Our thanks to Dr. Steven Reichbach and Lolita Reichbach of the Gulf Coast Ketamine Center for providing an update on Medical Marijuana. To know and check more information about the best services that administer the proper usage of marijuana on patients in curing their illness, it is better to learn at first about the benefits of marijuana on using it as a drug for curing many diseases.
INTERESTING BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANNABIS
– Has been used for over 4000 years
– Used by many cultures and religions for medicinal purposes
– In the US in 1940’s called “Reefer Madness” and classified as Schedule 1
– Schedule 1 meant no medicinal value and highly addictive
– Difficult to conduct studies and research
– First medicinal use 1976 for treatment of Glaucoma
– January 2016, Amendment 2 passed in Florida allowing for treatment of illnesses
ISSUES/OBSTACLES TO CANNABIS USE
– Federally, Cannabis is still considered Schedule 1 despite many attempts to change it to Schedule 2
– Cannot travel outside of issuing State with it
– No reciprocity between States that allow for cannabis use
– Employment regulations still an issue regarding job site testing
– Pain practices who refuse to continue to treat patients using cannabis
– Not covered by any insurance
– Due to history, still taboo in public opinion
– Can be cost prohibitive to clients on fixed incomes
– Lack of information about benefits among the medical community
BENEFITS OF USING MEDICAL CANNABIS
– Can be very effective in treating a wide variety of conditions
– Natural alternative to many pharmaceutical medications
– Works with body’s own endocannabinoid system
– Less overall side effects
– Many different routes of administration
– Can be used daytime and nighttime in different forms to treat conditions and maintain alertness
– Allows for possibility of decreasing use of more harmful or addictive medications
– Has shown high success in treating insomnia and chronic pain
– Average age of patients is about 60 years old
WHO QUALIFIES FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS?
Conditions: Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, MS, Epilepsy, PTSD, ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, Chronic nonmalignant Pain arising from one of above conditions, Any terminal condition with greater than 1 year survival, Any condition of similar type or class of conditions above
Additional Conditions: When deemed by the Qualifying physician and documented by relevant supporting studies, many of the following conditions also can be treated: Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Arthritic Pain, Chronic Post Surgical Pain, IBS, OCD, Back Pain, Migraines, Fibromyalgia, Autism, Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome, Auto Immune Diseases, Neuropathy, Alzheimer’s and many others
CARD APPLICATION
– Must be State resident or reside in State for more than 31 consecutive days
– Proof of Residency includes Driver’s License, or Utility Bill (water, gas , electric within last 60 days)
– Passport sized photo if not state resident
– Fee ($75 plus $2.75 fee) payable to the State by credit card
– Must have qualifying physician do initial evaluation with verifiable medical records stating condition
WHAT COMES NEXT?
– Once a patient has been deemed qualified to obtain a Medical cannabis card, a recommendation isplaced by the qualifying physician into the State database
– Once the application has been approved by the State, patients are directed to a dispensary to
purchase their cannabis products. But some people still doubt Can You Overdose on Marijuana?, for which the answer can be found on this site.
– There are 13 different dispensary companies throughout the State operating 34 dispensaries
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