In states that allow for seniors and other individuals to purchase medical marijuana, there is a process to follow in order to get approved. It usually involves a few steps:
- Meet with a physician who will help you figure out whether you qualify for a card in that state
- Once approved by a physician, you’ll need to register with the state
- Next you’ll receive your state issued identification card in the mail
The rules and guidelines surrounding medical marijuana are not uniform from state to state.
Variations include:
- The list of qualifying medical conditions for which medical marijuana can be prescribed
- The process through which doctors become certified to be able to participate in the program
- Amounts that you are able to purchase during a particular time frame
- Potency restrictions
- Telehealth: some states allow telehealth appointments, while others do not
- Frequency of and process through which a patient has to be recertified
Another point to keep in mind is that in most states there are a plethora of doctors who have achieved the qualifications to certify patients for medical marijuana. Some may be better than others.
Unlike any “regular” doctors that you may happen to see for ailments, it’s much easier to switch cannabis doctors. There are no insurance complications and any doctor who’s part of the program can certify you / keep your card active via a renewal.
Here are a few points to consider when initially selecting or changing your cannabis doctor:
- Are they friendly and do you enjoy speaking with them?
- Do they ask you questions about your cannabis objectives and help guide you toward the most appropriate strains, form factors, etc?
- Is their view on the amount of thc you are allowed to consume in line with your expectations? If not, it may be worthwhile to speak with a doctor from a different practice altogether. There’s no exactness to this, so any one doctor’s opinion isn’t the final word.
Enjoy the process of speaking with a cannabis doctor and potentially getting a medical marijuana card!