How to Find a Medical Marijuana Doctor?

Medical cannabis is gaining popularity as an alternative treatment for patients seeking to treat different symptoms. States regulate medical cannabis by ensuring it is prescribed by a licensed doctor who will consider the severity of the patient’s symptoms and drug interaction when prescribing. This article will guarantee that finding a reputable medical marijuana doctor in Utah is not a challenging task for you.

Just like choosing the right medical practitioner, choosing a medical marijuana doctor depends entirely on the patient’s budget and preferences. The recent legalization and rising popularity of medical cannabis have attracted unscrupulous individuals who falsely claim to be medical marijuana doctors. They con patients by issuing fake prescriptions or cards. Read on to ensure you do not fall prey to dishonest people seeking to take advantage of you or make you unknowingly break the law.

The Doctor Must Be Licensed To Practise In Your State.

Ensuring your doctor is licensed is an essential part of your due diligence. All states require patients to have their qualifying condition medically stifled by a licensed doctor of good repute. Each state has a publicly accessible database of all licensed doctors that is updated regularly to insert those with new licenses and remove those who have been revoked. Unlicensed doctors cannot legally issue medical marijuana certification or prescriptions.

Telemedicine has made certification much harder to prove, and patients are advised to be wary when dealing with online consultations, diagnoses, certifications and prescriptions. Unscrupulous people often deceive online clients because it is easier to go undetected. When consulting online, cross-check the doctor’s name against your state’s list of licensed doctors to ensure you do not pay for an invalid certification. 

How To Prove A Qualifying Condition Recognized In Your State

Licensed doctors have the authority to diagnose or confirm your qualifying medical condition and recommend medical cannabis as an appropriate treatment. The list of qualifying conditions and appropriate dosage varies from state to state. The most common qualifying conditions for medical certification of a patient’s use of cannabis include; glaucoma, migraines, debilitating psychiatric conditions, e.g., PTSD, cancer, epilepsy and HIV and AIDS. 

Patients must keep their medical records handy when consulting a medical marijuana doctor. The trip to the doctor will be cheaper if you do not need to have tests run to confirm your condition. If a licensed doctor has diagnosed you in the past, this will come in handy to speed up your medical certification. Patients with robust medical records are also better served by telemedicine appointments because the online doctors can rely on the information in your file to make a diagnosis without physically evaluating you or running ant tests. 

What Dosage Should You Get?

Your medical certification will include a recommended dosage within your state’s legal guidelines. You will then submit your certification and a processing fee to your state’s health department, issuing you a medical cannabis card. Without this card, you cannot legally purchase cannabis in any licensed dispensary. Medical marijuana card carriers are not allowed to purchase cannabis from unlicensed sources and will be subjected to criminal sanctions if caught in violation. 

The state dosage guidelines empower licensed doctors to consider the nature of the patient’s condition and general physical health to recommend the maximum amount of medical marijuana a patient can purchase at a dispensary. Some states allow patients to grow a restricted number of plants to cater to their medicinal needs. You must stick to your recommended dosage to ensure that the cannabis you purchase monthly lasts until your next purchase date.  

How Much Should You Pay For Medical Marijuana Certification?

Consulting a medical marijuana doctor in person will cost you a flat fee for consultation and additional charges depending on tests run and evaluation. The minimum cost of consultation and certification is usually $50, but the visit can go as high as $300. Telehealth appointments are significantly cheaper but also begin in the lower range of $50. 

The costs will vary depending on your location and your doctor’s expertise. Whereas the state does not refund application fees, some doctors offer refunds to patients whose applications to the state board for medical cannabis certificates are denied. The refunds also extend to instances where the doctor examines you but does not certify you for cannabis use. The doctor’s visit and certification will likely cost you significantly more if the patient is a minor. 

When searching for a medical marijuana doctor, it is advisable to confirm their licensing with the state board and bring your medical records to the sessions.