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Muscular Dystrophy 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 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 North Dakota

The North Dakota Medical Marijuana Program requires the following registration steps for a Muscular Dystrophy 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 Muscular Dystrophy for the North Dakota 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 North Dakota list Muscular Dystrophy as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

No. North Dakota'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 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 Muscular Dystrophy?

Because North Dakota 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 North Dakota who is registered with North Dakota Medical Marijuana 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. 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 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. 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: Muscular Dystrophyaccessed May 18, 2026
  6. 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.”

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