Is your Medical Marijuana Card California due for renewal this year? You will be relaxed to know that you are in luck this time. As earlier, you were required to renew the medical marijuana card to continue with the health and legal benefits of medical marijuana, but back on May 19, 2020, California’s Governor has extended the expiration of all the medical cannabis cards that would about expire on 4rth March 2020 for 60 days.
The Covid-19 situation is not hidden from anyone, and since March 2020, the pandemic situation has gone to the peak. Undoubtedly the situation is not normal and how much more time it will take is not analyzable. This calls for new regulations and orders, and that is why the California government passed the Medical Marijuana ID Card expiry extension order. Let us dig into the concept to check what it states.
Medical Marijuana ID card extension!
On January 21, 2021, California’s Governor signed and approved the executive order to extend the MMIC’s expiry date due to the present situation. According to the executive order, the cards expiring on 4rth March 2020 or after that will remain valid until the new order is announced.
The state medical marijuana ID cards are issued under the Health and Safety Code 11362.71, which legally authorizes the cardholder to consume and purchase medical cannabis for personal purposes. The cardholder can be either a marijuana patient of legal age or a caregiver.
Generally, a state-issued medical marijuana card is valid for a year and calls for renewal before the expiry date. But in the vision of the present pandemic situation, the California government has provided relaxation. The relaxation allows the patients undergoing medical cannabis treatment to access their medications devoid of having to worry about the expirations of the medical marijuana cards.
Therefore, the order ensures that all the state-licensed dispensaries accept the MMICs expired on 4rth March or after that. Also, it offers the cardholders every advantage entitled by law.
Before moving further, it is essential to clarify between a Medical Marijuana Card and a recommendation letter. You must be wondering why we are emphasizing this now, but believe us defining it makes a difference!
Difference between a Medical Marijuana Card and a recommendation letter!
With the extension on the expiration dates of MMIC, the same is not the case with a Medical Marijuana recommendation letter or card (MMRC). Therefore, You must be familiar with the difference between both terms to avoid getting trapped into legal issues.
California Medical Cannabis Card i.e. MMIC is an official document issued by the county’s public health offices whose primary purpose is to allow easier access to medical cannabis treatment for patients undergoing marijuana treatments.
Coming back to a Medical Marijuana recommendation card is a letter endowed by a licensed medical doctor stating their approval for a patient to undergo the medical cannabis treatment.
You can access and purchase medical cannabis legally with either of the documents. Like a Medical Marijuana Card, a medical marijuana recommendation letter also has a year’s validity from the issue dates. So, suppose you are not registered with the state medical marijuana program. You will have to get your recommendation renewed before expiration as there is no extension for the recommendation letters.
Final Thoughts!
As the pandemic has affected the most and the numbers are drastically changing every day, staying at home is the only smart way to tackle the whole situation and take good care. However, considering the current situation California’s Government has to some essential and worthwhile steps to help the patients undergoing the marijuana treatments by rewarding them with the MMIC expiry extension orders.
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