The Montana Department of Health and Human Services was empowered by state initiative #148 to begin issuing ID cards for patients who intend to use medical marijuana on the advice of their physician, beginning November in 2004. Registration is mandatory for any and all patients who are in possession of, or intend to be in possession of, medicinal marijuana in any amount or quantity.

The registration fee has been set at five dollars annually. Out of state ID cards are no longer valid for obtaining medical marijuana in the state of Montana, as of July of 2011.

As of August, 2018, the only approved conditions under which medical marijuana may be used or have in possession are:

A positive diagnosis for HIV/AIDS; glaucoma; cancer; epilepsy; PTSD; Multiple Sclerosis; Crohn’s disease; chronic neuropathy; being admitted to a state licensed hospice facility; and cases of severe nausea, muscle spasms, and seizures affiliated with any chronic condition that, in the opinion of the primary care physician, is not responding satisfactorily to more traditional pain and stress management therapies. You may want to try out vaping without any marijuana, perhaps just some vape with a coffee or mint taste. Visit Smoking Things for more.

In order to either possess or cultivate medical marijuana a registered patient with a current ID card may have up to a dozen seedlings and four mature plants that are in flower at any one time. When cultivating said medical marijuana plants, they must be inside a secured building that can be locked from both the inside and outside. Patients are limited to one ounce of medical marijuana at any one time. Cardholding patients who wish to assign their rights to a medical provider will be prohibited from cultivating any marijuana plants themselves.