Can You Get a Medical Card for ADHD in Illinois in 2024?

Photo by Vanessa Sezini

Can you get a medical card for ADHD in Illinois? ADHD is a condition that causes considerable confusion regarding its eligibility for a medical marijuana card. Since every state controls its MMJ programs, rules differ across state lines.

But can you get a medical card for ADHD in Illinois? With 9.8% of American children diagnosed with ADHD as of 2018, many adults ask if they can benefit from medical marijuana. However, the short answer is that ADHD will not qualify you for a medical card in Illinois.

In this guide, we will discuss the current medical marijuana landscape in Illinois and what it means for you.

Qualifying Conditions for Medical Marijuana in Illinois

So, can you get a medical card for ADHD in Illinois? The short answer is no, but if you have any of the other qualifying conditions on Illinois’ list, you could still get a medical marijuana card.

Approximately 53 qualifying conditions are on the list, including:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Autism
• HIV
• AIDS
• Cancer
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Glaucoma
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Tourette’s Syndrome

As you can see, the conditions are wide-ranging, providing ample opportunity to join the 161,059 Illinoisians registered as medical cannabis patients.

Can you get a medical card for ADHD in Illinois? Alone, no, but the fact that Tourette’s Syndrome is on the list could provide an avenue for getting your MMJ card. Approximately half of ADHD patients also have Tourette’s, meaning if you are one of them, you already qualify for medical cannabis in Illinois.

So, Can You Get a Medical Card for ADHD in Illinois?

Not directly because ADHD isn’t considered a qualifying condition. The reasoning behind this is the lack of research into the relationship between the condition and medical cannabis. Scientists still haven’t conclusively proven that medical weed is beneficial for ADHD symptoms despite there being significant evidence indicating a condition.

However, you can still qualify via other conditions if you have them. Regardless of your eligibility, recreational marijuana in Illinois has been legal since January 2020, so even if you can’t get a medical card, you can still purchase cannabis.

Even though you have the right to purchase cannabis regardless, medical cardholders have additional perks.

For example, the current recreational marijuana purchasing limits are 1.05 ounces every two weeks. Medical marijuana patients are entitled to purchase 2.5 ounces over the same period. Moreover, medical marijuana cards allow you to avoid many of the extra excise taxes levied on weed purchases.

It’s estimated that medical patients save up to a third on their cannabis costs over a year compared to recreational buyers.

The Effects of Cannabis on ADHD

The connection between cannabis and ADHD hasn’t been studied enough to draw any firm conclusions, hence why ADHD isn’t a qualifying condition for the state’s medical marijuana program.

Currently, studies range from finding proof that marijuana improves ADHD symptoms to having no impact. Since the weed remains illegal at the federal level, it’s been impossible to carry out the large-scale studies required to find the answer.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the primary studies into weed and ADHD:

• One small study into medical cannabis users who also consumed cannabis found that high-dose medical marijuana took fewer traditional ADHD medications.
• Another 2022 study discovered that people with ADHD who also used cannabis reported an improvement in symptoms and a reduction in ADHD medication side effects.
• On the other hand, a 2023 review of case studies discovered that the evidence supporting the benefits of cannabis in ADHD patients was inconclusive.

In short, more research is required before states can add ADHD to their medical marijuana programs as a qualifying condition.

Crucially, Illinois is suffering from an ongoing shortage of ADHD medications, meaning that medical cannabis could provide the answer. With no end in sight to the shortage, additional research could liberate ADHD patients struggling to fill their prescriptions.

Schedule an Appointment With a Medical Marijuana Doctor in Illinois Today!

Can you get a medical card for ADHD in Illinois? If this is your only diagnosed condition, you won’t be able to get an MMJ card, as it’s not on the list of qualifying conditions.

But if you have any other conditions, such as Tourette’s Syndrome, you could still qualify for an Illinois MMJ card, and all of the benefits holding one brings.

Get the support you need to apply for your medical card online with Green Health Docs. To learn more about whether you qualify, contact Green Health Docs today.

This article has been reviewed by Dr. Anand Dugar, an anesthesiologist, pain medicine physician and the founder of Green Health Docs. Graduating from medical school in 2004 and residency in 2008, Dr. Dugar has been a licensed physician for almost 20 years and has been leading the push for medical cannabis nationwide.