SNAP), or is eligible for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). The patient must provide a current eligibility statement at the time he or she submits his or her medical marijuana application.

OR with proof of receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) monthly benefits: $20

To be eligible for the reduced fee of $20, a patient must provide current proof that he or she receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

Growsite Registration Fee

If the designated grower is someone other than the patient, a growsite registration fee of $50 will be required in addition to the application fee. 

A $50 grow site registration fee still applies if someone other than the patient is designated as the grower. An individual IS NOT eligible for a reduced fee because he or she receives Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Social Security Benefits (SSB), or Medicare. Only eligibility for the programs above qualify an individual for a reduced fee.

Any time a change is made and new cards need to be reissued, the is a fee of $100.