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Epilepsy and cannabis in Rhode Island

The state explicitly lists this condition under its medical cannabis program. A certifying physician can pursue state registration for a patient with this diagnosis under the program rules.

Listed qualifying condition
✓ Yes
LEGAL
Up to 2.5 oz over any 1…
POSSESSION
$50/yr
STATE FEE
14–45 d
TIMELINE
Listed qualifying condition. The state explicitly lists this condition under its medical cannabis program. A certifying physician can pursue state registration for a patient with this diagnosis under the program rules.

Rhode Island statute and program

The Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program (Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act) is the operating authority for Rhode Island patient certification. The authoritative legal text is: Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 21-28.11: The Rhode Island Cannabis Act. The program portal is at Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program (Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act).

What the evidence says about cannabis and Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder defined by recurrent unprovoked seizures. The condition affects an estimated 3.4 million Americans. Most patients respond to anti-seizure medications, but approximately one-third develop treatment-resistant epilepsy that fails two or more first-line drugs.

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

How to qualify in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program (Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act) requires the following registration steps for a Epilepsy patient (or any qualifying diagnosis):

  1. Get a written certification from a Rhode Island healthcare practitioner. Any Rhode Island-licensed physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, or out-of-state physician with a Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program registration may issue the written certification stating that the patient has a debilitating medical condition under R.I. Gen. Laws §21-28.6-3. The Edward O. Hawkins / Thomas C. Slater Act permits practitioner-added "other medical condition or its treatment" beyond the enumerated list.
  2. Submit your patient application to the Office of Cannabis Regulation. The patient mails the completed Patient Registration Application, the Written Certification, a Rhode Island driver license or state ID copy, a passport-style photograph, and the registration fee to the Office of Cannabis Regulation at the Department of Business Regulation (DBR). Online submission is available through the DBR portal.
  3. Pay the $50 state registration fee. The annual patient registration card fee is $50, reduced to $10 for patients on Medicaid or SSI. Caregivers are $50 per caregiver with a separate background check. Compassion-center registration (the alternative for patients who do not want to register with a caregiver) carries the same fee structure.
  4. Receive the card and purchase from a compassion center. Patient registration cards are issued within roughly 35 days of complete application receipt. With the card, patients may purchase up to 2.5 ounces every 15 days from any Rhode Island licensed compassion center. Rhode Island honors out-of-state medical cards from qualifying states for purchase at compassion centers under its reciprocity statute. Adult-use retail also operates statewide for adults 21+.
State registration fee
$50
Physician visit (typical)
$150–$250
Certification to card
14–45 days
Out-of-state patients
Eligible
Minors
Eligible with caregiver

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

ICD-10 code

A certifying physician documenting Epilepsy for the Rhode Island medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 G40.909 or SNOMED-CT 84757009 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 Rhode Island list Epilepsy as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

Yes. Rhode Island explicitly lists Epilepsy as a qualifying condition under Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program (Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act). A patient with a documented Epilepsy diagnosis can pursue state-program certification with a physician registered in the state. The qualifying-condition list is published by the state at https://dbr.ri.gov/divisions/medical-marijuana and may change as regulators add, remove, or refine entries. Inclusion on the list does not guarantee certification — a physician still has to evaluate the patient and decide that medical cannabis is appropriate for that specific case under Rhode Island rules.

How do I get a Rhode Island medical marijuana card for Epilepsy?

Step one is finding a physician licensed in Rhode Island who is registered with Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program (Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act) and willing to evaluate Epilepsy 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. Rhode Island honors out-of-state medical cards under its reciprocity rules — uncommon, and worth verifying before relying on it. Verify the patient minimum age with the state program before applying. The authoritative source for the current process is the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program (Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act) site at https://dbr.ri.gov/divisions/medical-marijuana; the state updates fees, forms, and physician registration rules periodically.

What does the evidence say about cannabis for Epilepsy?

For Epilepsy, evidence is described as strong (e.g. multiple randomized controlled trials or systematic reviews supporting effect). The mmjnow condition page for Epilepsy 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 Epilepsy should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Epilepsy and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Epilepsy; the evidence position above describes whether trial data supports its use, not whether it should replace standard care.

Sources

  1. Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 21-28.11: The Rhode Island Cannabis Actaccessed May 16, 2026
  2. Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 21-28.6: Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Actaccessed May 16, 2026
  3. Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commissionaccessed May 16, 2026
  4. Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation: Office of Cannabis Regulationaccessed May 16, 2026
  5. Wikipedia: Cannabis in Rhode Islandaccessed May 16, 2026
  6. NASEM: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2017)accessed May 15, 2026

    “Conclusive or substantial evidence that oral cannabidiol is effective for the treatment of certain epilepsy syndromes.”

  7. FDA: Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing informationaccessed May 15, 2026
  8. NIH NCCIH: Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoidsaccessed May 15, 2026