The cards must be renewed annually and paid for each year. After obtaining one, the patient must still pay out of pocket for the cannabis products themselves.
“Even if the fee is as low as $25, at the end of the day patients are still paying for medicine that is really, really expensive,” Churgai said.
Advocates point out that no other form of medicine requires patients to pay an annual fee before they can obtain it. But the registration card does play a role in keeping overall costs down, according to Maren Schroeder, policy director of Sensible Change Minnesota, a group dedicated to expanding access for medical marijuana patients in the state.
“There is a cost to administer a state medical cannabis program that has to be borne by someone,” said Schroeder. “If it’s not a patient registration fee or a tax, it’s going to be an increased price of the product. Anyway you put it, the patients are going to pay for it.”
Like the registration cards themselves, the cost of medical marijuana varies widely by state.
In New Jersey, which has among the highest prices in the country, an ounce of medical marijuana costs up to $500. In Michigan, an ounce of marijuana flower costs about $265.
It’s difficult to perform a thorough review of medical cannabis costs by state. While states often track marijuana sales, information on price-per-ounce is not readily available. Costs vary widely across different products and not all states offer the same types. The price also varies based on…
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The cards must be renewed annually and paid for each year. After obtaining one, the patient must still pay out of pocket for the cannabis products themselves.
“Even if the fee is as low as $25, at the end of the day patients are still paying for medicine that is really, really expensive,” Churgai said.
Advocates point out that no other form of medicine requires patients to pay an annual fee before they can obtain it. But the registration card does play a role in keeping overall costs down, according to Maren Schroeder, policy director of Sensible Change Minnesota, a group dedicated to expanding access for medical marijuana patients in the state.
“There is a cost to administer a state medical cannabis program that has to be borne by someone,” said Schroeder. “If it’s not a patient registration fee or a tax, it’s going to be an increased price of the product. Anyway you put it, the patients are going to pay for it.”
Like the registration cards themselves, the cost of medical marijuana varies widely by state.
In New Jersey, which has among the highest prices in the country, an ounce of medical marijuana costs up to $500. In Michigan, an ounce of marijuana flower costs about $265.
It’s difficult to perform a thorough review of medical cannabis costs by state. While states often track marijuana sales, information on price-per-ounce is not readily available. Costs vary widely across different products and not all states offer the same types. The price also varies based on…
