Medical Marijuana Cards - Who Qualifies for One and How Do You Actually Get One?
The medical marijuana industry is blooming in California where more and more patients with chronic and debilitating diseases are shifting to cannabis products everyday. In the wake of the green revolution, medical marijuana recommendations provide patients a sophisticated and easy way to access cannabis via telemedicine. Online Medical Card now offers these telemedicine services in California, New York, Missouri, Oklahoma and Maine to patients via a mobile phone or computer. OMC Also can connect you with in-office doctor visits in states like Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland and more. We sat down with a 420 doctor at Online Medical Card to learn more about how doctors work in this telemedicine process.
Cannabis.net sat down with OMC to find out what the trends are in medical marijuana cards now that many areas have added recreational cannabis and what does the future hold for medical marijuana patients. Will the industry be all done through tele-medicine and Skype? Will your traditional GP or doctor be able to scribble out a new medical marijuana card soon? Let's check...
Q. What are the qualifying conditions to obtain an MMJ card?
Qualifying conditions vary state by state. In more lax states, anxiety and insomnia are enough such as in California. In more strict states, severe and debilitating or life threatening conditions is required. Many states are now opening up to patients with problems like PTSD, and chronic pain-related syndromes.
Having said that, let us talk about all the other conditions. For example, epilepsy, inflammation, cancer, HIV, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS AIDS and others are generally qualifying across the nation.
In Oklahoma it is up to the physician’s discretion which is a great move forward. We are happy to see legislation open up the possibility of medical cannabis for a wide variety of conditions across the nation.
Q. Has telemedicine changed the way cannabis is used by people across California?
Definitely yes! People are definitely choosing telemedicine to get access to medical marijuana. And, it is fair to say that with the rise in its popularity and the way digitalization is taking the world by storm, most Americans are shifting towards convenient and quicker methods. Indeed telemedicine is one of them, as it is reducing wait times, drive time, and cost. Especially when many medical marijuana patients are already suffering.
Q. What are the benefits of a medical marijuana card?
We have to understand that several aspects related to the cannabis industry are twisted. Although marijuana is illegal at the federal level, state laws allow patients with specific medical conditions to access it with a medical marijuana card. With a valid doctors recommendation you save a lot on state taxes. You can grow your own cannabis, or grow more of it in states that already allow growing. You can purchase more and carry more cannabis.
In many states, only people ages 21 and older can access recreational cannabis. But medical users only need to be 18.
Many states also afford extra legal protection so that you can carry a container in your car legally or even fly with cannabis domestically.
How do you advise your patients to consume cannabis?
Ans. Medical marijuana consumption varies from individual to individual. Some take it orally in the form of medicines while others prefer smoking or vaporizing. Each method works uniquely in the human body. For example, if you consume cannabis-infused edibles, it can take up to 2 hours for it to show its effects. For medical purposes you can use it in the form of tablets, patches, lotion, spray, oil, cream, etc. Instead, a new form of consumption method is doing rounds these days. The method is known as ‘sublingual strips’. These strips work instantly when placed directly under the tongue. As doctors we don’t promote smoking anything, be it cannabis. So eating it or taking oil sublingually work as the best methods. Subsequently, there are several methods of consuming cannabis but consider taking the advice of a medical marijuana doctor instead of self-medicating with new products.
Q. What if you overdose on your medicine?
The possible side effects are limited to nausea, irritability, and vomiting. And these side effects will not lead to death. After all, how many of you listen to a news story stating death by cannabis overdose? The death toll that needs attention is related to opioid overdose. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died due to drug overdose.
Also, following a proper dose guide will help you stay away from overdosing situations. If in case you overdose, try to relax, take maximum sleep, and keep yourself hydrated. But more vitally keep yourself well-informed and be responsible.
Do you help patients with a recommended dosage for their cannabis consumption?
Ans. Like we discussed before, the recommendation process is not limited to getting a medical marijuana card. It goes way beyond that. Especially when licensed doctors are dealing with your particular medical condition. They will most likely recommend you a less potent product if you are a first time user. Yes, the dose will change if the need arrives. But if it doesn’t, the probability is that your body is taking time to adjust to the changes or maybe the dosing guide is working effectively for you. So, patients get advised based on positive developmental changes. Previous health records are also carefully analyzed, and afterwards, an effective solution comes forth. So, yes, we definitely help patients find a suitable dose for themselves, as well as the right product and delivery type.
Q. Any latest cannabis trends that cannabis users should be wary of?
The cannabis industry is worth billions and billions of dollars. But mostly all of the trade happens in cash transactions. Although this does not affect 420 doctors in any way. But it is definitely a big concern for the industry at large. Despite cannabis legalization, commercial and investment banks are drifting away from the cannabis industry. Only recently, the cannabis industry got a white flag from the House of Representatives. It is a great opportunity for all the canna-businessmen to bring the illegal cannabis structure from tumbling down. In fact, it is also a nice way to get rid of the stigma surrounding cannabis. It will help reduce the startup hurdles for thousands of cannabis businesses down the line.
Q. What happens after patients get their recommendation?
Soon after a qualified patient receives his or her recommendation, he or she is legally allowed to access cannabis from all legal dispensaries in the state. Some states even have reciprocal agreements, which means you can get a recommendation in California and be able to use it in other states like Nevada, Hawaii, Michigan, etc..You will have to produce a state recognized ID and your 420 recommendation or card when you purchase products. Similarly if you are looking to buy products online, then you will have to upload these documents before completing your purchase.
Always remember to keep the date of issuance in mind. Because the card will be valid for a period of one year. You have to renew your card every year to keep on availing the benefits entitled to you by a mmj card. You can get your card renewed from the same clinic as before.
Q. What is better? Buying cannabis products online or in a dispensary?
Some medical marijuana cardholders will prefer buying cannabis products from collectives & dispensaries while others prefer the convenience of an online store. But buying products online will help you save time, money, and energy. Especially in the case of patients who are physically challenged or located far away from a medical marijuana dispensary.
The competition amongst dispensaries is fierce, creating top notch online based deliveries in almost every major city.
Q. How do you feel that Online Medical Card is different from other 420 recommendation providers in California?
We began as a local private clinic in Santa Ana in 2001. In 2010 we starting doing in-office medical marijuana recommendations. As a reputable established clinic we provide the trust and dependability patients are looking for when looking for a clinic. In terms of telemedicine clinics, we are one of the only few that actually operate from a real medical clinic. Most of our competitors unfortunately just list a P.O. Box.
As a result of our established history we’ve been featured on websites and publications as Hightimes, Weedmaps, Greenrushdaily, and more. We have thousands of weedmaps reviews, hundreds of favorable Yelp reviews, and more which is a testament to our dedication towards customer service.
We care about the medical and cannabis communities: both of them. And we are here for the long term. That’s why we’ve invested in creating fun and educational videos about cannabis on our Youtube Channel.
We have over 40,000 active patients and have served over 300,000 cannabis patients over the years. We believe wholeheartedly in the value of cannabis as medicine and have been a proponent of legalization since the beginning, even though it hurts our revenue. We put people first. That’s why we’re here to stay.
We constantly seek to provide an optimal experience for users so staying up-to-date and using infrastructure that matches the latest technology is one of our top priorities. This also allows us to build strong customer support. The bottom line is we are here to spread access to medical cannabis even though cannabis has come a long way in terms of legalization. That has always been the values of Online Medical Card and that will not change.
