Guidance for Law Enforcement Regarding The Medical Use of Marijuana Online System ( MMJ Online System ) Updated April 15, 2015

Transcription

1 CHARLES D. BAKER Gvernr KARYN E. POLITO Lieutenant Gvernr The Cmmnwealth f Massachusetts Executive Office f Health and Human Services Department f Public Health Bureau f Health Care Safety and Quality Medical Use f Marijuana Prgram 99 Chauncy Street, 11 th Flr, Bstn, MA Guidance fr Law Enfrcement Regarding The Medical Use f Marijuana Online System ( MMJ Online System ) Updated April 15, 2015 MARYLOU SUDDERS Secretary MONICA BHAREL, MD, MPH Cmmissiner Tel: What is the MMJ nline system? The MMJ Online System allws: Law enfrcement fficers t verify patient, caregiver, and Registered Marijuana Dispensary ( RMD ) emplyee ( dispensary agent ) registratins; Physicians t prvide certificatins t qualifying patients fr the medical use f marijuana; Physicians, patients, caregivers, and dispensary agents t register with the Medical Use f Marijuana Prgram; and RMDs t track dispensing activity and verify patient and caregiver registratins. Hw des law enfrcement access the MMJ Online System? Law enfrcement fficers can access the MMJ Online System thrugh their existing accunts with the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Infrmatin System ( CJIS ). Hw can law enfrcement verify whether smene can legally pssess marijuana fr medical use? There are tw ways a law enfrcement fficer can lk up a registrant, including patients, caregivers, and dispensary agents. If a registrant presents their Medical Use f Marijuana Prgram ID Card ( Prgram ID Card ), the law enfrcement fficer may enter the registratin number printed n the card and the registrant s last name int the system t verify registratin status.

2 If a registrant des nt present an fficial Prgram ID Card, a law enfrcement fficer may enter the registrant s full name, date f birth, mther s maiden name, and registratin type (caregiver, patient, r RMD agent) int the system t verify registratin status. If the individual is listed as ACTIVE next t Status r Registratin Status, the registrant may pssess marijuana fr medical purpses. If the individual is listed as INACTIVE, the registrant may nt pssess marijuana fr medical purpses. What infrmatin n patients and caregivers can law enfrcement access thrugh the system? Name, registratin number, registratin type (patient r caregiver), and pht f the registrant. Whether the registratin is currently ACTIVE. If listed as ACTIVE, the registrant may pssess marijuana fr medical purpses. If listed as INACTIVE, the registrant may nt pssess marijuana fr medical purpses. The maximum amunt f marijuana the registrant is allwed t pssess. Until DPH begins t prcess hardship cultivatin applicatins, patients r their caregivers may cnduct limited cultivatin at their primary residence, but may nly grw a sufficient amunt fr their sixty day supply as certified by the patient s physician. They must remain in cmpliance with all DPH regulatins regarding Hardship Cultivatin. DPH will annunce when applicatins fr Hardship Cultivatin Registratin will be required fr hme cultivatin. What infrmatin n dispensary agents can law enfrcement access thrugh the system? Name, registratin number, registratin type ( RMD Agent ), and pht f the dispensary agent. Name and address f the RMD where the dispensary agent wrks. Whether the registratin is currently ACTIVE. If listed as ACTIVE the registrant may pssess marijuana fr medical purpses. If listed as INACTIVE the registrant may nt pssess marijuana fr medical purpses. Is DPH issuing registratin cards? In Octber, 2014, DPH began issuing Prgram ID Cards t qualifying patients, caregivers, and dispensary agents (see belw fr images f sample Prgram ID Cards by registratin type). These Prgram ID Cards can be used by law enfrcement and RMDs t cnfirm that a patient, caregiver, r dispensary agent is eligible t pssess marijuana fr medical use.

3 Please nte when viewing Prgram ID Cards that the ID card expiratin date is NOT the date that the individual s registratin expires. Registratins must be renewed annually, whereas new Prgram ID Cards are issued every three years. T find ut whether an individual has an active registratin with the Medical Use f Marijuana Prgram, sign in t CJIS and bserve whether the individual has an ACTIVE r INACTIVE registratin status next t Status r Registratin Status. Patients, caregivers, and dispensary agents must carry their Prgram ID Card at all times while in pssessin f marijuana fr medical use. A temprary, paper Prgram ID Card can be printed by the patient, caregiver r dispensary agent at the time f registratin fr use until their plastic Prgram ID Card is mailed t them (see belw fr image f sample temprary, paper Prgram ID Card). This temprary, paper Prgram ID Card expires 4 weeks frm the date the registratin is apprved by the Prgram at which time the registrant shuld have received a plastic Prgram ID Card. If the patient is using a temprary, paper Prgram ID Card mre than 4 weeks frm the date f registratin, it des nt affect their status as an active registrant, in CJIS, but the

4 registrant shuld cntact the Prgram at t reprt that they have nt received their plastic Prgram ID Card. Are paper registratins issued by medical prviders still valid? Effective February 1, 2015, paper certificatins frm physicians are n lnger sufficient fr cmpliance with registratin requirements under DPH Marijuana Regulatins. All patients, including thse currently hlding a paper certificatin, must btain an electrnic certificatin frm their physician and be registered with the Medical Use f Marijuana Prgram t pssess marijuana fr medical use. Patients, caregivers, and dispensary agents must carry their Prgram ID Card at all times while in pssessin f marijuana fr medical use. Hw can law enfrcement access infrmatin that is nt prvided in the MMJ Online System? T initiate a request fr infrmatin n a registered patient, caregiver, dispensary agent, r RMD that is nt prvided by CJIS, law enfrcement fficers may telephne the Medical Use f Marijuana Prgram at (617) When calling, please have the fllwing infrmatin prepared: Name f the law enfrcement fficer; Title f the law enfrcement fficer; Name f the law enfrcement agency at which the law enfrcement fficer wrks; Phne number t cntact the law enfrcement fficer;

5 Descriptin f what the law enfrcement fficer is calling abut; The name f the individual the law enfrcement fficer is inquiring abut; and The Medical Use f Marijuana Prgram registratin number f the individual the law enfrcement fficer is inquiring abut (if available). N infrmatin will be prvided t the law enfrcement fficer until DPH has verified that the request is made pursuant t a legitimate law enfrcement inquiry and that infrmatin requested may be apprpriately disclsed. IMPORTANT: Please d nt send cnfidential infrmatin t DPH ver , such as any individually identifiable infrmatin that reveals the identity f the data subject r is readily identified with the data subject, such as name, address, telephne number, scial security number, health identificatin number, r date f birth; r prvides a reasnable basis t believe that the infrmatin culd be used, either alne r in cmbinatin with ther infrmatin, t identify a data subject. Shuld yu have any questins, please cntact the Medical Use f Marijuana Prgram at