If you are considering a consultation with a Florida medical marijuana doctor like Dr. Tirmal, you may want to know a little bit more about the differences between medical vs. recreational marijuana. That’s precisely what we’re talking about today.
Florida Medical Marijuana: Recreational Vs. Medicinal Marijuana
If you are only just entering the realm of medical marijuana and are just gathering information for consideration, it’s particularly important to understand the difference between recreational use and medicinal use marijuana.
THC and CBD
THC and CBD are two of the active ingredients in marijuana. THC is what gives users of recreational marijuana that feeling of being “high”. Higher levels of THC give users a more psychoactive experience. CBD, however, does not have these psychoactive properties, but it has been scientifically proven to have anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidant, and antipsychotic properties. For this reason, marijuana that is grown for medicinal use is developed to have very low levels of THC and higher levels of CDB.
Even when grown for medicinal purposes, medicinal CBD varies in strains and CBD/THC content. A reputable and experienced CBD prescribing physician will be able to determine which strains of CBD are the best choice for your particular needs.
Legal Concerns
There are also legal differences between medicinal and recreational marijuana. When it comes to federal law, marijuana use is prohibited, but there are states like Florida and California where the state representatives have voted to legalize medicinal marijuana use. This means that in the state of Florida, a licensed doctor can prescribe you medicinal marijuana for your needs and once your card has been registered, you can purchase your items at a local dispensary.
Conversely, without a legally registered card with the state, you cannot purchase from these dispensaries and must turn to less ethical and legal means of procuring marijuana. This creates additional problems because it means involving yourself in criminal activity and it means lower quality products that can possibly be tainted with other substances.
The Quality of the Plants
We mentioned briefly that recreational use marijuana is not regulated where medicinal marijuana is. This isn’t the only consideration when it comes to the quality of the items you will be ingesting, though. You should always be aware of the possibility that recreational use drugs of any type can be tainted and harmful, but you should also be aware that recreational plants are grown in a much different environment than medicinal use plants.
Medicinal use marijuana plants are grown in strictly monitored grow houses and they are developed through a lengthy process of cross-pollination of plants. The reason for this is so that these plants are as beneficial as they can be and that they have as few side effects as possible.
Conversely, recreational use plants are grown in any number of locations. These plants can still undergo a lengthy process of cross-pollination and monitoring as well, but there is much more of a scientific process that goes into medicinal use growing. It’s also important to note that recreational growing can include the application of various pesticides that are used to keep plants free from pests and ensure a good financial return on crops. Medicinal use plants, however, are strictly monitored and the use of potentially harmful pesticides is forbidden due to the harmful side effects that they can have.
Ongoing Care
Another big difference between recreational and medicinal marijuana is that when you use medicinal marijuana, you are getting a prescription from a physician. This physician will be able to monitor your use, your symptoms, and your relief from those symptoms in order to make changes to (or maintain) your current prescription and to ensure that your card is renewed if needed. Having access to a physician in this way also gives you the opportunity to ask questions about your course of treatment at any time so that if you’re worried about something, all you have to do is call! With recreational use marijuana, though, this is obviously not a possibility!
Interested in a Free Evaluation For a Florida Medical Marijuana Card?
If you are considering medical marijuana, set up your free medical marijuana evaluation with Dr. Tirmal today! Upon approval, the Benevolent Care clinic will ensure that you have access to doctors at all times so that you always receive the best recommendations for your needs even when those needs change.