North Dakota

Once you have visited your doctor and discussed a recommendation for medical cannabis to treat one of the eligible conditions listed below, you will fill out an application on the ND Department of Health website. The application will include:

• Your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address;
• An uploaded photo; This is the photo that will go on the ID card if the application is approved. Face the camera directly with your full face in view. Do not tilt the photo. Do not use a filter. Your eyes must be open. The background of the photo should be plain (plain white or off-white background is best). Your photo should be in color and not black and white or sepia. Avoid wearing dark, tinted glasses, hats or head coverings when taking the photo. The system will accept various image formats, including JPEG and PNG;
• An uploaded copy of the front of your ND state-issued driver's license or ND state-issued non-driver identification card;
• Name of health care provider who will be completing the written certification;
• Email address of health care provider who will be completing the written certification;
• A signed medical release of information document, contact your healthcare provider about this.
• A $25 non-refundable application fee paid online with a card or by mail with a physical check or money order.

You will be asked three questions:

• If you are able to make their own medical decisions? If answered "no" additional information will need to be provided
• If you are intending to designate a caregiver, in this case a caregiver will fill out a separate application as well but will need a barcode number from you.
• If you are a veteran. If you are, you will need to provide a few additional answers.

Once you have finished the application, you will still need a written certification from your doctor. Since you have submitted their health care provider's full name and email address, the provider will be notified to complete the written certification on your behalf. You will not provide the written certification, as it will come directly from the health care provider

QUALIFYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS

If you are diagnosed with one of the following conditions, you may be eligible for physician certification as a patient in North Dakota:

• cancer;
• positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS);
• decompensated cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C;
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis;
• post-traumatic stress disorder;
• agitation of Alzheimer's disease or related dementia;
• Crohn's disease; fibromyalgia; spinal stenosis or chronic back pain,
• including neuropathy or damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity;
• glaucoma; epilepsy; anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa;
• anxiety disorder;
• Tourette syndrome;
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome; endometriosis;
• interstitial cystitis; neuropathy;
• migraine; rheumatoid arthritis;
• autism spectrum disorder;
• a brain injury;
• a terminal illness;
• or a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or treatment for such disease or medical condition that produces one or more of the following: (1) cachexia or wasting syndrome; (2) severe debilitating pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures for more than three months or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects; (3) intractable nausea; (4) seizures; or (5) severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.

Becoming a Patient as a Minor:

If you are under the age of 19 and wish to become a cannabis patient in South Dakota, the process is slightly different. Minors must apply on the ND Department of Health website. Minor applicants must have a designated caregiver. The parent or legal guardian can be the designated caregiver; if your designated caregiver is a parent or legal guardian with whom you reside, the application fee for the caregiver will be waived. Somebody other than the parent or legal guardian can be the designated caregiver.

If you wish to become a designated caregiver, you must submit a separate application specific to designated caregivers in order to receive a registry ID card and be able to purchase, assist in the use of, or possess products under the Medical Marijuana Program on behalf of a registered patient. You must provide the patient barcode number and patient name as part of the application. Make sure you have the barcode from your designated patient before you fill out the application.

North Dakota does not recognize out-of-State registrations. For more information about traveling as a medical cannabis patient, check out our Travel Guide.

Dispensaries: 

After your enrollment is approved. You can access your Medical Cannabis Registry account and pick up medical cannabis at your nearest medical cannabis dispensary. Find Medical Cannabis Dispensary Locations.

Cannabis Product Safety:

Cannabis, in its natural form, is inherently safe for most patients, but it is especially susceptible to contaminants during cultivation, manufacturing, handling & even storing. Whether you are purchasing cannabis from regulated, grey, or illicit markets or cultivating your own cannabis, you should be aware of the contaminants commonly found in cannabis and the symptoms that accompany their presence.

Products sold in Minnesota's dispensaries and adult-use retail locations must be tested for contaminants, pesticides, and adulterants based on these thresholds set by state regulators.  For more information about cannabis safety, download ASA's "What’s in Your Cannabis? A Patient & Consumer Guide to Navigating Cannabis Safety."

Home Cultivation:

Not allowed.

If you are arrested for the possession of cannabis, you will have an affirmative defense in court provided that you have your registry ID on your person at the time.

veterans to submit medical records and discharge documentation instead of a certification

In 2019, those with low-level cannabis possession convictions were able to seek unconditional pardons, permitted by North Dakota state officials. Low-level cannabis possession penalties for first-time offenders have been reduced to a “criminal infraction” which is now punishable by a fine instead of up to 30 days in jail. Refer to A Guide for North Dakota Court Process and the Application to Pardon Eligible Marijuana Offenses.

*UPDATE: CANNABIS LAWS HAVE CHANGED AS OF APRIL 28, 2026: Learn more here. Medical cannabis patients who are in compliance with state medical cannabis programs are now in compliance with federal law.

Report Dissemination here.

Medical cannabis may be legal in your state, but it is still illegal under federal law. That means that it is illegal to cross state lines even if the bordering state also has a medical cannabis program. For more information about traveling as a medical cannabis patient, check out our Travel Guide. 

Federal prohibition can affect far more than access to cannabis. Medical cannabis patients are not protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which can leave patients without the protections other people with serious health conditions may expect. Medical cannabis patients have no protections when it comes to employment, housing, and healthcare. 

For many Americans, federal programs provide essential healthcare, housing, and financial support. In some cases, patients are forced to choose between the medicine they need and the federal benefits they depend on. Because federal law still treats all cannabis use as unlawful, medical cannabis patients cannot legally own a gun, work for the federal government, and can be barred from federal programs and services. 

That is why it is important to understand both your state’s medical cannabis laws and the federal barriers that may still apply.

Stigma and discrimination also make patients targets for law enforcement encounters. Keep in mind that the best law enforcement encounter is the one that never occurs! It's crucial for individuals involved in medical cannabis to understand not only medical cannabis laws and regulations but also their rights. Be Prepared. Know Your Rights!