If your parent is a Massachusetts medical patient, the state has a role for you: the Personal Caregiver. This page covers an adult child or relative helping an adult patient, and what the rules allow and bar.
The parent goes first
To obtain an annual Registration Card for a Personal Caregiver, a Registered Qualifying Patient shall submit the required information to the Commission in a form and manner the Commission determines(state regulation).
An individual shall be granted a temporary or an annual Registration Card prior to serving as a Personal Caregiver for any Registered Qualifying Patient(state regulation).
Who can be the caregiver
Caregivers must be 21 years of age or older(masscannabiscontrol.com).
A Registered Qualifying Patient may designate up to two Personal Caregivers(state regulation).
Except for a visiting nurse, home health aide, personal care attendant, or Immediate Family Member of more than one Registered Qualifying Patient, an individual may not serve as a Personal Caregiver for more than five Registered Qualifying Patients at one time(state regulation).
A Certifying Healthcare Provider may not serve as a patient's personal caregiver if he or she has issued a written certification to that patient(masscannabiscontrol.com).
What the caregiver submits
The patient submits the caregiver's full name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and a statement that the caregiver is 21 years of age or older(state regulation).
You'll get the four-digit PIN from the Patient(masscannabiscontrol.com).
The fastest and easiest way to register as a Personal Caregiver is via the Online System(masscannabiscontrol.com).
Registering by mail is allowed, yet the processing times for paper applications are considerably longer(masscannabiscontrol.com).
In the first 14 days
While the patient has a temporary card, the patient may authorize a Personal Caregiver, who is 21 years of age or older, as their temporary caregiver(state regulation).
The patient must complete the temporary caregiver authorization form, sign the form, and provide it to the designated caregiver(state regulation).
At a treatment center, the Caregiver presents the patient's temporary Registration Card, the signed authorization form and a government-issued identification document(state regulation).
The treatment center must track and dispense only the amount allowed for a 14-day Supply(state regulation).
What a caregiver may and may not do
From the regulation on responsibilities of caregivers (935 CMR 501.025). Cultivation has separate limits that are not covered here.| A caregiver may | A caregiver may not |
|---|
| Take the patient to and from a dispensary | Use any of the patient's marijuana themselves |
| Pick up the patient's order and carry it | Sell it or pass it to anyone else |
| Prepare it for the patient and administer it | Be paid for their time |
| Be reimbursed for documented expenses | Take anything of value from a dispensary for sending a patient there |
A Personal Caregiver may transport a patient to and from a treatment center(state regulation).
A Personal Caregiver may obtain and transport marijuana from a treatment center on behalf of a patient(state regulation).
A Personal Caregiver may prepare marijuana for consumption by a patient and administer it to the patient(state regulation).
A Personal Caregiver may not consume marijuana that has been dispensed to or cultivated for a patient(state regulation).
A Personal Caregiver may not sell or otherwise divert marijuana that has been dispensed to or cultivated for a patient(state regulation).
A Personal Caregiver may not accept anything of value from a treatment center based on the representation that a patient will use a particular product or treatment center(state regulation).
A person may not receive payment or other compensation for their service as a Personal Caregiver(masscannabiscontrol.com).
Reimbursement for reasonable expenses, including transportation, is allowed so long as the expenses are documented(state regulation).
A Caregiver may not receive reimbursement or payment for the Caregiver's time(state regulation).
After you are registered
A Personal Caregiver must carry their Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana registration card at all times while in possession of marijuana(masscannabiscontrol.com).
The caregiver must notify the Commission within five business days after a change to the submitted information, or after discovering that the Registration Card has been lost or stolen(state regulation).
To change a caregiver, the new Caregiver applies for a registration card and the old Caregiver surrenders theirs(masscannabiscontrol.com).
Short answers
Can I register as my parent's caregiver before my parent has a card?
No. To obtain an annual Registration Card for a Personal Caregiver, a Registered Qualifying Patient shall submit the required information to the Commission(state regulation).
Can I be paid for taking care of my parent?
No. A person may not receive payment or other compensation for their service as a Personal Caregiver(masscannabiscontrol.com).
How old do I have to be?
Caregivers must be 21 years of age or older(masscannabiscontrol.com).
Can two of us share it?
Yes. A Registered Qualifying Patient may designate up to two Personal Caregivers(state regulation).
Advanced Dispensary in Peabody
Advanced Dispensary in Peabody is being built and has no opening date.
Sources
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "To obtain an annual Registration Card for a Personal Caregiver, a Registered Qualifying Patient shall submit, in a form and manner determined by the Commission, the following"
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "An individual shall be granted a temporary or an annual Registration Card prior to serving as a Personal Caregiver for any Registered Qualifying Patient."
- "Cannabis Control Commission, Register as a New Caregiver" (masscannabiscontrol.com, read November 5, 2026): "Caregivers must be 21 years of age or older."
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "A Registered Qualifying Patient may designate up to two Personal Caregivers."
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "Except in the case of a visiting nurse, home health aide, personal care attendant, or Immediate Family Member of more than one Registered Qualifying Patient, an individual may not serve as a Personal Caregiver for more than five Registered Qualifying Patient at one time"
- "Cannabis Control Commission, FAQs" (masscannabiscontrol.com, read November 5, 2026): "A Certifying Healthcare Provider may not serve as a Qualifying Patient's personal caregiver if he or she has issued a written certification to that patient for the use of medical marijuana."
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "The Personal Caregiver's full name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and email address if any, and a statement that the individual is 21 years of age or older"
- "Cannabis Control Commission, Register as a New Caregiver" (masscannabiscontrol.com, read November 5, 2026): "You'll get the four-digit PIN from the Patient."
- "Cannabis Control Commission, Register as a New Caregiver" (masscannabiscontrol.com, read November 5, 2026): "The fastest and easiest way to register as a Personal Caregiver is via the Online System."
- "Cannabis Control Commission, Register as a New Caregiver" (masscannabiscontrol.com, read November 5, 2026): "You may register by mail, yet the processing times for paper applications are considerably longer."
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "the patient may authorize a Personal Caregiver, who is 21 years of age or older, as their temporary caregiver"
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "To authorize an individual as a temporary caregiver, the patient shall complete the temporary caregiver authorization form, generated by the patient's healthcare provider or printed from the electronic patient portal by the patient, sign the form, and provide the authorization form to the designated caregiver."
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "the Caregiver shall present the patient's temporary Registration Card, a completed and signed temporary caregiver authorization form, and a government-issued identification document"
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "It is the obligation of the MTC to track and dispense only the amount allowed for a 14-day Supply."
- "935 CMR 501.025, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "Transport a Registered Qualifying Patient to and from an MTC"
- "935 CMR 501.025, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "Obtain and transport Marijuana from an MTC on behalf of a Registered Qualifying Patient"
- "935 CMR 501.025, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "Prepare Marijuana for consumption by a Registered Qualifying Patient ... Administer Marijuana to a Registered Qualifying Patient"
- "935 CMR 501.025, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "Consume, by any means, Marijuana that has been dispensed to or cultivated on behalf of a Registered Qualifying Patient"
- "935 CMR 501.025, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "Sell or otherwise divert Marijuana that has been dispensed to or cultivated on behalf of a Registered Qualifying Patient"
- "935 CMR 501.025, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "Directly or indirectly accept or solicit from an MTC ... anything of value based on the representation that a Registered Qualifying Patient will use a particular product or MTC"
- "Cannabis Control Commission, Register as a New Caregiver" (masscannabiscontrol.com, read November 5, 2026): "A person may not receive payment or other compensation for their service as a Personal Caregiver."
- "935 CMR 501.025, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "Receive reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred in the provision of services as a Caregiver, including transportation and cultivation expenses directly related to the care of a Registered Qualifying Patient, so long as the expenses are documented"
- "935 CMR 501.025, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "A Caregiver may not receive reimbursement or payment for the Caregiver's time."
- "Cannabis Control Commission, Register as a New Caregiver" (masscannabiscontrol.com, read November 5, 2026): "A Personal Caregiver must carry their Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana registration card at all times while in possession of marijuana."
- "935 CMR 501.020, Cornell Legal Information Institute" (law.cornell.edu, read November 5, 2026): "within five business days after any change to the information that his or her Registered Qualifying Patient was previously required to submit to the Commission, or after the Personal Caregiver discovers that their Registration Card has been lost or stolen"
- "Cannabis Control Commission, New Patient FAQs" (masscannabiscontrol.com, read November 5, 2026): "Your new Caregiver will need to apply for a registration card and your old Caregiver will have to surrender their registration card."
