Medical marijuana can be a great tool for helping your body to heal and cope with chronic issues. Presumed benefits of the plant include helping slow cancer growth, relaxing muscles for those suffering from spasms and multiple sclerosis, reducing anxiety, and helping to increase appetite when otherwise reduced during illness.
With medical marijuana being legal in more than thirty states today, many are eager to get their hands on a medical marijuana card. However, it’s not always the easiest process. Let’s go over the right things to say when applying for a medical marijuana card.
Affirm Your Eligibility
Firstly, you will need to present that you’re medically eligible for the medical marijuana card. Because there are no federal blanket laws, it’s important to research the individual facts of your state. Generally, ailments that are covered under medical necessity include:
- eating disorders
- cancer
- glaucoma
- migraines
- arthritis
- Crohn’s disease
- seizures
- muscle spasms
- HIV/AIDS
- and other chronic pain
If you’re medically eligible for a medical marijuana card, you will need proof from your medical professionals expressing your eligibility.
This may include any combination of a doctor’s note, medical records, and a medical marijuana evaluation in some states.
These appointments are an approval process strictly dedicated to analyzing your eligibility, so be sure you have all of your paperwork gathered.
Attending an Evaluation Appointment
Where necessary, you will need to visit a qualifying physician to clear your medical marijuana card. This step is important and can make all the difference in your success. You will want to be open and honest with this individual, explaining your issues and needs. Ask questions, express your intentions, and be sure of your request.
During this appointment, they may go over the documents you’ve submitted, including your health history and any attempted treatment plans.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed and you haven’t given many other traditional treatment types a chance, your qualifying physician may recommend other options instead. While this may not be ideal, trying other “conventional” options first may be the only path to obtaining your medical marijuana card in the end.
Don’t Try to Say Everything Right
While it’s important to be confident and somewhat pleasant when speaking with the physician, don’t feel as though you need to please them. This goes for lying as well.
For example, if you’ve been consuming cannabis products under the table and are only now looking for legalized methods, be sure to let the physician know.
This appointment isn’t a sting operation. It’s meant to judge whether medical marijuana is the best choice for you. If you’ve never tried marijuana before, the physician may be wary of prescribing it for fear that you might become sicker.
For example, the effects of certain strains or inhalation methods may make someone nauseous. If you’ve used products in the past, and they’ve helped, express that.
Don’t Push a Certain Strain or Method
If the physician is willing to prescribe you a medical marijuana card, or it seems as though they may, don’t complicate things unnecessarily.
At the end of the day, the physician is trying to make the best decision for you based on everything they know about you. While you can feel free to state what has helped you in the past, don’t grow irate if the physician disagrees or is hesitant.
And even worse, don’t become upset because a friend or family member told you what to get based on their experiences and the physician prescribed another.
The primary battle is being approved at all, which is something that many others don’t receive. Similarly, if you’re hoping to use the dispensary around the corner from your house, but the physician only qualifies you for the one across town, you may need to settle for that.
As frustrating as it is, don’t rock the boat. You can, of course, ask for any changes or inquiry why a certain decision is made, but don’t be disrespectful.
Remember, There Is No Full-Proof Way
Things are changing every day, with states adopting new policies making it easier, or more difficult, to obtain medical marijuana cards. While these tips can certainly help to obtain a card, there is no certain roadmap that guarantees the desired outcome.
If you are approved for a medical marijuana card, then your battle is nearly over! The next step may be to submit official documentation to the state for formal approval and to wait for a card.
This will depend on where you live. Also, depending on where you live, you may be able to plug the physician recommendation and relevant information into a website, like this site here, for streamlined approval, making it much easier!
