How to Apply for Marihuana for Medical Purposes

• Applying for the first time
• Renewing your application without changes
• Renewing your application with changes
• How to make changes to your existing Authorization and/or Licence to Produce
• Forms and Guides

Applying for the First Time

There are three steps when applying for a Licence to Possess Marihuana for Medical Purposes and for a legal source of supply under the Marihuana Medical Access Program (MMAP):

Step 1 - Consult your Medical Practitioner

First, before you apply to the MMAP, your licensed medical practitioner (medical doctor) and yourself must both be willing to declare that conventional treatment(s) for the Category 1 or 2 symptoms have been tried or considered, and have been found to be ineffective or medically inappropriate for the treatment of your health condition. You can find more information for medical practitioners if you need it.

Step 2 - Choose a Supply Source

Once your medical doctor and yourself both agree that you should apply to the MMAP to obtain marihuana for your condition and/or symptoms, you must choose a source of supply.

There are three options available to you to obtain a legal supply of marihuana for medical purposes. You must choose one:

1. Health Canada's supply of dried marihuana, OR
2. You can produce your own supply of dried marihuana (Personal-Use Production Licence), OR
3. You can designate another person to produce a supply of dried marihuana for you (Designated-Person Production Licence).

Before you choose what your legal supply of dried marihuana will be, consider the following:

Step 3 - Apply

Once you have decided which supply option you intend to use, you will need to complete an application and submit it to Health Canada. Each application includes the request for an authorization to possess marihuana for medical purposes and a request for the selected source of supply of marihuana for medical purposes.  A guidance document is available to complete each application form.

The application form you need to use depends on which of the three legal supply options you choose.

Applying for the First Time

Health Canada Supply
Purchase marihuana from Health Canada.

• Form A
• 2 photographs of applicant signed by a medical practitioner.
• Form B1 or Form B2
• Form E1

Personal Use Production Licence
Purchase seeds from Health Canada and produce your own marihuana.

• Form A
• 2 photographs of applicant signed by a medical practitioner.
• Form B1 or Form B2
• Form C
• Form E1 and/or Form E2

*Form F - if the production site is not the applicant's ordinary place of residence and is not owned by the applicant.

• proof of Signing Authority if the Property owner named is a Corporation.

Designated-Person Production Licence
Purchase seeds from Health Canada and designate someone to grow marihuana for you.

• Form A
• 2 photographs of applicant signed by a medical practitioner.
• Form B1 or Form B2
• Form D
• Form E1 and/or Form E2

*Form F - if the production site is not the applicant's or designated person's ordinary place of residence and is not owned by the applicant or designated person.

• proof of Signing Authority if the Property owner named is a Corporation.
• Criminal Record Check (CRC) for the Designated person - Must be an original document from a Canadian Police Force
• 2 photographs of the Designated Person signed by the applicant

The MMAP strives to meet its service standards for processing complete applications within 10 weeks of receiving the application, including new applications, applications to renew, or applications to amend an existing authorization/licence. Please note that the service standard only applies once applications are fully completed. Aapplications from people with symptoms being treated within the context of compassionate end-of-life care will continue to be given immediate priority.