Section 36-301 - Certifying provider(a) The Administration shall register as a certifying provider an individual who: (1) meets the requirements of this subtitle; and(2) submits the required application to the Administration.(b) To be registered as a certifying provider, a provider shall submit an application to the Administration that includes:(1) the reasons for including a patient under the care of the provider for the purposes of this subtitle, including the patient's qualifying medical conditions;(2) an attestation that a standard patient evaluation will be completed, including a history, a physical examination, a review of symptoms, and other relevant medical information; and(3) the provider's plan for the ongoing assessment and follow-up care of a patient and for collecting and analyzing data.(c) The Administration is encouraged to approve provider applications for the following: (1) a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that results in a patient being admitted into hospice or receiving palliative care;(2) a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or the treatment of a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that produces: (i) cachexia, anorexia, or wasting syndrome;(ii) severe or chronic pain;(v) severe or persistent muscle spasms;(4) post-traumatic stress disorder.(d) The Administration may not limit treatment of a particular medical condition to one class of providers.(e) The Administration may approve applications that include any other condition that is severe and for which other medical treatments have been ineffective if the symptoms reasonably can be expected to be relieved by the medical use of cannabis.(f) A certifying provider or the spouse of a certifying provider may not: (1) receive any gift from a cannabis licensee;(2) hold an ownership interest in a cannabis licensee or a business that controls a cannabis licensee; or(3) receive any compensation from a cannabis licensee.(g) A certifying provider shall issue each written certification in the form required by the Administration.(h) A certifying provider may discuss medical cannabis with a patient.(i)(1) A certifying provider registration is valid for 2 years.(2) The Administration shall grant or deny a renewal of a registration based on the provider's performance in complying with regulations adopted by the Administration.Added by 2023 Md. Laws, Ch. 255, Sec. 5, eff. 5/3/2023.Added by 2023 Md. Laws, Ch. 254, Sec. 5, eff. 5/3/2023.