Alaska

Any licensed physician who has personally examined the patient within the context of a bona fide physician-patient relationship may provide a signed physician’s statement for the Alaska Medical Cannabis Program. Alaska does not require a separate state registration or permit for certifying physicians.

Alaska does not require physicians to register separately with the Department of Health to certify medical cannabis patients. Physicians must:

• Hold a valid medical license in Alaska
• Have personally examined the patient within the 16 months preceding the application or annual renewal
• Have established a bona fide physician-patient relationship with the patient

Qualifying conditions are defined in AS 17.37.070 and include:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• any chronic or debilitating disease producing cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, or persistent muscle spasms.

*Physicians and patients may petition the department to add conditions under AS 17.37.060.

To certify a patient, the physician must:

• Personally examine the patient within the context of a bona fide physician-patient relationship
• Have examined the patient within the past 16 months
• Provide a signed statement confirming the examination date, the debilitating medical condition diagnosis, and that the physician has considered other approved treatments and concludes the patient may benefit from the medical use of cannabis

Once the physician provides this statement, the patient submits a sworn application to the Alaska Department of Health. See the Application Forms and Instructions for the required documentation.

Telehealth for medical cannabis certifications is permitted in Alaska, provided a valid physician-patient relationship exists and all other requirements are met

Registration must be renewed annually. For renewal, the physician must have personally examined the patient within the 16 months preceding the renewal application and must provide a new signed physician’s statement. If a patient’s card has already expired, the patient must reapply as a new applicant rather than renewing.

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (Title III section 301) which became law on December 2, 2022, and the First Amendment (established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that doctors, and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options).

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