Things to Know About Medical Cannabis Before Approaching the Doc
More than three-dozen states and the District of Columbia have given the go ahead to medical cannabis. Several more are expected to get on board within the next 6-12 months. If you live in a state with legal medical cannabis, perhaps you have considered approaching your doctor about it. Before you do, there are some important things you need to know.
1. Medical Cannabis Refers to Marijuana
Although states prefer the term ‘cannabis’ over ‘marijuana’, nearly all medical cannabis products are marijuana products. Marijuana is a variety of cannabis, just like hemp. States only talk about medical cannabis because the term does not have the same negative connotations associated with marijuana.
2. It’s the Cannabinoids and Terpenes
The actual cannabis plant is not a medicine. It contains certain cannabinoids and terpenes believed to have medicinal value. Those cannabinoids and terpenes are what you are after. You don’t need plant material to get them.
Shoppers at the Beehive Farmacy in Salt Lake City, UT select from a nice variety of vapes, tinctures, edible products, and topical applications. All the products contain cannabinoids and terpenes, with THC being the most prevalent. You can also buy packaged plant material, but you cannot smoke it. Utah has banned smoking.
3. THC and CBD Are the Big Ones
THC and CBD are the most desired cannabinoids within the medical cannabis community. Of the two, THC is the most preferred. It is the cannabinoid that produces the high feeling marijuana uses experience. CBD does not produce a high. Nonetheless, there is a growing body of evidence that it can be helpful in relieving some types of pain.
4. You Can’t Get a Prescription
Going to your doctor will not result in a medical cannabis prescription even if they are on board with you taking cannabis-based medicines. Medical providers cannot write prescriptions for marijuana medications. Instead, they recommend medical cannabis.
A doctor’s recommendation is required to get a medical cannabis card. A medical cannabis card is required to purchase medical cannabis products. That is how this all works in the majority of states with medical cannabis programs.
5. You Will Be Self Medicating
Because doctors cannot write medical cannabis prescriptions, they also do not tend to give detailed instructions about how to use cannabis. Patients are left to self-medicate through a process of trial and error. According to the good folks at Beehive Farmacy, a licensed pharmacist can give advice on dosage and delivery method. But ultimately, each patient decides for themselves how they are going to use medical cannabis.
6. Tolerance Is a Real Thing
When it comes to psychoactive drugs, a condition known as tolerance is the lead up to dependence and addiction. Despite what some medical cannabis proponents would have consumers believe, tolerance is a real thing with both medical and recreational marijuana.
Tolerance is a condition in which the body has become used to having so much THC in the system. Because of it, a person does not experience the same effects. The only way to get the diminished effects back is to take more.
Tolerance is real enough that experts recommend a few days off per month. The general rule for medical cannabis patients is to abstain for a full three days before returning to normal dosage. Abstaining helps break tolerance.
There is more to know about medical cannabis. I am out of space for this post, so we will wrap up here. The main takeaway is to educate yourself about medical cannabis before approaching your doctor for recommendation. You need to know as much as you can.
