If you are still confused if getting a marijuana card is purposeful or not, then let me tell you, it is. In the U.S, 37 states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, and the number is still increasing. 3 million patients already use medical marijuana. 

However, to have legal access to medical cannabis, you need an MJJ card. It is a passport for getting medical marijuana. It’s an identification card through which you get access to medical cannabis from legalized dispensaries.

The procedure of applying for a marijuana card varies depending upon the state in which you reside. Generally, you have to enroll in the state’s medical-marijuana program with a fee, and also get approval from a doctor. 

The physician will decide whether you are a deserving candidate or not and, in many cases, a deserving patient is disapproved because he/she doesn’t know what to speak while consulting the physician. But by the end of this article, you would have some irresistible excuses to get a medical marijuana card.  

Beginning to Talk

Despite being legalized in 37 states, medical marijuana is still prejudiced by many doctors. Due to it, while communicating there is a strong possibility of feeling awkward when starting the talk with your doctor. To persuade your physician, you need to be transparent and honest about why medical cannabis would be better than any other available option. 

If you are confused about how to start, begin with social proof. Tell your doctor about someone you know or have heard of, who is already using medical marijuana and is benefitting due to it. Also let him know that you have researched its effectiveness, watched documentaries, and read books on medical marijuana. Don’t presume that your doctor knows everything about it, even if he has enrolled in medical cannabis program. 

Ask him, if he has attended continuing education programs or workshops regarding medical marijuana. If not, enquire if he could recommend you a doctor who has.

Be Educated

It’s advisable to presume that the physician doesn’t know how effective medical marijuana is or assume that he is biased toward using marijuana for treating chronic medical conditions. In that case, it’s your job, to prove that it would be the best solution for you. An experienced doctor would easily figure out if you are just trying to get his recommendation for recreational purposes. 

Find relevant research studies that show how purposeful medical marijuana is and how it has successfully treated other patients suffering from similar conditions. Also tell him, how your current disease chronically affects your life, and how consumption of medical marijuana can reduce the symptoms and be the best solution. 

There is a strong probability that the doctor would recommend you if you are more knowledgeable and aware of the effects, and uses of marijuana for your condition. It is also crucial to ask questions or else, it appears that you merely need marijuana for recreational reasons.

You can ask a few of the following questions:

• What are the healthcare expenses connected with medical marijuana?
• Do you know any other research related to patients with my disease and medical cannabis?
• Do I have to stop doing anything when I start using cannabis?
• Is there any need to make changes in the medicines I am currently using?
• Does marijuana have hazardous consequences with any other medication I am currently using?

Recognize the Qualifying Conditions

Qualifying conditions for an MJJ card vary depending upon the state in which you reside. However, generally, the conditions under which MJJ Card is recommended are as followed:

• PTSD
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Cancer
• Severe pain 
• Nausea
• Ulcerative colitis
• Hepatitis C
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Terminal Illness
• HIV/AIDS
• Severe muscle spasms
• Cachexia
• Seizures 
• Crohn’s disease
• Cachexia
• Glaucoma

Yet, it is recommended that you go over the qualifying conditions of your state.

In many other cases, when a disorder disturbs patients’ lives, they are approved for the MJJ Card. Some of them are:

• ADHD/ADD
• Mania
• Color blindness
• Migraines
• Insomnia
• Agoraphobia
• Depression and anxiety
• Obesity
• Post-concussion syndrome

Mention Past Efforts to Treat the Disorder

There is a strong probability that your physician would not approve your application for an MJJ Card if you have not attempted other alternatives to treat your disorder. If that is the case, then you are likely to receive some traditional prescription from your physician. Probably he would prescribe a medication like opioids.

But if you have tried other conventional forms of treatment and they have been unsuccessful, then you are up to convince him to approve your application for the MMJ Card. Mention in detail, how past attempts have not worked as expected and also how medical marijuana would help. 

When Should You Leave?

It is possible that your physician might not agree to approve your application at any cost. There could be many reasons for it. He might be biased or prejudiced with the idea that marijuana could be a therapeutic way to treat your condition. It is also possible that the doctor doesn’t believe that you are suffering from something serious or you just want to get legal approval so that you could use weed for recreational purposes. 

Of course, if the physician is not ready to approve, it would feel annoying. You might even feel disappointed, but it would not be the worst thing in the world. As long as you reside in that place and medical marijuana is legalized there, you can consult other physicians. Survey for some time and find out some doctors who are ‘cannabis-friendly.’ Find them, consult them and get their approval.

Conclusion

If you have a conviction that medicinal cannabis can be purposeful in treating your medical condition and your state has legalized its use, make sure to be ready for your assessment.

While communicating with your physician, don’t expect him to be open-minded towards weed. 

Many doctors have accepted it, but some still have a bias toward its efficacy. So, do your research, show social proof, and tell him how past treatments have been ineffective and how marijuana can help reduce your medical condition’s symptoms. 

Also, don’t forget to ask important questions so that you don’t appear a desperate recreational user.

If you follow the above-mentioned pieces of advice, you would probably get approval for your MJJ Card from a ‘weed-friendly’ physician.