Patient registry

A patient registry is the state-maintained database of enrolled medical cannabis patients, designated caregivers, and — in some states — certifying practitioners. Registries serve regulatory, public-health, and enforcement functions: verifying patient eligibility at dispensary sale, enforcing possession caps, tracking aggregate program participation, and (in some states) flagging practitioners with anomalous certification patterns. Registration statutes impose confidentiality protections (e.g., New York Cannabis Law § 43) to prevent disclosure to employers, law enforcement without process, or federal immigration authorities. Registry enrollment requires practitioner certification, patient identity verification, and payment of applicable fees. Texas operates the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT) under Tex. Health & Safety Code ch. 487. Registry data are typically not subject to public-records disclosure but may be shared with law enforcement under specified conditions. Federal law-enforcement access to state registries has been litigated but generally constrained by state confidentiality provisions and the Joyce-Blumenauer appropriations rider. *→ See also: Medical card, Caregiver, Recommendation