Medical cannabis has gained a strong grounding as an alternative to many current pharmaceutical prescription drugs. Thanks to medical cannabis, America is beginning to see a reduction in prescription drug dependency. The reason for this shift is that medical cannabis works for so many different things.
Medical cannabis has the potential to help consumers manage the symptoms of PTSD, stress, depression, anxiety, and more! Cannabis is also known to help reduce inflammation, help with loss of appetite, fight off migraine headaches, help relieve pain and discomfort associated with menstrual cramps, and so much more. Several studies have shown that compounds found in medical cannabis even help reduce nausea related to chemotherapy treatments.
In order to have legal access to medical cannabis, a person must follow the proper procedures in their state to obtain a valid medical cannabis card or MMJ card. Each state has different qualifying conditions and procedures for obtaining a medical cannabis card. In some states, you have to make an appointment to visit a State certified MMJ doctor. In some states, you can visit your MMJ doctor from the convenience of your home, office, or virtually anywhere with a strong internet connection and access to a video call.
Not Every doctor Can Recommend Medical Cannabis
Not just any doctor can give you a recommendation for medical cannabis. In order for a doctor to be in a position to legally recommend cannabis to a patient, they must first meet state qualifications where they live. In most instances positions are required to have continuing medical education (CME) certification. Doctors must make sure they are compliant with all legal parameters to allow them the title of being a cannabis certified practitioner.
Once a physician has fulfilled all state requirements to become certified as a medical cannabis doctor, they can begin recommending medical cannabis to patients. As mentioned, each state has different laws pertaining to medical cannabis. In each state, there will be a list of qualifying conditions. These are conditions such as PTSD, extreme nausea, cancer, terminal illness, and others.
A patient must pick a state-approved medical cannabis doctor and make an appointment with them to receive their medical cannabis recommendation. Once the appointment is made, the patient meets with the doctor be it physically in an office or via a video call. During this time, the doctor and patient will discuss medical cannabis. The doctor will then determine if the patient has qualifying conditions that allow for a doctor’s recommendation for medical cannabis. If one or more of those qualifying conditions are met by the patient, the doctor will issue them a medical cannabis recommendation.
Once a patient receives a valid recommendation from a state-certified medical cannabis doctor, they submit that information to the state in order to get their MMJ card or medical cannabis card. Different states charge different fees for this process and in some states, the doctor can submit while in others you as a patient must handle the paperwork. Once the state approves your doctor’s recommendation for medical cannabis, your picture for your state MMJ card, and has received their fee, a patient is typically approved and receives their official card in the mail within a 30-day period.
The Number of Medical Cannabis Patients in America Is Getting Higher Each Year
The field of physicians becoming certified to recommend medical cannabis is growing substantially. Some doctors are still very hesitant to work with cannabis because of its federal legalities. Despite cannabis still being illegal on a federal level in the U.S, medical cannabis enrollments quadrupled between 2016 and 2020. According to a study that was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, over 2.97 million individuals are enrolled in state medical marijuana programs as of 2020. This was four times the number of patients registered in 2016.
With such an increase in the number of medical cannabis patients in the U.S, the country finds itself in need of more state-certified MMJ doctors. Medical cannabis is cementing itself as a viable option to help control and potentially even treat all kinds of medical ailments. The science behind cannabis is advancing despite the federal government remaining stuck in the archaic times of yesteryear. Medical cannabis has shown that it is here to stay.
According to information published in an article on CNET, “As of June 2022, 38 states have legalized the medical use of cannabis to varying degrees, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. In addition, the District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands have all legalized medical marijuana.”
It would seem that the United States is divided over cannabis regulation. As more of the medical community embrace cannabis as medicine, the more the negative stigmas the government attached to cannabis with the “Reefer Madness” campaign will begin to fade away. When doctors take the steps to become certified to recommend cannabis, they expand their understanding of medicine along the way.
Cannabis was listed as a medicine in the United States Pharmacopoeia until 1942. Up until that time, there was a list of conditions for which cannabis was commonly prescribed. It is time for cannabis to be added back to the pharmacopeia as a medicine. The FDA has even gone as far as approving one cannabis-derived drug, and three synthetic cannabis-based drugs. The days of saying cannabis has no acceptable medical uses have passed.
Medical cannabis is doing all kinds of great things. As the science behind cannabinoid therapies increases, cannabis could stand to offer a world of positive potentials that have been denied for decades. Are you ready to become a medical cannabis patient? If so, the perfect time to do so is now. If medical cannabis is legal in your state, and you want to get your MMJ card, make an appointment with an MMJ doctor today, to see if you qualify for a medical cannabis recommendation.
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