When it comes to Florida medical cannabis use, it’s not uncommon to have questions. If you do find yourself with questions, however, it’s important that you take the time to find the answer before acting on any assumptions. Today we’re going to cover the basics of what you need to know about medical marijuana use in the state of Florida.
Florida Medical Cannabis Use – What You Need to Know
- To legally use medical marijuana in the state of Florida, you MUST have a valid medical marijuana patient card that is issued by the state department of health. To get this card, you must have a qualifying condition under Florida law and be assessed by a state licensed medical marijuana doctor.
- If you have a valid medical marijuana patient card but you obtain your marijuana from a recreational dealer rather than a state regulated pharmacy, you are still breaking the law! That means that you can be arrested!
- Medical marijuana is approved for use in patients with a multitude of health concerns, however, each state that allows medical marijuana use has state laws that state what conditions are eligible for medical cannabis use. Conditions vary by state, meaning that just because you are prescribed medical marijuana for a condition in Florida, does not mean that you would qualify for medical marijuana use for the same condition in another state.
- There is a reason why medical cannabis is regulated by doctors! Medical marijuana certainly offers a full range of health benefits, particularly to people with certain diseases and illnesses, but not all people react the same way to all treatments. Having a doctor monitor your care makes sure that you have a medical professional to talk to about any side effects you may have or feelings that you experience when beginning your treatment. This feedback will help your doctor to get your prescription just right so that you get the maximum benefit with the least number of side effects.
Doctor regulation of medical cannabis use is also important because many times people with chronic health concerns are taking other medications. Combining medications with medical cannabis can has a number of effects – in some cases the relief felt from the medical marijuana is dissipated or enhanced by other prescription medications. In other cases, mixing medical marijuana with certain classes of medication can cause serious problems such as respiratory distress. Having a doctor assess your current medications before prescribing medical cannabis helps to prevent any serious interactions that could wind up being life threatening!
- Medical cannabis must be purchased through a state licensed and state regulated medical marijuana dispensary. The reason for this control of medical cannabis sale is so that the quality and composition of all prescription cannabis meets a specific high standard.
For example, when grown by who knows who, in a field who knows where, marijuana can be exposed to fungus, pesticides, etc. that can cause illness in the user and also lead to unexpected side effects when combined with prescription medications.
- You should always be honest with your medical marijuana physician. Don’t be tempted to lie about something because you are afraid of what your doctor might say. Your doctor is there to care for your physical and mental health, but they can only provide you with the best quality of care if they have all of the information that they need to make a sound healthcare decision.
Keeping information from your doctor can have a number of repercussions including:
- Medical cannabis losing it’s efficacy
- Interactions between medical marijuana and other drugs or medications you are taking
- Worsening of symptoms associated with your medical condition
- A lack of progress in treatment leading your doctor to believe that your medical marijuana treatment is not working as it should. This could lead to stopping medical cannabis therapy or increasing your dose and increasing the likelihood of further health complications or side effects attributed to higher doses of medical cannabis that would not be necessary were you being honest with your doctor!
Looking For A Medical Marijuana Doctor in Florida to Ask About Florida Medical Cannabis Use?
If you have questions and medical marijuana use in Florida, or are interested in finding out more about whether medical cannabis is a good choice for you, The Medical Marijuana Dr. can help! Just make an online appointment today!