Becoming a Caregiver

Fortunately, neither the Missouri State Constitution nor the administrators of the Missouri Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP) have created hurdles for becoming a caregiver. The process is fairly straight forward – follow these steps:

1. Find a MMMP Patient who needs someone to grow medicine for, or otherwise assist them.
2. Ensure that the patient has already applied and received a patient card and acquire their PAT#.
3. Download, print, and fill out a Patient Authorization Form.
4. Visit the Department of Health and Senior Services website and follow instructions for applying to be a caregiver (be sure to check the cultivation box).
5. Pay $125 fee (includes cultivation)
6. Wait for approval before starting any related activities.

In additional to cultivation, caregivers can also purchase and possess medical cannabis on behalf of the patient. Caregivers may also be responsible for administering medical cannabis to an incapacitated patient. The Caregiver/Patient relationship can take many forms and it will be wise to define how your relationship is expected to work. It never hurts to put that on paper either.

A caregiver/patient relationship can be cancelled by either party – which only takes a call to the state. However, each separate caregiver application will cost the same fee – it is not transferable.

If you have any issues during this process or questions about being in a caregiver/patient relationship, feel free to reach out to us. We’ll gladly provide the details you need or point you to an individual or organization who can get you the resources you need. If you have experiences to share don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments. Let’s help each other help patients.

Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —