How to get a medical marijuana card in Maryland.
Free one-on-one help from a Bloom Cannabis patient rep.
With a Maryland medical card, you can shop from 18, skip the 12% cannabis tax and buy as a registered patient. Registration is online, your card is free to print, and a Bloom rep will walk you through every step for free.
About a minute. We never ask about your health.
What a Maryland medical card gets you.
You don't need a card to shop at 21. But with one, three things change at the register — starting with your first patient visit.
18 and up
Registering as a patient is the only way to buy at a Maryland dispensary before you turn 21.
No 12% tax
Medical purchases are exempt from Maryland's 12% cannabis sales and use tax. Recreational purchases pay it every time.
Patient menu
Shop the medical menu at Bloom Germantown, with a 30-day allotment set by the state instead of the per-visit recreational limit.
Less hassle than you'd think.
Most of the work happens on a state website and a provider visit you can take from home. If anything stalls, we help — free.
Free to print your card
Print your patient ID card from OneStop at no charge. A physical card is optional at $25, waived for VA and Medicaid enrollees.
Done from home
You register online through Maryland OneStop, and your provider's assessment can be in person or by telehealth.
Register once for six years
Your MCA registration lasts six years. After that, it's one provider certification a year to stay current.
Free help if you stall
A Bloom patient rep walks you through any step by phone or email. No health questions, nothing to buy.
What waiting costs you.
Without a card, every recreational purchase carries Maryland's 12% cannabis tax. Here's what that adds up to over a year, based on what you spend before tax.
$72 a year
in cannabis tax you'd stop paying as a patient.
$144 a year
in cannabis tax, every year you shop without a card.
$288 a year
in cannabis tax that stays in your pocket as a patient.
Turn it around: your yearly provider visit is the main cost of a card. If it costs $100, for example, the tax saving alone covers it once you spend about $835 a year — roughly $70 a month.
- If you're 18 to 20, waiting means not buying at a Maryland dispensary at all until you turn 21.
- If your certification lapses, you're back to recreational pricing and the 12% tax — and under 21, back to not buying. Read how Maryland medical card renewal works.
If you only shop now and then, the saving may not cover the visit. Tell a rep what you usually spend and they'll tell you honestly whether it's worth it.
Which one sounds like you?
If any of these fit, fill in the form so your rep knows where to start. Not sure? Fill it in anyway — they'll figure it out with you.
“Is this even worth it for me?”
Tell us what you usually spend. We'll run the tax math and tell you if the answer is no.
“I'm ready — where do I start?”
What OneStop asks for, and how to find a provider registered with the MCA.
“I'm stuck in OneStop.”
Your application came back, the verification email never arrived, or you can't find your Patient ID Number.
“Mine's expiring or already lapsed.”
Whether it's your certification or your registration that needs renewing, and how to get current again.
Four steps, and where people get stuck.
In Maryland you register with the state first, then a provider certifies you. None of it happens at a dispensary — what we do is keep you moving when a step stalls, so you get to patient pricing sooner.
Register with the MCA
Create an account on Maryland OneStop and apply as a patient. You'll need an email address, your Social Security number, a government-issued photo ID, a recent photo and proof of your Maryland address dated within 90 days. Snag: forgetting to click the email verification link, so the application is never reviewed.
Maryland OneStopGet your Patient ID Number
Once the MCA approves your application, it emails your Patient ID Number. Keep that email — your provider needs the number to certify you. Snag: a photo that doesn't meet the guidelines gets the application returned.
MCA approval emailGet a written certification
See a provider registered with the MCA, in person or by telehealth. If they recommend medical cannabis for a qualifying condition, they certify you online in OneStop. Snag: booking before you're registered, when the provider can't certify you yet.
An MCA-registered providerShop as a patient
Bring your government-issued photo ID and your patient ID card or number to Bloom Germantown. Use your certification within 120 days, or it becomes void. Snag: letting a new certification sit unused.
Bloom GermantownMaryland's qualifying conditions.
This is Maryland's list, not ours. Bloom Cannabis doesn't decide who qualifies and can't tell you whether you do — only a provider registered with the MCA can make that call. Check the list before you pay for an appointment.
- Cachexia
- Anorexia
- Wasting syndrome
- Severe or chronic pain
- Severe nausea
- Seizures
- Severe or persistent muscle spasms
- Glaucoma
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Another chronic medical condition which is severe and for which other treatments have been ineffective
The last item on the list gives providers room to certify for conditions not named here — that's for the provider to decide. See the MCA's patient page for the current list.
The rest of what to know.
6 years
Your MCA patient registration is valid for six years before you renew it.
Up to 1 year
Your written certification lasts up to one year, and becomes void if you don't use it within 120 days.
Maryland residents
18 and older, with proof of a Maryland address. Patients under 18 register with a parent or legal guardian, 21 or older, as caregiver.
Program rules come from the Maryland Cannabis Administration, which runs the patient registry through Maryland OneStop. Card in hand? Check in as a patient at Bloom Germantown, 11530 Middlebrook Road, open 8 AM to 10 PM daily.
Tell us where you're stuck.
A Bloom Cannabis patient rep who knows Maryland's patient program. Free either way.
- No health questions
- Nothing to buy
- A reply within one business day
Get free help with your card
A Bloom Cannabis patient rep will reach out by phone or email.
Thanks — we'll be in touch.
A Bloom patient rep will reach out by phone or email within one business day to help with your Maryland medical card. Questions before then? Call Bloom Germantown at (240) 813-8818.
For Maryland residents 18 and older. We use your details only to help with your card — we never ask about your health and never sell your information. Privacy policy.
Maryland medical card questions.
What does Bloom Cannabis get out of helping me?
We hope you'll shop with us afterwards. That's it. We don't certify patients, we take no commission from any provider or certification service, and there's nothing to buy. If a card doesn't make financial sense for you, a rep will say so.
Will you ask about my medical condition?
No — not on the form and not on the phone. We're a dispensary, not a medical provider. Whether you qualify is between you and a provider registered with the MCA, and we have no reason to keep a record of your health information.
Do I need a medical card to shop at a Maryland dispensary?
No. Anyone 21 or older with a valid government-issued photo ID can buy recreational cannabis at Bloom Germantown. Registering as a patient matters if you're 18 to 20, or if you want to shop as a patient — the medical menu and no 12% cannabis sales tax.
How much does a Maryland medical card cost?
You can print your patient ID card from OneStop at no charge, or order a physical card from the MCA for $25 — waived for VA and Maryland Medicaid enrollees. The provider visit for your certification is a separate cost set by the provider, and it repeats each year, so compare a few before you book.
How much can a medical card save me?
Patients skip Maryland's 12% cannabis sales and use tax, so you keep about $12 of every $100 you spend before tax. Whether that covers your yearly provider visit depends on what you spend and what the visit costs: a $100 visit, for example, pays for itself once you spend about $835 a year. A rep can run the numbers with you.
Can I do it all online?
Mostly. You register with the MCA online through Maryland OneStop, and your provider's assessment can happen in person or by telehealth. You never need to visit a state office.
What's the difference between registration and certification?
Registration is how the MCA verifies your identity and Maryland residency; it lasts six years. Certification is your provider's recommendation; it lasts up to one year. You need both to be current to buy as a patient.
How much can a medical patient buy?
The medical standard is up to 120 grams of flower or 36 grams of THC per rolling 30 days, unless your provider certifies a different amount. You can see your allotment in your OneStop account.
Can I get a card if I'm under 21?
Yes. Maryland residents 18 and older can register as patients, and registration is the only way to buy at a Maryland dispensary before 21. Patients under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian, 21 or older, registered as their caregiver.
What if my certification already expired?
You lose patient status at the register — and if you're under 21, the ability to buy at all — until a registered provider certifies you again. See how Maryland medical card renewal works, or ask a rep to walk you through it.