Get Your Iowa Medical Marijuana Card Through State-Licensed Doctors

You will need the following documents to apply for your medical marijuana card in Iowa:

• Photo ID: Your IA driver’s license, state ID card, or passport
• Proof of residency: A utility bill, bank statement, or lease agreement with your current Iowa address on it (needs to match your application)
• Healthcare Practitioner Certification Form: Our doctors complete this during your video call and send it to you
• State registration fee: Iowa charges $100 for your initial card (you can pay this online when you submit your application)
• Medical records (optional): You don’t need to bring these to your appointment, but having documentation of your qualifying condition can help speed things up

To qualify for a medical marijuana card in Iowa, you must meet these requirements:

• Iowa residency: You need to live in Iowa and show proof with a state-issued ID, driver’s license, or recent utility bill with your current address
• Age requirement: You must be 18 years or older (minors under 18 can qualify through a caregiver who manages their care)
• Qualifying medical condition: You must have a diagnosed condition recognized under Iowa’s medical cannabis program, including chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, terminal illness, or any condition causing pain
• Doctor’s certification: A state-registered physician must evaluate you and confirm that medical cannabis could help your condition

Patients must be evaluated by a state-registered physician who will issue a certification if they believe medical cannabis could benefit your condition. If you’re dealing with pain, anxiety, or another chronic condition, there’s a good chance you already qualify.

Iowa’s medical cannabis program allows several forms of medical marijuana to help you find what works for your condition and lifestyle. Smoking flower is not permitted, but you have options that include oils, capsules, edibles, topicals, tinctures, and other approved forms.

• Oils: These work in vape cartridges or you can take them by mouth, depending on what the product label says.
• Capsules: You swallow these like regular pills, which makes dosing easy and consistent.
• Edibles: Gummies, baked goods, and candies all count as approved edible forms in Iowa.
• Topicals: Lotions, balms, and creams you rub on sore muscles or joints for localized relief.
• Tinctures: These are liquid drops you put under your tongue, and they work faster than edibles because they absorb quickly.
• Liquids: Drinkable cannabis products like infused beverages or syrups you mix into drinks.
• Suppositories: These provide an alternative method for patients who have trouble with other forms or need targeted relief.

Each dispensary in Iowa carries different product varieties, and staff can help you choose based on your qualifying condition. If you’re interested in strains for conditions like chronic pain or insomnia, Granddaddy Purple is known for its relaxing effects and may be available in various approved forms at your local dispensary.

Federal law prohibits anyone who uses cannabis from purchasing or possessing firearms, regardless of state medical cannabis laws. When you apply for a gun permit or purchase a firearm, ATF Form 4473 asks if you are an “unlawful user of” controlled substances, and federal law still classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Lying on this form is a felony. Iowa does not share medical cannabis registry information with federal authorities, but the conflict between state and federal law remains.

• The ATF considers any cannabis use, including state-legal medical use, as disqualifying for firearm ownership under federal law
• You must answer “yes” to Question 11e on Form 4473 if you use medical cannabis, which will result in denial of your firearm purchase
• Iowa sheriffs may deny or revoke permits to carry weapons if they learn you are a registered medical cannabis patient, though this varies by county
• No federal court has challenged this policy, and several cases have upheld the ATF’s interpretation that medical cannabis users cannot own guns
• Possessing both a firearm and medical cannabis could result in federal charges, even if both are legal under Iowa state law
• If you already own firearms and then register for medical cannabis, you are in violation of federal law while in possession of both
• Some patients choose to have a family member store their firearms or transfer ownership to remain compliant with federal law
• This restriction applies as long as you are an active medical cannabis user – discontinuing use and allowing time for the substance to leave your system may restore your gun rights
• Talk to an attorney who knows both firearms law and cannabis law before making decisions that could affect your Second Amendment rights

• Licensed by the Iowa Board of Medicine and registered with Iowa’s Medical Cannabidiol Program
• Trained to evaluate qualifying conditions like chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, and epilepsy
• Available to help patients understand their treatment options
• Required to follow Iowa’s medical marijuana certification laws

If you need a doctor who speaks a language or has experience with your condition, let us know when you book and we’ll match you with the right physician.

Iowa keeps its medical cannabis program tight with five licensed dispensaries across the state, but if you’ve got your MMJ card, you’ve got options spread out from east to west. Most patients can reach a dispensary without too much of a drive.

Bud & Mary’s (7239 Apple Valley Drive, Windsor Heights) sits west of Des Moines in Windsor Heights, right off Interstate 235 near the 73rd Street exit. The location is in a shopping area near Valley West Mall. Bud & Mary’s (formerly MedPharm Iowa) was one of the first dispensaries when the program launched in 2018, and they’re known for patient education and walking you through product options. They carry the Aliviar brand of tinctures, capsules, topicals, and vapes.

Bud & Mary’s (5700 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City) is on the south side of Sioux City in the Morningside area near Southern Hills Mall. Coming from downtown, take Interstate 29 south to the Gordon Drive exit and head east. Staff members here help patients figure out dosing and product selection, with the same Aliviar product line of tinctures, capsules, creams, and vaporizers.

Iowa Cannabis Company (1955 La Porte Road, Waterloo) is on the north side of Waterloo along La Porte Road, close to Interstate 380 and US Highway 218. If you’re coming from Cedar Falls or anywhere in the Cedar Valley area, you can get here from US 218 or US 20. Staff members help patients understand CBD to THC ratios and which products work for conditions.

Iowa Cannabis Company (3615 9th Avenue, Council Bluffs) sits in Council Bluffs near Interstate 29, making it the go-to spot for patients in southwest Iowa and close to the Nebraska border. Take the 9th Avenue exit off I-29 and you’re right there. This location serves a wide area since it’s the only dispensary in the western part of the state.

Iowa Cannabis Company (322 Highway 1 West, Iowa City) is located off Highway 1 on the west side of Iowa City near Coralville and Interstate 80. The Iowa City location serves eastern Iowa including patients from Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities area, and surrounding communities.

So whether you’re in Des Moines, Sioux City, Waterloo, Council Bluffs, or Iowa City, you’ve got a licensed dispensary in Iowa within driving distance to use your MMJ card. Keep in mind Iowa doesn’t allow flower or edibles yet, so you’re looking at tinctures, capsules, topicals, and vapes. Always call ahead to confirm hours, but these five dispensaries should keep you covered across the state.