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Muscular Dystrophy and cannabis in Michigan

The state currently does not list this condition as qualifying, and the program does not provide open-ended physician discretion to add conditions. Verify with the state regulator, because programs change.

Not on the qualifying list
✗ No
LEGAL
2.5 oz usable cannabis;…
POSSESSION
$40/yr
STATE FEE
7–21 d
TIMELINE
Not on the qualifying list. The state currently does not list this condition as qualifying, and the program does not provide open-ended physician discretion to add conditions. Verify with the state regulator, because programs change.

Michigan statute and program

The Michigan Medical Marihuana Program is the operating authority for Michigan patient certification. The authoritative legal text is: Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA, 2018). The program portal is at Michigan Medical Marihuana Program.

What the evidence says about cannabis and Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of more than 30 inherited genetic disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness and degeneration caused by mutations in genes encoding proteins that maintain muscle-fiber integrity. The major clinical subtypes include:

For the full evidence base, including the NASEM tier, randomized trial summaries, and symptom-domain breakdown, read the mmjnow Muscular Dystrophy page.

How to qualify in Michigan

The Michigan Medical Marihuana Program requires the following registration steps for a Muscular Dystrophy patient (or any qualifying diagnosis):

  1. Get a written certification from a Michigan-licensed physician. Any Michigan-licensed physician (MD or DO) may certify a patient under the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA, Initiated Law 1 of 2008). The physician must establish a bona-fide physician-patient relationship and certify a debilitating medical condition under MCL 333.26423 (cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, Crohn’s, agitation of Alzheimer’s, nail patella, cachexia, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasms, PTSD, autism spectrum, and others added by the LARA Cannabis Regulatory Agency).
  2. Apply through the Cannabis Regulatory Agency online portal. The patient creates an account in the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) Medical Marihuana Program portal, uploads the physician written certification, a Michigan driver license or state ID, and a passport-style photograph. Caregivers register separately and pass a state and federal criminal background check.
  3. Pay the $40 state registration fee. The annual Michigan medical marihuana patient registry card fee is $40 (reduced from $100 under 2018 LARA rules). Veterans receiving health benefits through the VA, Medicaid recipients, and recipients of SSI or food assistance pay a reduced fee of $25. Caregivers pay $40 with the background check fee separate.
  4. Receive the card and purchase from a Michigan provisioning center. Michigan medical marihuana patient registry cards are issued within roughly 15 business days of complete application. With the card, patients may purchase up to 2.5 ounces every 14 days from any of the licensed Michigan medical provisioning centers and may cultivate up to 12 plants for personal medical use. Adult-use retail also operates statewide for adults 21+; medical patients retain lower 3% medical excise tax versus the 10% adult-use excise tax.
State registration fee
$40
Physician visit (typical)
$150–$250
Certification to card
7–21 days
Out-of-state patients
Not eligible
Minors
Eligible with caregiver

For full Michigan registration steps, fees, and reciprocity rules, see the Michigan cannabis-laws page.

ICD-10 code

A certifying physician documenting Muscular Dystrophy for the Michigan medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 G71.0 or SNOMED-CT 76670001 in the patient's record. The state registry does not itself collect ICD-10 codes in most programs, but the physician's chart is the audit trail if the certification is later reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Michigan list Muscular Dystrophy as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

No. Michigan's qualifying-condition list does not currently include Muscular Dystrophy, and the state's program does not give physicians open-ended discretion to add conditions outside the list. Patients with Muscular Dystrophy in Michigan have limited in-state pathways under the medical program as written. Options to verify and pursue include: petitioning the state regulator to add the condition (where the statute permits public petitions); consulting a physician about whether a co-occurring listed condition could support certification; or reviewing whether the state's program is undergoing legislative expansion. Michigan program rules change, so verify the current list with the regulator before drawing a final conclusion.

How do I get a Michigan medical marijuana card for Muscular Dystrophy?

Because Michigan does not currently list Muscular Dystrophy as a qualifying condition, a card for Muscular Dystrophy alone may not be obtainable in-state under the program rules as written. Step one is finding a physician licensed in Michigan who is registered with Michigan Medical Marihuana Program and willing to evaluate Muscular Dystrophy cases. Step two is collecting your records (diagnosis documentation, treatment history, and the ICD-10 code your physician will use) and bringing them to the certification visit. Step three is the physician's certification through the state registry, followed by the patient registration application, state fee, and waiting period before the card is issued. Michigan does not honor out-of-state cards, so the certification process has to originate inside the state. Verify the patient minimum age with the state program before applying. The authoritative source for the current process is the Michigan Medical Marihuana Program site at https://www.michigan.gov/cra; the state updates fees, forms, and physician registration rules periodically.

What does the evidence say about cannabis for Muscular Dystrophy?

For Muscular Dystrophy, evidence is described as limited (a small number of supportive studies, often underpowered or focused on narrow symptom domains). The mmjnow condition page for Muscular Dystrophy lays out the current evidence base, including the citations underlying that evidence tier — typically the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus reports, federal agency guidance, and peer-reviewed reviews. Evidence quality is independent of state law: a state can list a condition for which evidence is limited, and a state can decline to list a condition for which evidence is strong. Patients deciding whether to pursue medical cannabis for Muscular Dystrophy should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Muscular Dystrophy and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Muscular Dystrophy; the evidence position above describes whether trial data supports its use, not whether it should replace standard care.

Sources

  1. Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA, 2018)accessed May 15, 2026
  2. Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MCL 333.26421 et seq.)accessed May 15, 2026
  3. Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA)accessed May 15, 2026
  4. NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Muscular Dystrophyaccessed May 18, 2026
  5. NASEM: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2017)accessed May 18, 2026

    “Substantial evidence that oral cannabinoids are effective antiemetics in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea.”

  6. Muscular Dystrophy Association: About Neuromuscular Diseasesaccessed May 18, 2026
  7. MedlinePlus: Muscular dystrophyaccessed May 18, 2026
  8. FDA: Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing informationaccessed May 18, 2026