A “qualifying patient” is defined in Proposition 203 as a person who has been diagnosed by a physician (a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, naturopathic medicine, or homeopathy) as having one of the following debilitating medical conditions:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus
• Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
• Hepatitis C
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Crohn’s disease
• Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
• A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that produces any of the following:
• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Severe and chronic pain
• Severe nausea
• Seizures (including those characteristic of epilepsy) or
• Severe and persistent muscle spasms (including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis)

Proposition 203 generally provides that any person who acts in conformity with the requirements of the proposition is not to be subjected to any governmentally imposed sanction relating to the medical use of marijuana.

This proposition will prohibit certain discriminatory practices, including:

• A school or landlord will not be able to refuse to enroll or lease to a person registered pursuant to this proposition unless failing to do so would cause the school or landlord to lose a monetary or licensing benefit under federal law;
• An employer will not be able to discriminate against a person registered pursuant to this proposition in hiring, terminating, or imposing employment conditions unless failing to do so would cause the employer to lose a monetary or licensing benefit under federal law; and
• An employer will not be able to penalize a qualifying patient registered pursuant to this proposition for a positive drug test for marijuana, unless the patient used, possessed, or was impaired by marijuana on the employment premises or during hours of employment.

Proposition 203 does not:

• Authorize a person to undertake any task under the influence of marijuana that constitutes negligence or professional malpractice.
• Authorize possessing or using medical marijuana on a school bus, on the grounds of a preschool, primary school, or high school, or in a correctional facility.
• Authorize smoking marijuana on public transportation or in a public place.
• Authorize operating, navigating, or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle, aircraft, or motorboat while under the influence of marijuana. A registered qualifying patient will not be considered to be under the influence of marijuana solely because of the presence of marijuana in the person’s system that appears in a concentration insufficient to cause impairment.
• Require a government medical assistance program or private health insurer to reimburse a person for costs associated with the medical use of marijuana.
• Require an owner of private property to allow the use of marijuana on that property.
• Require an employer to allow the ingestion of marijuana in the workplace.
• Prevent a nursing care or other residential or inpatient healthcare facility from adopting reasonable restrictions on the provision, storage and use of marijuana by residents or patients.

There are 2 costs involved: The State Application fee aed the certification visit fee.

State fees are as follows:

• $150 for an initial or a renewal registry identification card for a qualifying patient. Some qualifying patients may be eligible to pay $75 for initial and renewal cards if they currently participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
• $200 for an initial or a renewal registry identification card for a designated caregiver
• $10 for a replacement card

Certification visit fees vary, but are typically $100 to $150

There are a lot of requirements of the doctors for providing certification aside from a signature. We do our best to make it seem effortless, bet there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

Certification puts the doctors at risk. We are doing what is right for patients in spite of Federal law AND considerable scrutiny from the state medical boards and other authorities. Every patient we see is a risk to the doctors.

Here are what the state requires from our doctors for every visit:

• Have made or confirmed diagnosis of a debilitating medical condition as defined in A.R.S. § 36-2801 for the qualifying patient.
• Have established a medical record for the qualifying patient and am maintaining the qualifying patient’s medical record as required in A.R.S. § 12-2297.
• Have conducted an in-person physical examination of the qualifying patient within the last 90 calendar days appropriate to the qualifying patient’s presenting symptoms and the debilitating medical condition I diagnosed or confirmed.
• Have reviewed the qualifying patient’s medical records, including medical records from other treating physicians from the previous 12 months;
• Have reviewed the qualifying patient’s responses to conventional medications and medical therapies; and the qualifying patient’s profile on the Arizona Board of Pharmacy Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program database.
• Have explained the potential risks and benefits of the medical use of marijuana to the qualifying patient, or if applicable, the qualifying patient’s custodial parent or legal guardian.
• Have reviewed evidence documenting that the patient is currently undergoing conventional treatment for PTSD (PTSD patients only).
• The doctor must in their professional opinion believe that the qualifying patient is likely to receive therapeutic or palliative benefit from the qualifying patient’s medical use of marijuana to treat or alleviate the qualifying patient’s debilitating medical condition. They must attest that the information provided in this written certification is true and correct.

In addition we complete the state application which in and of itself takes 30 minutes of staff time IF there are no issues, which take HOURS to resolve.

We create these documents for you:

1) A current photograph of the patient which must be an image file (JPG, PNG, or GIF file format) and cannot exceed 10 MB.

• Photograph must be taken no more than 60 calendar days before the submission of the application.
• Photograph must be capable of producing an image: 1 • 2 inches by 2 inches in size
• With minimum dimensions of 600×600 pixels and maximum dimensions of 1200×1200 pixels.
• In natural color
• That is a front view of the individual’s full face, without a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline, with a plain white or off-white background
• That has between 1 and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head

2) A copy of the patient’s:

• Birth certificate verifying U.S. citizenship
• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization
• U.S. Certificate of Citizenship
• Arizona driver’s license issued on or after October 1, 1996; OR
• Arizona identification card issued on or after October 1, 1996; OR
• Arizona registry identification card; OR
• Photograph page in the patient’s U.S. passport; OR
• An Arizona driver’s license or identification card issued before October 1, 1996 AND one of the following: □

3) Signed and dated Medical Marijuana Patient Attestation. This must be downloaded from the ADHS website

4) Physician-completed Medical Marijuana Physician Certification Form. This must be downloaded from the ADHS website

5) SNAP documentation (if applicable): a copy of an eligibility notice or an electronic benefits transfer card demonstrating current participation in the U.S.