Primary Caregiver
"Primary caregiver" means a person who is at least 21 years old and who has agreed to assist with a patient’s medical use of marihuana and who has never been convicted of a felony involving illegal drugs.
“Medical use” means the acquisition, possession, cultivation, manufacture, use, internal possession, delivery, transfer, or transportation of marihuana or paraphernalia relating to the administration of marihuana to treat or alleviate a registered qualifying patient’s debilitating medical condition or symptoms associated with the debilitating medical condition.
There is a broad range of services which caregivers may choose to provide, and any number of individualized compensation arrangements.
Patients will need caregivers to help them acquire medical marijuana.
As a registered caregiver, you will be able to purchase marijuana for your patients from any source, be protected from arrest, and receive compensation for the service of procuring the marijuana.
Rule 27. (2) A primary caregiver who has been issued and possesses a registry identification card shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege..... for assisting a qualifying patient to whom he or she is connected through the department’s registration process with the medical use of marihuana in accordance with the act, if the primary caregiver possesses an amount of marihuana that does not exceed the following:
(sub1) Two and one-half (2.5) ounces of usable marihuana for each registered qualifying patient to whom he or she is connected through the department’s registration process.
(sub2) For each registered qualifying patient who has specified that the registered primary caregiver will be allowed under state law to cultivate marihuana for the qualified patient, 12 marihuana plants kept in an enclosed locked facility.
(sub3) Any incidental amount of seeds, stalks, and unusable roots.
(3) An individual may simultaneously be registered as a qualifying patient and as a primary caregiver.
Patients will need caregivers to help them cultivate medical marijuana.
R 333.103 Rule 3. (1) (a) (iv) A designation of whether the qualifying patient or the patient’s primary caregiver, if applicable, will be allowed to possess marihuana plants for the qualifying patient’s medical use. The designation shall be determined based solely on the registered qualifying patient’s preference.
1) Patients will want to grow their own medical marijuana and will need caregivers to help them learn the process. They will need assistance with engineering and design, codes and construction, and set up and operation. They will also need help finding a quality medical strain and someone who will teach them how to grow it. This is a temporary caregiver position as the patient will ultimately be able to maintain the cultivation by themselves as over time they come to understand the whole process. This could take several weeks to several months, or more.
2) Patients will want a caregiver to grow their marijuana for them. The caregiver may cultivate up to 12 plants per patient and receive compensation for expenses and services provided. You can not charge the patient for marijuana because only the patient can own marijuana plants. Caregivers are simply professional gardeners in this instance.
Rule 15. (2) A registered primary caregiver may receive compensation for actual expenses, including reasonable compensation incurred for services provided to assist a registered qualifying patient in the medical use of marihuana, or for payment for expenses incurred in providing those services, or both.
Patients may need caregivers to assist with things unrelated to medical marijuana.
Caregivers may offer services such as grocery shopping, household chores and maintenance, rides to doctor appointments, or any other assistance or support.
A successful caregiver will adapt their service to address patient needs. Caregiver and patient should discuss their expectations at the outset of the relationship, should have a written contract outlining their agreement.