New York State Process

Congratulations on getting approved for your medical certification. Here's a guide on what to expect next.

If you were approved AFTER March 20, 2023...

Your approving provider will submit all of the necessary registration details directly to the state! Once completed,

1. A copy of your state-issued certification will be uploaded to Leafwell within 48 business hours.

2. You will receive an email as soon as it is available to download.

3. You can legally purchase cannabis from a licensed dispensing facility. You must present a copy of your certification and a government-issued ID at the dispensary!

If you were certified BEFORE March 20th, 2023...

You will unfortunately still need to register with the state. Please follow the instructions below:

Before you start, have these supporting documents ready:

• A signed certification from a Leafwell physician, Photo ID, Proof of New York State residency, A birth certificate (if you’re under 18)

Apply to the state: (Patients approved BEFORE 3/20/2023)

1. Download the PDF certificate from your patient dashboard on Leafwell
2. Login to the New York State website  https://my.ny.gov/. If you do NOT have an NY.gov account then you will need to click the "Don't have an Account?" button to create a personal NY.gov ID first. 
   1. Follow the prompts to create a personal account 

      1. Remember that the answers to secret questions and your password is case-sensitive

      2. Save your user ID and your password in a safe place

   2. Click Log out and close the browser. Your MY.NY.gov account is created.

3. Go to MY.NY.gov and log in to your personal account.

   1. Confirm that you are logged into the correct account.
4. Click on the "Health Applications" icon.
5. Click on the link to the Medical Cannabis Data Management System (MCDMS) link.
6. Select the “Start New Registration” button.
   1. Follow the steps to register.

      1. Note: Please log in using only 1 browser and make sure you do not have multiple tabs/ windows open with the same MY.NY.gov webpage, as this may cause errors.

7. Once a patient or caregiver’s registration is approved, the Department will issue a temporary registry identification card through the My.NY.gov account which may be used in conjunction with a government-issued photo identification to purchase cannabis while the patient/caregiver awaits his/her registry identification card (ID card) in the mail.

   1. Registrations expire when the certification that was issued by the practitioner expires.

   2. Patients and caregivers must re-register each time a new certification number is issued.

8. Patients must bring their registry ID cards and their certifications to a registered organization's dispensing facility in order to purchase approved medical marijuana products. Designated caregivers obtaining medical marijuana on behalf of their patients must bring their caregiver registry identification cards and their patients' certifications to the dispensing facility.