Sarasota, Florida Medical Marijuana Doctors

Before you schedule your medical card health evaluation, knowing the qualifying health conditions required is essential. To successfully apply for a Florida medical card, patients can have one or more qualifying diagnoses.

In 2022, patients need to have at least one of the following diagnosed medical conditions:

• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Crohn’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• A terminal health condition (end-of-life compassionate care)
• Chronic persistent pain caused by a qualifying medical condition that has not responded to standard treatments for the medical condition.

If you are a patient in Sarasota, Florida, you will need to provide proof of diagnosis of your medical condition before your medical card health evaluation appointment.

More eligibility information can be found here . 

Patients eighteen (18) years of age or older may apply independently for a medical card. Provided they have at least one qualifying health condition and the approval of a licensed Florida physician.

Patients under the age of eighteen years are considered minors.  Children with severe health conditions may be eligible for doctor-supervised cannabis, with the assistance of a registered caregiver.

A caregiver must be the minor’s legal guardian, and must meet certain requirements, including being a permanent resident of the state of Florida and over the age of twenty-one (21) years.  They must complete certification training from the Florida Department of Health (DOH), and in some cases, caregivers are required to complete a criminal background check.

Caregivers (regardless of whether they are the parent or a guardian of a minor) may not be certified physicians or employed in any way by a medical marijuana treatment center (MMTC) or cannabis testing facility.

Only authorized caregivers may purchase and administer medical marijuana to qualified patients who are under the age of 18. When in possession of medical marijuana, caregivers must have their medical marijuana use registry identification readily on hand to present when a law enforcement officer asks for verification.

We know that many residents do live in Florida all year long.  Many retirees are “snowbirds” that rent vacation homes for part of the year in Sarasota, Florida.  You do not need to be a permanent resident to qualify for a Florida medical marijuana card.

Part-time residents must live at a fixed address for at least thirty-one (31) days before applying for a Florida medical card.  Patients can provide proof of a rental or lease for that duration of time to become registered patients with the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU). 

Most seasonal residents in Florida can receive their medical card within ten (10) business days after they have completed their health evaluation and online application. Patients are required to pay for the cost of the mandatory health evaluation and the patient application fee of $75.00.

Unlike other states, the medical card in Florida must be renewed every seven months.  This can confuse some patients, as other states require annual renewal.  The good news is that you can renew your Florida medical marijuana card up to forty-five days before it expires.

Our patients at DocMJ never have to worry about forgetting to renew their medical card! Once you have completed your health evaluation and received your Florida medical marijuana card, we will send reminders when you are due for renewal.

Medical marijuana has a stigma surrounding it due to its psychoactive components and long-standing legal restrictions on its use. However, cannabis sativa, the plant from which marijuana is derived, has origins dating back to ancient times for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. As more legislative restrictions become lifted and state regulation measures are modified to make medical marijuana legal, patients with qualifying medical conditions can legally purchase these products.

With existing state of Florida laws and guidelines in place, knowing where to go for treatment and how the certification process works can be overwhelming. To help eliminate the stress of not knowing what to expect, here is a simple breakdown of the steps to pre-qualify to obtain your Florida medical marijuana card.

Florida Law requires that anyone seeking treatment will need to be evaluated by a trained medical marijuana doctor. Florida state law has allowed Florida residents with depression to obtain access to medical marijuana treatment. Our highly qualified physicians, who have undergone specialized training to prescribe medical marijuana, can listen to your needs and concerns.

There are three convenient ways to schedule an appointment.

1. Call our Sarasota DocMJ direct line at (888) 908-0143. We can seamlessly communicate with you over the phone and help prepare you for the physician evaluation.
2. Utilize the chat feature at the bottom right corner of the screen on DocMJ.com, where you can virtually set up an appointment.
3. Click "Book Now" on the DocMJ.com main webpage to conveniently book directly online.

The initial consultation visit is a flat fee of $189 and can be made as a one-time payment or by enrolling in our monthly payment plan. If you want to set up the payment plan, our friendly staff members will be happy to assist you. Please call us at(888) 908-0143.

*We have a 100 money back guarantee if you are evaluated and do not receive a cannabis recommendation by our DocMJ doctors.

After payment, there will be a few emails sent to you. One will be a payment confirmation, and the second a medical questionnaire. We highly encourage every patient to complete the questionnaire at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment.

Our physicians cannot provide a new diagnosis during your medical cannabis health evaluation.  Patients must be able to provide proof of prior diagnosis to proceed.  If you do not have a recent diagnosis, you can obtain a letter from your current primary care physician stating the diagnosis of one (or more than one) qualifying health condition.

The initial consultation visit should take approximately 15 minutes. During this time, your physician will perform an in-person assessment, review your medical records from the last 7 years, carefully listen to any concerns, and document any reported symptoms. Finally, your doctor will determine if any diagnosed condition would qualify you for marijuana recommendation and approval for a medical cannabis card. This card would allow patients to visit dispensaries and purchase medical marijuana products.

Once your physician adds your name to the state of Florida registry, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to access your login information for the medical marijuana use registry. Upon accessing your account, residency verification (such as state ID) will be required in addition to paying an annual fee of $75. Approximately 10 days after the annual fee payment, the approval process has been completed, and an email containing a temporary registry ID will be issued.