When it comes to medical marijuana doctors, it’s important that you are able to trust your doctor. The problem, however, is how do you know if your doctor is the “real deal”? Most people just assume that because a doctor advertises as or claims to be a doctor, that’s all they need to know. Unfortunately, the truth is that not all people who claim to be doctors are doctors and not all doctors who actually are doctors, are legally able to prescribe medical marijuana. So, how do you know if your doctor is the “real deal”?
Medical Marijuana Doctors: Is Your Doctor The Real Deal?
So, you’ve found a doctor who advertises that they can assist you in your search for symptom relief as you consider medical marijuana treatment, but how do you know whether this doctor is who they say they are and whether they actually can help you?
Medical Credentials
The most important resource that you have on your side as a patient is the credential system. The first thing you want to do when you look for any type of doctor is to make sure that they have the appropriate credentials. The best way to do this is to head to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) website. Here you can use the DocInfo.org search. This database will give you all of the basic information you need to know about a doctor including board certifications, education, states with active licenses, and any actions against the physician.
License to Practice Medicine and Board Certifications
A license to practice medicine must be issued for each state where a doctor plans on practicing medicine. So, when you look up your doctor’s credentials, it’s important to make sure that your doctor is legally allowed to practice in your state AND in the area of medicine that you are seeing them for. For example, if you are seeing a cardiologist in Michigan, you need to be sure that your doctor is certified to practice as a cardiologist in Michigan.
Actions Against a Physician
It’s also important to find out whether there have been any actions taken against your physician. Actions against your physician are a cause for concern and a definite red flag to watch out for.
Medical Marijuana And Your Doctor
In order to prescribe medical marijuana in Florida, a physician must have a special certification – simply being a physician is not enough. In order to be licensed to prescribe medical marijuana, a doctor must undergo a two-hour training course centered on medical marijuana, they must have an unrestricted medical license, and they must pass a state certification exam. In addition to this, the prescribing doctor must be an uninterested party, meaning that they may have no financial interest in the medical marijuana industry or be associated with a medical marijuana testing lab.
It’s also important to know that in Florida, a doctor may not prescribe medical cannabis in any way other than their being in the same room as their patient for a consultation. This means that telemedicine is not permitted when it comes to cannabis medical treatments.
Adhering to Regulations
It’s important that all physicians in Florida abide by the state-issued regulations for prescribing physicians. Any physician who does not follow these regulations isn’t just breaking state law, they are putting the state medical marijuana program at risk. It took a very long time for our state to come around to the idea of medical cannabis use and the rules that have been established are part of the reason why its use has been accepted. If wreckless “professionals” are not willing to adhere to the rules outlined for them, the state is very quickly going to revoke legal use of this symptom-soothing drug.
Are You Looking For Medical Marijuana Doctors You Can Trust?
If you are looking for medical marijuana doctors that you can rely on to manage your care and medical marijuana treatment, The Medical Marijuana Doctor can help. Just use our simple online appointment scheduler to set up an appointment that is convenient for you or give us a call today at (954) 994-7002!