Living in Florida is definitely something many people look forward to. After all, the sunny beaches, mild weather, and Genoa atmosphere offer plenty of reasons to live in the state. Florida also offers medical marijuana to certain qualified patients. Recreational marijuana is not available at this time, but that might change in the future. If you live in Florida, if you have a qualifying medical condition, and are curious if doctors can prescribe medical marijuana in Florida, you’re not alone. It’s a common question. In this article, we seek to answer this question and help you learn more about this complex subject.
Doctors Can Prescribe Medical Marijuana in Florida
Let’s answer the question right off the bat. Yes, doctors can prescribe marijuana to qualified patients in Florida. There’s a catch, however. Florida’s marijuana laws are very specific about how this works. Essentially, a doctor has to be board certified and licensed in Florida to be able to recommend marijuana to a qualified patient. The doctor has to undergo extensive training and courses in order to become licensed. This serves an important purpose in restricting who has access to prescribing medical marijuana, keeping patients safe, and conforming to state laws. The doctor’s medical license also must be considered unrestricted. The course is highly involved in becoming licensed including a 2-hour educational course and a comprehensive exam administered by the state.
Diagnosis Must Be In Person
In this day and age, we can do nearly everything virtually or online. That’s an incredible convenience for many people and has revolutionized the way medicine and therapy work. Telemedicine, despite some hiccups once in a while, makes healthcare more accessible for folks across the country. Telemedicine isn’t suited for a medical marijuana diagnosis in Florida. The state simply doesn’t allow it. According to the medical marijuana bill, physicians have to be in the same room as the patient. When they’re talking to the patient about whether or not marijuana is the right course of action, they should be able to answer any questions about the use and side effects of marijuana or CBD.
Only Certain Conditions Qualify
Medical marijuana can be a tricky subject even on the best of days. Every state has its own distinct rules and regulations as well as qualifying conditions for accessing. For Florida, the qualifying conditions are similar to other states but tend to focus on long-term illnesses, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Epilepsy, glaucoma, seizures, muscle spasms, PTSD, chronic pain, and many other conditions do qualify. That’s why speaking to the doctor is so crucial to the process. They help you understand and evaluate your needs (and whether medical marijuana can help). If you do have a qualifying condition and a doctor recommends medical marijuana to you, you’ll still need to register and get a medical card. Medical cards in Florida cost $75 as of 2022.
There Are Plenty of Licensed Doctors
As you might imagine, finding information about doctors and medical marijuana isn’t always easy. Fortunately, there are plenty of licensed doctors in Florida who can prescribe medicinal cannabis. Finding qualified and licensed Florida marijuana doctors is the first step of your journey to accessing medical marijuana in Florida. That’s why using an online database to find this information is critical. It all begins with understanding whether you have a qualifying condition or not. If you do, fill out the registration form for the medical card and seek service from a qualified doctor. Doing so is the only way to access medical marijuana in this state, so make sure you take the appropriate actions when you can.
Medical Marijuana is Low-THC
If you’ve been prescribed Medical marijuana, it’s now time to get the marijuana. First, you have to visit a licensed dispensary and have your medical marijuana card ready to go. Florida only allows low-THC cannabis products. That means that the amount of THC in each product is going to be low, and the active ingredient is our friend cannabidiol, better known as CBD. CBD is known to reduce inflammation and help treat pain without getting you high. That makes it quite effective for most of Florida’s qualifying conditions. Florida allows paper, oils, edibles, some smokable forms, and tinctures. They do not allow marijuana to be injected into your body. By following Florida’s laws and doing everything the right way, it’s easy enough to get medical marijuana in the state. Though things may change as we move into the future, at least for now it’s easy enough to get a prescription in the sunshine state.
