Generally speaking, yes! Your 15 years old child can get the medical card in New York, but only if they qualify for the criteria. If they are qualified, then only they can apply for medical cannabis. The child should also have a caregiver who must be at least 18 years or above and have some caring responsibility for the child. There are also additional criteria that the caregiver needs to fulfil. 

If the minor is susceptible to THC, then the criteria for medical cannabis become even stricter. The patient must have two physician certificates or paediatric specialist certifications in many states. If they have that, they will only be allowed to have the medical cannabis card.  

It will be given to kids suffering from serious conditions such as terminal illness, cancer, and others. If you want to know about it in detail, then keep scrolling! 

Who is the caregiver?

A caregiver is a person who will be responsible for the well-being of the child or the person who has been diagnosed with a debilitating and chronic medical condition. The child does not need to be related to the person who is a caregiver but attending the meeting with the physician will not make you a caregiver.

How to become a caregiver?

The answer to this question varies from a different state. The caregiver must answer some questions about themselves and the person in their care. You will have to complete a Caregiver Core certification course which will include 12 or more than 12 hours of training to explain the work as a caregiver. 

When becoming the caregiver for a condition such as dementia, you must complete the training. You must prove that you are working as the caregiver for the child in their life, usually as the lawful guardian or parent. 

If you talk about some other states, the caregiver’s age needs to be at least 21 years, and they should know about the caregiver’s rules. They should have never been convicted of crimes such as drugs or violence and should not be medical marijuana patients. 

How to get a Medical Marijuana card for a 15-year-old?

If a caregiver wants to apply for a Medical Marijuana card for a child, then the process is pretty much the same as for the adult. But they need to fill out the application form for the child different from the minors, a caregiver form, and an application that shows if they are looking to grow medical cannabis. 

But you need to provide their residency and identification proof. Here are some of the main steps that you need to follow if you want to get a medical marijuana card, and those are as follows-

1. First, you must register online for the application and speak with the licensed physician. You should have the appropriate ID for you and your child so that you can speak and see the doctor.
2. There will be one examination related to the course, and also, get approval and receive the medical cannabis certificate from the physicians. The certificate will be emailed to you. 
3. After that, you must register with the Health Department of the state medical marijuana program. You need to fill out the details of the minor, and the caregiver will have to give the application by themselves. The patient needs to list the caregiver on the application form.
4. Receive the medical cannabis card of the child and caregiver. After that, you can shop at the dispensary and take the appropriate cannabis-based medication for your child, but you will need to show your photo ID; otherwise, your child will not be able to enter the dispensary.

What documents will you need?

When you go to the dispensary, you would need the following documents-

• Photo ID of yourself-passport, state-issued ID card, and driver’s license will be acceptable.
• Birth certificate of your child
• Address proof for the last two or three months, including a mortgage agreement, utility bill, or correspondence with the state department.
• A criminal background check.
• Passport-sized photo of caregiver and child
• Any other relevant medical history that the practitioner needs to know, which includes the medication lists, progress notes, or medical images  

The Bottom Line

Hopefully, you may have understood from here that your children can also get a medical card for marijuana in New York. However, they will need a caregiver who can be anyone who qualifies for the criteria set.

Once everything is done and all the criteria are met, then only your child will be able to get their medical marijuana card. But they can only get marijuana if the caregiver goes to the dispensary with them with proper ID.