FAQs

Who can receive a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania?

A person with an approved "serious medical condition" who is a Pennsylvania resident and is certified by a doctor participating in the program.

What conditions qualify to be treated with medical marijuana in Pennsylvania?

Only patients suffering from one of the following medical conditions may currently participate in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program:

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis;

  • Anxiety;

  • Autism;

  • Cancer, including remission therapy;

  • Crohn’s Disease;

  • Damage to the nervous tissue of the central nervous system (brain-spinal cord) with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, and other associated neuropathies;

  • Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders;

  • Epilepsy;

  • Glaucoma;

  • HIV / AIDS;

  • Huntington’s Disease;

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD);

  • Intractable Seizures;

  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS);

  • Neurodegenerative diseases;

  • Neuropathies;

  • Opioid use disorder for which conventional therapeutic interventions are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions;

  • Parkinson’s Disease;

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD);

  • Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain (Chronic Severe Pain);

  • Sickle Cell Anemia;

  • Terminal illness;

  • Tourettes Syndrome

How do I get certified for medical marijuana?

  1. Contact Dr. Ben who will confirm that you suffer from at least one of the 23 medical conditions that qualify for medical marijuana.

  2. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Ben.

  3. Register for the medical marijuana program through the Medical Marijuana Registry at https://padohmmp.custhelp.com/app/login. If you have         difficulty registering online Dr. Ben will help complete this step.

  4. The same day as your appointment with Dr. Ben, you will receive an email that you are certified for the Pennsylvania Medical marijuana Program.

  5. All certifications will be for a period of 1 year. Since May 2018 only once has a referring physician requested that Dr. Ben certify their patient for less than  a 1 year period. This situation was discussed with and accepted by the patient prior to his appointment.

  6. Pay for a medical marijuana ID card.

  7. Purchase medical marijuana from an approved dispensary in Pennsylvania.

How do I make an appointment with Dr. Ben?

  1. Fill out the information in the New Patient Form

  2. Dr. Ben will contact your physicians office to obtain a copy of your last office. If needed Dr. Ben will contact you by phone with any questions he may have to confirm that you suffer from 1 of the 23 qualifying medical conditions.

  3. Once Dr. Ben confirms that you suffer from a qualifying condition you will receive a detailed email regarding an appointment within 24 hours via telemedicine.

What do I need to bring to my appointment?

Dr. Ben will already have obtained a copy of your medical records confirming that you suffer from a qualifying condition. Thus, you do not need to bring a copy of your medical records to your appointment.

All patients must have proof of Pennsylvania residency in the form of a Pennsylvania driver's license or a Pennsylvania state issued ID card with their current address. A photo is required on the form of identification.

Patients also must have a working email address.

Credit card or cash are accepted forms for payment.

What can I expect for my appointment?

The appointment should take approximately 30 minutes in all.  You will receive forms to be completed via DocuSign. These forms must be completed prior to the appointment.


Where do I get medical marijuana from once I am certified?

During your appointment with Dr. Ben he will discuss with you which dispensary would most likely be closest to your home or work. In addition, he will discuss with you the scheduling of your evaluation with the dispensary's pharmacist at your initial dispensary visit.

Please review the dispensary section of this website.

Does insurance cover the cost of my visit?

At this time your medical evaluation for certification is not covered by your health insurance.  However, it is an office visit with a physician and you will be given a receipt for your visit if requested. The evaluation with Dr. Ben is no different than an office visit with your personal and/or referring physician. Dr. Ben's receipt will be billed through Jacobs Medical Group and you can submit the receipt to your employer who may reimburse you for the office visit.

Where can I find more information about the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program?

https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/programs/Medical%20Marijuana/Pages/Patients.aspx

How do I register with the state to obtain a patient ID number?

Before your appointment with Dr. Ben please log onto https://padohmmp.custhelp.com/app/adult-patient-registration and register if you have not already done so. Please make sure to use a desktop or laptop computer (not cellphone), all capital letters, no dashes or spaces when entering your phone number (use the phone number used when you went to the DMV to get your drivers license), and type in your address exactly as it appears on your drivers license. If you have trouble registering bring your drivers license to the appointment and Dr. Ben will register you.