Living with chronic conditions requires specific medications and marijuana plays a key role in treating chronic illness. Not many countries are supportive of the usage of cannabis or marijuana even for medical reasons. On the other hand, countries like Uruguay, Canada, the Netherlands, and significant others have permitted their residents to use marijuana for recreational and medical purposes.

They are distributed across the countries through legalized dispensaries only for those who have acquired legal cards. Living in Connecticut gets you the benefit of accessing medical marijuana under certain norms. This article explains the procedures for obtaining the MMJ cards and other essential information on the subject.

Update on acquiring medical marijuana

A recent update is that the state allows the residents to utilize a delivery service that helps the medical dispensary facilities to serve their patients who reside remotely. This service can be availed if the entity submits an application to the department and gets an approval after inspection. 

There are over 22 medical cannabis dispensaries that have commenced the delivery procedures already and like the controlled commodities such as alcohol and pharmaceuticals. Moreover, the state is encouraging the entrepreneurs to take up the delivery operations which can be started with lower start-up costs. Therefore the delivery service has extended the accessibility of medical marijuana for the patients suffering from chronic ailments.

To eliminate the risks associated with the rising youth access the enforcement mechanism is carried out effectively at the point of sale. 

MMJ card details

To simplify the entire process, Connecticut has offered the option for its residents to apply for a medical marijuana card without much hassle. However, the application has to be approved by an MD medical professional. The card comes with a 12-month validity which requires you to renew before it expires to eliminate the hassle of starting from the first step. Moreover selecting a renowned organization to apply for the card helps you in reminding about the renewal and keeping track of your doctor. 

Additionally, the renewal of the MMJ card demands you to live in Connecticut during the renewable process. The card will be valid only for its residents. Moreover, when compared to other states of the country, Connecticut’s fee structure is flexible and least expensive which doesn’t exceed $750.

Therefore patients who are suffering from chronic or debilitating medical conditions can benefit from the medical marijuana treatment plans and licenses provided by the government. The state’s law permits them to cultivate the plant in their home surroundings, where they can grow a maximum of 3 mature plants and 12 plants in total for a household. Acquiring a license for the growing plant also will include investigation and thorough inspection to eliminate the access of young residents.

The law prohibits patients from using medical marijuana in certain places such as moving vehicles, school buses, buses, dormitories, private schools, universities, colleges, or any public place for that matter.

Medical conditions that qualify for acquiring the card

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• Multiple sclerosis
• Wasting syndrome
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Complex regional pain syndrome
• Cerebral palsy
• Neuropathic pain
• Movement disorder and significant others

 

Medical conditions for patients under 18

• Cerebral palsy
• Severe epilepsy
• Terminal illness
• Seizure disorder
• Tourette syndrome failed the standard treatment
• Chronic pancreatitis which was not responsive to the standard medical treatment

Although these illnesses were covered by the law, the professionals carry out a thorough inspection to evaluate the condition of the patients for their protection.

Medical marijuana program

The medical marijuana program has recently expanded the monthly utilization of the medical allotment of the patients, where now every patient can get up to 3.5 ounces per month. However, the regulation has mandated the dispensary to dispense only about 2.5 ounces every month and dispense the remaining later of the month to either the primary caregiver or qualified patient. 

To avail of the benefits of the program, the patient has to come under the medical conditions listed in the regulation. However, there might be some left out and exceptions. To eliminate the discomfort, the committee has arranged a panel of physicians who are well-qualified and board-certified professionals with specializations in neurology, pain medicine, medical oncology, family medicine, gynecology, infectious diseases, and psychiatry. The exceptional cases are forwarded to these professionals and therefore they might recommend certain medical conditions that can be added to the existing lists.

Register to become a qualifying patient

To register or to become a qualifying patient, the patient has to complete the online application, with the specified documents in hand. The patients are expected to upload the documents online during or at the beginning of the application process. Before initiating the application, having a consultation with your physician is mandatory, also getting a certificate mentioning your health condition that doesn’t respond to the standard medical treatments. 

The medical documentation and the medical history will be accessed by the physician here at this stage. The medical records and visit summaries are analyzed thoroughly for confirmation and then a letter from your doctor will be crafted stating your eligibility.

After acquiring the certificate from the physician you will have to provide the primary contact information for the committee to communicate with you. For instance, the committee might ask you for an email address and a primary contact number to reach you related to the registration. Moreover, the committee might also ask about the proof of identity, resident proof, passport size photograph that was clicked recently, and a registration fee to process the information. 

Additionally, you must submit the contact details of the primary caregiver who must also qualify to access the medical marijuana. Without the details of the caregiver, the department will not proceed with the registration. Therefore both the details of the patient and the caregiver must be provided and approved.

There is no way of getting the certificate through third parties as the committee doesn’t deal with this with other parties or have any outside connections to help with the registration processes. Therefore the patient has to be aware of the fraudulent activities that claim to help you through the registration processes. 

Patient’s Identity details and payment

The patient is also expected to provide the identity details and contact information during the application process. The documents such as driver’s license, and proof of the state of residence are dated within the last 90 days, and the other documents such as bank statements, a bill from the utility company, or Medicaid benefits statement can be attached with the application for the proof of residence.

Online application process

To initiate the application processes online, you must take the help of your physician and they will do it on your behalf. The details will not be shared across the internet or with other communities. The online application system approves your request only if you move with the help of a physician. Without their approval, you will not be considered patient. The same pop-up message will come if you try to enter the details of the primary caregiver.

However, after registration, you must take time to verify the details entered by the physician are correct and then answer the verification questions. Only then will the server take you to the online application page.

The registration process of the primary caregivers

The primary caregiver also undergoes a series of processes before applying as a primary caregiver for the patient who needs medical marijuana. They have to create an account on the platform and log in to their account by giving the preliminary details like Date of birth and email address. The primary caregivers are also expected to provide the identity proof and photo which is clicked recently, these details must be affirmed by the caregiver before submission. The caregiver is also expected to pay around $25 for processing the application. 

The expiry of this certificate also holds one year which begins at the date of acquiring the certificate from the physician.

Registration specifications for the minors

As the minors are also undergoing chronic ailments that remain unresponsive to the standard medical treatments, they are also subjected to similar application procedures. They are also expected to approach medical personnel or a doctor who is responsible for ingesting the medical marijuana for the patient as he considers the patient is not stimulant to the standard medical treatments.

However the dispensary and the medical professional might decide to alter the dosage or alter the dosage limits and forms according to the age of the minor patient. However in this case of minor patients, they are expected to be supported by two caregivers. The primary caregiver is expected to be the caregiver and the personal caregiver that could be closely related to the minor patient.

Registration for the physicians

The physicians are considered the gatekeepers to control the illegal activities and risks associated with the program or the risks associated with the improper usage of medical marijuana.

Therefore the committee mandates the physician to undergo a requirement and eligibility format that confirms the qualification and eligibility, therefore the committee requires you to enter the DAE number. The physicians are also required to enter the details of the patient such as the email address of the patient and the primary phone number. 

Wait for the approval

After the submission of the request, you are expected to wait for about 30 days to receive it via mail, however after the submission of the request you might receive a temporary certificate via email. This can be utilized to get your medical marijuana in Connecticut from any of the state-licensed dispensaries.

On failing to receive the card via mail, you are expected to inform the committee directly.

Change of dispensaries

The state also offers other facilities to extend the accessibility of medical marijuana for the patients. If the location of the dispensaries that dispense the medical marijuana to you is far away from your home or if you find it difficult to travel the distance, you can submit a form requesting a change of dispensaries.

Renewing the Connecticut medical marijuana card

The renewal of the card is mandatory for you to continue the medication after one year. You shall not proceed in consuming medical marijuana with an expiry card. To ease up the process, your physician will also be notified about the expiry of the card through the portal well- in advance. However the committee requires you to stay under the physician’s care for the renewal and the renewal process also demands you to submit the documents such as confirmation of bonafide, date of the last examination for the recertification process, and trio certification that confirms that you are consuming the medical marijuana under the doctor’s prescription.

On the other hand, the committee mandates the residents proof that they live within the state and the update their photos and other verification steps. The registration fee of $100 should be paid for the renewal procedure as well.

Get support

If you are confused about acquiring a medical marijuana card for yourself, you can take the help of online organizations that can effectively guide you through the process. Their support systems are well-efficient and trained and you get the direct links that take you through the application process without much hassle. 

However, to carry out the regular procedures, the online service team members connect with a doctor on a video call and arrange a virtual meeting at the scheduled appointment time, which helps them in carrying out the evaluation process. 

Conclusion

Getting a Connecticut medical marijuana card is well-established and has become more flexible than in other states. The online portal guides and takes to one of the certified medical professionals to confirm the eligibility and the application process will take only minutes for submission if the required documents are ready to be uploaded. Since the Medical Marijuana card allows the patients to cultivate the marijuana plant within their household, this procedure enables the patient to cultivate and obtain their medicine without much hassle.