Can I be/have a caregiver for a medical marijuana patient in Maine?

Yes, medical marijuana patients in Maine can have a caregiver.

Caregiver Requirements:

• Be at least 21 years old.

• Must register with the state if NOT a family member of the patient.

• $240 annual licensing fee.
• No prior convictions of drug-related offenses.
  • A background check is required every 12 months.
  • $31 background check fee.

• Caregivers may serve up to 5 patients.

• Must have their ID card before buying, possessing, or cultivating cannabis.

• Only minors, incapacitated adults, or patients in hospice or nursing facilities may have two caregivers.

To apply as a caregiver, follow this process:

1. Access the online caregiver application portal.

2. From the Main Menu choose “Individuals”.

3. Applicants will have the option to “Apply for an Individual Caregiver Registration” or “Renew an Individual Caregiver Registration.”

   1. If your caregiver registration has passed its expiration date, choose “Apply for an Individual Caregiver Registration." You can only use the renewal option if your card is currently still active.

   2. The “Upload Outstanding Application Documents” will allow the applicant to upload any documents that were not present during the application process at a later time.

4. Applicants will be asked if they have ever held any type of license in the medical program, which includes a prior caregiver registration, a caregiver assistant registration, or a dispensary assistant registration. Answering this correctly will link your new application to your existing profile in OCP’s system and make processing your application much faster.

5. Provide your personal information: name, date of birth, and social security number.

6. Provide your state-issued photo ID information and a unique Maine Revenue Services Registration Certificate number (Retailer and/or Resaler).

7. Provide your personal contact information including addresses, personal phone number, and personal email address.

   1. Continue to add additional addresses until all applicable addresses are provided, including:

      1. Mailing Address

      2. Street Location (this is the applicant’s current personal residential address and five years of prior addresses, if different)

      3. Grow Location (up to two, there may be separate locations for mature plans and immature plants)

      4. Manufacturing Location

      5. Retail Location

      6. Wholesale Storage Location

8. Provide the name and address of the property owner of each property, as well as any “Doing Business As Name” the applicant may use.

9. Indicate all authorized activities the caregiver will be engaged in. 

   1. Ex. If selecting “Standard caregiver cultivation activities”, also indicate which activity or activities best describes what happens to harvested cannabis.

10. The applicant will indicate a cultivation level.

    1. Please note the “No authorization to grow/sell Medical Cannabis” is the option to choose for long-term care facilities and schools assisting a qualified patient pursuant to Title 22 § 2423-A(1)(F-1)(2) and (4).

11. Indicate if you have ever been convicted of a violation of a state or federal controlled substance law.

12. Upload a copy of your state-issued photo ID and, if applicable to your caregiver activities: scale certification(s), pesticide applicator license, commercial or home food establishment license, retail food establishment license, beverage plant license, and business organization documents.

13. Read and attest to the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Program qualifying statements.

14. Indicate if the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy has completed a background check in the past 12 months.

    1. If you cannot remember the date of your last background check, please call OCP to check, as answering this question incorrectly can delay the processing of your application.

15. Review, attest, and agree to the information submitted in the application.

16. You will receive a confirmation email at the email address provided during the application process.

    1. If the applicant indicated it has been over 12 months since the last background check, there will be an application fee notice attached for the $31.00 background check fee. You must submit this fee for your application to continue moving forward through the process.

17. Once the application is deemed complete, you'll receive a confirmation email with an Application Fee Notice attached for the licensing fee.

    1. The annual licensing fee for caregivers is $240 per patient.
    2. There is no licensing fee for caregivers of patients in hospice or nursing facilities.

18. Once the application is approved and the licensing fee is paid, the caregiver registry identification card will be issued, printed, and mailed to the caregiver.

• Caregiver Online Application Instructions