The healthcare industry has seen profound shifts during the last few of decades. People no longer have to listen to doctors without a voice and have little influence in their own healthcare. Most of the time, you can tell when anything is wrong with your body.
Because of this, it is up to you to fight for your own well-being and quality of life. You need to learn as much as possible about your illness and the many treatment options now accessible to you. Some patients may be reluctant to broach the subject of medical marijuana with their doctors. This chapter provides resources for having that conversation with your doctor.
Inquire Into the Details
It’s important to have a firm grasp on a number of issues before broaching the subject of medical marijuana with your doctor. You want more information than just a quick summary of the basic medical marijuana legislation in your state and municipality; in certain states, the laws vary from municipality to municipality. The following data is also required:
Are you concerned that using medical cannabis may interfere with your performance on the job?
What are the legal ramifications of using medical marijuana, if any, for termination?
To what extent does medical marijuana usage jeopardize mandatory security clearances in the workplace?
What restrictions apply if you need to travel across state lines with medical marijuana?
Can you get medical weed in other states if you need it while out of state for business or pleasure?
Results differ from one person to the next, one occupation to the next, and one state to the next. Your research has to be conducted in conformity with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations as well as company guidelines.
Several states have passed laws protecting patients who use medical cannabis, but the federal government has not yet followed suit. It is imperative that you have all the facts before having this important conversation with your doctor, and that you fully grasp the pros and cons of each possible course of action.
Your eligibility for a medical marijuana card is determined in part by the conditions for which medicinal cannabis is prescribed, so familiarity with both the laws in your state and these conditions is essential.
Some of the most common conditions for which medical marijuana is effective are: as detailed in Chapter 5.
- Arthritis
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Constant pain
- Condition of Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Sclerosis multiple
- spasms of muscle
- T.S.D., or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- Seizures
- Cannabinoids in cannabis for the treatment of diabetes
The symptoms of diabetes, such as neuropathy, may be very unpleasant, and there is some evidence that medical marijuana might help ease these symptoms and potentially prevent diabetes-related blindness. Extreme nausea is a common side effect of many medical conditions and treatments, and cannabis has shown effective in alleviating this problem. That is to say, medical marijuana is used for purposes other than curing the afflictions itself. Symptom management for existing medical conditions is sometimes required.
Do your own homework to discover whether medical marijuana is something you’re interested in and if your condition is eligible for use in your state before seeing a doctor.
Learn the Fundamentals
Get educated about cannabis first, then see your doctor. What this entails is:
The most common method of using medical marijuana is smoking.
There are several ways to consume medical marijuana, each with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. There are several examples that come to mind, such as:
- Capsules
- Absorbing the vegetation
- Edibles
- Juicing
- Beverages containing trace amounts of marijuana
- Concentrations, and Petroleum
- Use of Marijuana in Smoke-Free Environments
- Suppositories
- Tinctures
- Topicals
- Inhaling vaporized substances
The goal is to locate a remedy that not only sounds appealing, but also has noticeable effects on your health. Additional aspects of health status are also important to consider. Smoking marijuana is not recommended by medical professionals for those who suffer from asthma, allergies, or other respiratory conditions.
tobacco’s unfavorable consequences
Can you explain the mechanism of action of medical cannabis?
A medical cannabis card will be issued to you if you have been diagnosed with one of the ailments allowed by medical marijuana in your state, and your treating physician is licensed to prescribe medical cannabis. With this card in hand, you’ll be able to choose from the many strains of medical marijuana available in your state and for your condition at any of the state-approved shops.
Cannabinoids: What Are They, Exactly?
Cannabinoids are any of many chemical compounds found in cannabis. Medicinal effects are produced by these chemicals when they bind to certain cell types in the body. Most people are familiar with THC and CBD, two of the cannabinoids found in cannabis. By working in tandem, they have therapeutic benefits for a wide range of diseases.
Methods to Get the Conversation Started With Your Doctor
Although many doctors have come around to the idea of using marijuana for medical purposes, others still frown upon having these conversations with patients. Some people may have doubts about the efficacy of medical cannabis, while others may think patients are hesitant to recognize its benefits.
That puts the onus of starting the conversation squarely on your shoulders. Your primary care physician is the best place to begin. They have a deep comprehension of your condition and are aware of your suffering, worries about your quality of life, and prior attempts at treatment.
The best way to kick off the conversation is to educate yourself on the benefits of medical marijuana. Make sure you print information from reputable websites, like MarijuanaDoctors.com, on the use of medical cannabis to treat your illness, including success rates and quality of life improvements. You could even want to bring along some of the results of studies done on the use of medical marijuana to treat your condition. Whether you want to know if medicinal cannabis is an option for you, the more information you have from reliable sources, the better.
Don’t Lie to Yourself
The best way to start this conversation with your doctor is on an honest note. In order to demonstrate to your doctor that you are considering the issue seriously and have not made a final decision, it is helpful to start the conversation with the facts as you know them and your own questions.
Obviously, it’s in your best interest to have an open mind and hear out your doctor’s recommendations for medical cannabis use.
Put Yourself Forward
I’m sure you’ve given this a lot of thought. Patients with chronic pain and other incapacitating conditions make up a large portion of the medical marijuana patient population.
When seeing a medical professional, it’s important to:
Talk about how your illness or pain affects your day-to-day existence.
Describe how you’re unable to accomplish even basic housework, much alone keep your job, and how much you’d appreciate a cure for the pain or other symptoms.
If your current treatment for pain and other symptoms isn’t working, it’s worth asking your doctor about alternatives.
Maybe your doctor hasn’t tried some treatments because he or she thinks you’re doing OK without them. It’s best to be honest with your doctor about how bad your symptoms are and how much pain you’re in if you want them to look into different options for you.
Inquire Into Important Matters
confer with your physician about the possibility of using marijuana for medical purposes.
The single most important thing you can do in preparation for a conversation with your doctor about medical cannabis is to conduct your own homework and come armed with facts, statistics, and questions. Here are some questions you may want to ask your doctor about medicinal marijuana:
Do you have to worry about marijuana’s medical properties conflicting with or interacting with any of your current prescription drugs?
In what ways, if any, will using marijuana for medical purposes change how you’re now being treated?
Is your doctor able to recommend a specific strain of medicinal marijuana for your treatment?
Do medical cannabis’ potential side effects warrant any worry on your part?
By asking your doctor these kinds of questions, you may get their input without losing sight of the fact that your health is ultimately in your hands.
Get Ready to Move Forward
Debating the topic with your doctor probably won’t change their mind if they are hesitant to consider the potential advantages of medical marijuana for you and your condition. You should listen to your doctor’s recommendations, but you should also get a second opinion from a doctor who is open to the idea of using medical marijuana as a treatment option.
HappyMD is an internet resource for locating doctors who are licensed to treat patients with medicinal marijuana. After doing so, you’ll be able to peruse a list of doctors along with reviews, addresses, operating hours, and more.
While some doctors may be open to prescribing medical marijuana, it doesn’t mean they would for you. Most physicians use a case-by-case approach when deciding whether or not to recommend medical cannabis, so you may have to prove a serious medical need for it.