Age Verification

Are you 21 years of age or older?

Massachusetts has one process for every adult patient. It has no separate age rules for older adults. This page collects the parts that help most: what to have ready, how to get help with the forms, and how a caregiver can do the errands.

Get your papers ready

If online is hard

You can register by mail. The Commission publishes the patient registration form, the renewal form and the caregiver form as PDFs, and the patient and caregiver forms are also in Spanish. The Commission says it can mail forms to people who cannot print them. Paper applications take longer, so allow time.

The Commission also has step-by-step video tutorials for its online system, and a patient support line. Its contact details are on its website.

Let someone talk to the state for you

The Commission has an "Authorization for Release of Information" form. When you sign it, your caregiver, spouse, child or another person can speak to the patient support staff for you.

Consider a caregiver

A personal caregiver can take you to a medical dispensary, pick up for you, and order and receive delivery for you. The Commission says a caregiver is strongly recommended if you have a disability that makes medical marijuana hard to get or use. A caregiver has to be 21 or older, registered with the state, and cannot be paid. You can name two.

Longer certifications

A provider's certification can last two years instead of one if the provider verifies that you receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income, or certifies a terminal illness or permanent disability after an in-person visit (935 CMR 501.010(9)). Whether that applies to you is your provider's decision.

Keeping it current

You renew every year, starting up to 60 days before the card expires. The state emails a reminder, so use an email address you check.

AC Peabody is a medical dispensary being renovated at 25 Newbury Street, on Route 1 in Peabody. It will serve registered patients and caregivers. It has no opening date yet.

Short answers

Does Massachusetts have a different process for older adults?

No. The Commission lists no separate rules by age for adults. A patient has to be 18 or older, and the steps are the same for everyone.

Do I need a computer?

The state says applying online is the fastest way. You can also register by mail with the paper form, but the state says paper applications take much longer. A family member or caregiver can help you online.

Can someone else talk to the state for me?

Yes, if you sign the state release form. It lets your caregiver, spouse, child or another person speak to the Commission's patient support staff for you.

Can my caregiver buy for me?

Yes. A registered caregiver can pick up from a medical dispensary for a patient, and can order and receive delivery for a patient.

Does AC give medical advice for older adults?

No. AC makes no claim about what marijuana does for any health condition. Ask your doctor about your health.

More for patients

Sources

Read on October 24, 2026. The state can change its rules, so confirm on its pages before you act.

This page explains how a state program works. It is not medical or legal advice, and it makes no claim about what marijuana does for any health condition. Ask a health professional about your health.