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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and cannabis in North Dakota

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
Up to 3 oz of usable ca…
POSSESSION
$50/yr
STATE FEE
14–45 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.

North Dakota statute and program

The North Dakota Medical Marijuana Program is the operating authority for North Dakota patient certification. The authoritative legal text is: North Dakota Century Code Chapter 19-24.1: Medical Marijuana. The program portal is at North Dakota Medical Marijuana Program.

What the evidence says about cannabis and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

CRPS Type I follows soft-tissue injury, fracture, or surgery without identifiable nerve injury. CRPS Type II follows confirmed peripheral nerve injury. Diagnosis is clinical, based on the Budapest Criteria (International Association for the Study of Pain), which require disproportionate pain plus signs and symptoms across multiple of four categories (sensory, vasomotor, sudomotor/edema, motor/trophic).

For the full evidence base, including the NASEM tier, randomized trial summaries, and symptom-domain breakdown, read the mmjnow Complex Regional Pain Syndrome page.

How to qualify in North Dakota

The North Dakota Medical Marijuana Program requires the following registration steps for a Complex Regional Pain Syndrome patient (or any qualifying diagnosis):

  1. Get a written certification from a North Dakota-licensed healthcare provider. Under N.D.C.C. Ch. 19-24.1 (Compassionate Care Act, Measure 5 of 2016 as amended), any North Dakota-licensed physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant may certify a patient for one of the enumerated debilitating medical conditions: cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, PTSD, severe debilitating pain, intractable nausea, severe muscle spasms, glaucoma, Crohn’s, MS, autism spectrum, Tourette’s, ulcerative colitis, severe debilitating chronic pain, terminal illness, neuropathy, and others under §19-24.1-01.
  2. Apply through the North Dakota Medical Marijuana Program portal. The patient creates an account in the North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) Medical Marijuana Program portal, uploads the healthcare provider written certification, a North Dakota driver license or state ID, a passport-style photograph, and proof of North Dakota residency.
  3. Pay the $50 state registration fee. The two-year North Dakota medical marijuana patient ID card fee is $50 (no reduced fee tier as of current HHS rules). Caregiver registration is $50 with a separate state and federal background check. Fees are paid online during HHS portal submission.
  4. Receive the card and purchase from a North Dakota dispensary. North Dakota medical marijuana patient ID cards are issued within roughly 30 days of complete application. With the card, patients may purchase up to 2.5 ounces every 30 days from any of the licensed North Dakota medical marijuana dispensaries. Approved forms include flower, capsules, tinctures, topicals, and concentrates. North Dakota does not honor out-of-state medical cards. Cards renew at the two-year mark with fresh practitioner certification.
State registration fee
$50
Physician visit (typical)
$150–$300
Certification to card
14–45 days
Out-of-state patients
Not eligible
Minors
Eligible with caregiver

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

ICD-10 code

A certifying physician documenting Complex Regional Pain Syndrome for the North Dakota medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 G90.50 or SNOMED-CT 128200000 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 North Dakota list Complex Regional Pain Syndrome as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

No. North Dakota's qualifying-condition list does not currently include Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and the state's program does not give physicians open-ended discretion to add conditions outside the list. Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in North Dakota 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. North Dakota program rules change, so verify the current list with the regulator before drawing a final conclusion.

How do I get a North Dakota medical marijuana card for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?

Because North Dakota does not currently list Complex Regional Pain Syndrome as a qualifying condition, a card for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome alone may not be obtainable in-state under the program rules as written. Step one is finding a physician licensed in North Dakota who is registered with North Dakota Medical Marijuana Program and willing to evaluate Complex Regional Pain Syndrome 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. North Dakota 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 North Dakota Medical Marijuana Program site at https://www.hhs.nd.gov/medical-marijuana; the state updates fees, forms, and physician registration rules periodically.

What does the evidence say about cannabis for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?

For Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, evidence is described as limited (a small number of supportive studies, often underpowered or focused on narrow symptom domains). The mmjnow condition page for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome 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 Complex Regional Pain Syndrome should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome; the evidence position above describes whether trial data supports its use, not whether it should replace standard care.

Sources

  1. North Dakota Century Code Chapter 19-24.1: Medical Marijuanaaccessed May 16, 2026
  2. North Dakota Century Code §19-03.1-23.1: Decriminalization of Possession of Small Amountsaccessed May 16, 2026
  3. North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services: Medical Marijuana Programaccessed May 16, 2026
  4. Wikipedia: Cannabis in North Dakotaaccessed May 16, 2026
  5. NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Complex Regional Pain Syndromeaccessed May 18, 2026
  6. NASEM: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2017)accessed May 18, 2026

    “Substantial evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids are effective for chronic pain in adults.”

  7. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA)accessed May 18, 2026
  8. International Association for the Study of Pain: CRPS Diagnostic Criteria (Budapest Criteria)accessed May 18, 2026
  9. MedlinePlus: Complex regional pain syndromeaccessed May 18, 2026