How to Check If Your Condition Qualifies in North Dakota

You live with a long-term health problem, and you've heard North Dakota's medical cannabis program only covers certain conditions. Before you book a visit or chase down records, it helps to know exactly what the list says and what your paperwork needs to show. This guide covers both.

Where the List Comes From

North Dakota calls these "debilitating medical conditions." The list is written into state law, in chapter 19-24.1 of the North Dakota Century Code. ND HHS also posts a one-page version of the list on its Medical Marijuana Program page. If the two ever differ, the law is the final word.

When we checked on September 26, 2026, the law listed these conditions, in its own words:

• Cancer
• Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus
• Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
• Decompensated cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Posttraumatic stress disorder
• Agitation of Alzheimer's disease or related dementia
• Crohn's disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Spinal stenosis or chronic back pain, including neuropathy or damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
• Glaucoma
• Epilepsy
• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa
• Anxiety disorder
• Tourette syndrome
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Interstitial cystitis
• Neuropathy
• Migraine
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Autism spectrum disorder
• A brain injury
• A terminal illness
• A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or treatment for such disease or medical condition that produces one or more of the following:
  • Cachexia or wasting syndrome
  • Severe debilitating pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures for more than three months or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects
  • Intractable nausea
  • Seizures
  • Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis

Read the wording closely. The pain item is not "chronic pain" in general, and the back pain item has its own detailed terms. The law also defines "terminal illness" in a specific way. Always check the current list on the official pages before you rely on it.

What Your Records Need to Show

The clinician who certifies you has to write your qualifying condition and the medical reason for it on a state form. Under the law, that certification must come from a bona fide provider-patient relationship, which includes reviewing your relevant medical records. So your records do a lot of the work.

The most useful records name your diagnosis in plain words. Before your visit, try to gather:

• A visit note, problem list or letter from a doctor or specialist that names your diagnosis.
• Test results that support it, such as imaging, nerve studies or lab reports, if you've had them.
• Notes that show how long the problem has lasted.
• For pain, notes on the medicines or procedures you tried, how long you tried them, and any serious side effects.
• Hospital discharge summaries or specialist letters, if your diagnosis came from one.
• A current list of all your medicines and supplements.

Under HIPAA, you have the right to get a copy of your health record. The HealthIT.gov guide to getting your health records explains how. Download recent notes from MyChart and email them to dr@alternativehealthgf.com, or ask your other clinic to fax them to (701) 757-0974.

If You're Not Sure Your Condition Counts

Diagnosis names don't always match the list word for word. Your chart might use a technical term, and you may wonder whether it fits. Don't guess, and don't try to shape your story to fit the list. Instead:

1. Ask the clinician who diagnosed you what your diagnosis is called and whether it's written in your chart.
2. Get copies of the notes that name it.
3. Call us at (218) 274-4500 before you book. We can talk through whether a visit makes sense. The clinician decides on certification only after reviewing your records and seeing you.
4. For questions about how the state reads the law, contact the program through the ND HHS Medical Marijuana Program page.

The law also has separate paths for some veterans and for people in hospice, who may be able to send certain records in place of a written certification. ND HHS can tell you how those paths work today.

If Your Condition Isn't on the List

If your condition isn't there, a North Dakota clinician can't certify you for it. That can be hard to hear, especially when you've already tried a lot. It's still worth talking with your own doctor about other options, and about whether any other diagnosis you have is on the list.

Being on the list also doesn't make cannabis the right choice for everyone. Some health histories, medicines and jobs call for extra caution. Dr. Ewals weighs those at every visit, and sometimes the honest answer is no.

Why the List Can Change

Because the list lives in state law, it changes when the North Dakota Legislative Assembly changes that law. Adding a condition generally means a bill has to pass. The ND HHS list itself notes the date its version of the law's list was last updated, which is a reminder that it can move.

So check the current list before each visit, including renewals. You can read the current chapter on the North Dakota Legislative Branch site, and we'll review the list with you at your visit.

Next Steps

If your condition is on the list, read what to bring to a North Dakota evaluation and use our records request letter tool to ask for your records. When you're ready, see our North Dakota medical cannabis evaluations or book a visit.