Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry Home Page

The Colorado Board of Health approved the Department of Public Health's proposal to reduce the application fee. Effective January 1, 2012, the application fee is reduced to $35 per application.

The Registry is anticipating a high volume of annual renewals in the next few months.  The renewal process is the same as for new applicants. Applicants are encouraged to begin the process 45 – 60 days before their card’s expiration date.  Renewal applications cannot be used as evidence of registration for medical marijuana purchases.

Applicants should not send in renewal applications more than 60 days before their expiration date. Applications received more than 60 days before the expiration date are rejected. The application fee is cashed by the Registry. Applicants who choose to submit a new application within the 60-day window will have to submit all new paperwork.

Download the application packet here.

Per Colorado Board of Health rules: “The department may deny an application for any of the following reasons:

1. The physician recommendation is falsified;
2. Any information on the application is falsified;
3. The identification card that is presented with the application is not the patient’s identification card;
4. The applicant is not a Colorado resident; 
5. If the department has twice rejected the patient’s application, and the applicant’s third submission is incomplete.

Patients whose applications are in the denial process will receive a Letter of Intent to Deny from the Registry. This letter details the reasons for denial and the appeals process.

If the department denies an application, then the applicant may not submit a new application until six months following the date of denial and may not use the application as a registry card. If the basis for denial is falsification, law enforcement shall be notified of any fraud issues.” 

For a list of denied applications, visit our Medical Marijuana Centers page.

 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment takes the role of data security seriously and incorporates all statutory requirements in its computer systems. The computer system used by the Medical Marijuana Registry (MMR) uses the same computer security methods that are used by the computer system housing birth records. Only MMR employees have access to the MMR computer system, and that access is controlled by defined roles. For example, an employee can only access the portion of the MMR computer system necessary to perform the functions of his/her job.

Statute requires that the department respond to law enforcement inquiries to verify that an MMR certificate is valid. MMR employees manually look up records for law enforcement using procedures that comply with Colorado law. The department is working with law enforcement to automate those queries. Any future automated queries will be subject to the same submission requirements as the current manual inquiries, and the information released in response to such inquiries would be identical to what is currently being supplied manually. All queries will be recorded and logged for audit purposes.

The Registry has conducted an extensive review of all its written materials and policies to ensure compliance with State statutes and to increase readability and comprehension rates. As a result of this analysis, new forms were released on October 24, 2011.  Physicians recommending the use of medical marijuana to their patients should be aware of the following policies and procedures.

1. Physician Certification Process:  The Physician Certification must be completed and signed by a M.D. or D.O. with an active Colorado medical license.  Physicians with conditions or restrictions on their license, or out-of-state license, may not sign the form.  Medical staff who do not have active licensure as a M.D. or D.O. may not conduct the physical examination, complete or sign the Physician Certification. 
    
2. Submitting New Physician Certifications: Physician Certifications are submitted annually as part of the application process.  Physician Certifications submitted separately from the application process will be rejected.  If the patient’s homebound status has changed, the patient may submit form #MMR1011 Change of Homebound Status, which includes a Physician Certification. 
    
3. DEA Verification of Physician Certifications: The Registry rejects Physician Certifications on which the physician’s name does not match the name on the DEA Certificate.  To reduce potential for rejection please ensure that the physician’s legal name is recorded on the Physician Certification, regardless how the physician signs paperwork. 
    
4. Confidentiality of Patient and Physician Data: Information gathered from the application packet, including the Physician Certification, is used to determine a patient’s eligibility for a Medical Marijuana Registration Card. All patient and physician records are confidential. The Registry is required to maintain statistical records and provide aggregate data to State regulatory agencies to ensure legislative compliance. This information does not include confidential indicators associated with patients or physicians. 
    
5. Medical Diagnosis and Plant Count Recommendations: The Registry approves patient applications within legislative parameters. Registry staff are not qualified or permitted to provide guidance regarding diagnosis or plant count recommendations for patients.  Per Colorado Constitution, Article XVIII, Section 14, the standard plant count is six plants, no more than two ounces of a usable form of marijuana. 

Effective July 1, 2011, Colorado Revised Statute 12-43.3-402. Medical marijuana center license rules were amended to allow Medical Marijuana Centers to accept copies of new applications as temporary proof of registry. To present application as proof of registration, the patient must provide the following:

• A new application packet including the application and physician’s certification. Patients may not show renewal paperwork as proof of registry.
• A certified mail return receipt with a mailing date no more than 35 days old.
• A valid picture ID that matches the name on the application.

For more information, visit our Medical Marijuana Centers page.

Policy & Procedures Update August 2012

Physician Newsletters

• Physician Update, October 5, 2011 .
• Physician Update, December 1, 2011 .
• Physician Update, January 30, 2012 .
• Medical Marijuana Registry Physician Newsletter March 2012
• Physician Update April 2013

Centers Newsletters

• Center Update, October 5, 2011 .  
• Center Update, December 1, 2011 .  
• Center Update, January 30, 2012 .  
• Medical Marijuana Center Newsletter March 2012
•  Medical Marijuana Center Newsletter June 2012
• Center Update October 2012
• Center Update, April 2013