The legal age to recreationally use cannabis products is 21 years old in Colorado, the same age that marks one’s ability to purchase alcohol; however, medical cannabis access has different rules. 

To get a medical marijuana registry card in Colorado, which allows you to enter the medical side of any dispensary to pick up your prescription, you need to first establish your Colorado residency and prove you are a good candidate for benefitting from cannabis with your healthcare provider. 

If your medical conditions meet the criteria and your physician believes you are a good fit, you can begin the application process together. 

There are a variety of conditions that can be treated with medical cannabis, including cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, severe pain or nausea and persistent muscle spasms. 

Those under 18 must see two separate providers, who submit separate physician certifications. They must also get parent or guardian consent and verify the parent or guardian is also a resident of Colorado. Finally, they must fill out a minor patient consent form. 

Anyone between 18-20 who did not apply for a med card before they were 18 and is applying for the first time on or after Jan. 1, 2022, will also need two provider certifications from separate medical practices, unless the applicant is homebound, in which case the providers can be from the same practice. 

Once you’ve gathered your documents, you can submit an application online at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. There is a $29.50 application fee, or a patient can submit their tax records for a fee waiver. Then you wait for approval. If you apply online, you will not automatically receive a card in the mail, but you can print it. 

From there, as a med card holder, you are required to renew it annually. 

“Recreational cannabis experiences are a fun topic, but medical cannabis truly has a positive impact on the health of individuals with prescriptions. If someone is sick from chemotherapy or the side effects of a medication they take, cannabis can help renew their appetite and ease their stomach.”

Med card holders can cultivate their own plants at home if they so choose. Any adult over 21 can grow cannabis, and they can own up to six plants as long as at least three are not mature and, therefore, nonproducing. If you’re in a house with two or more individuals over 21, you cannot have more than 12 plants in the house. 

For example, if all three roommates over 21 have six plants each, one will have to get rid of their six to abide by state regulations. This rule also applies to med card holders, who are also allowed six plants and cannot have more than 12, except under certain circumstances that allow up to 24.

However, it is important to remember your plants need to be in a locked and enclosed space, away from the windows, so they are not visible. If someone under 21 is in your home, they cannot have access to the plants and should be “reasonably restricted” from their access, according to the Colorado Legal Defense Group. 

Recreational cannabis experiences are a fun topic, but medical cannabis truly has a positive impact on the health of individuals with prescriptions. If someone is sick from chemotherapy or the side effects of a medication they take, cannabis can help renew their appetite and ease their stomach. 

Although medical cannabis comes with its own set of side effects, as any cannabis product does, they often pale in comparison to the chronic pain and discomfort patients have. If you’re experiencing any of the qualifying medical conditions and you’re trying to find a solution, it is worth meeting with your doctor to see if it would be right for you.

Reach Bella Eckburg at cannabis@collegian.com or on Twitter @yaycolor.