Currently, cannabis use has been legalized in multiple states, with California being at the top of the list. The state authorities are much more open and accepting of the use of cannabis to target health conditions. However, to use cannabis for any medical purpose, a patient must consult medical marijuana California doctors. These licensed physicians are responsible for evaluating your application, and your medical condition and have the final say about whether you require medical cannabis or not. Apart from this, they are also available to answer any questions or queries that patients may have.
In this article, we will go over 10 basic things that every medical marijuana doctor wants their patients to know.
This holds true for any and every state doctor. They want you to go through all the laws of your state pertaining to cannabis use. Without being legally aware, you can end up in the ditch even with legalization in your favor.
In California as well, being aware of your rights as an adult citizen as well as a cannabis user is extremely crucial. Before you go into a consultation with a physician, you should be aware of the California marijuana laws. You can visit the state’s health department website for detailed information about its current cannabis program, any recent or forthcoming editions as well as the reciprocity programs for any out-of-state medical marijuana users.
Some states have realized that the rights of their residents must be protected at all costs. This means that these states have passed their statewide regulations that do not allow any employer to fire their employees or deny an opportunity due to their marijuana dependency. States like New York, Illinois, and New Jersey (amongst others) have laws stating that an employer cannot discriminate against an employee for consuming weed outside of the workplace. These employers are still free from putting a ban on marijuana use in the workplace.
However, not every state has these laws and the same holds true for California. While the state has legalized both medical and recreational use of marijuana, there are no laws that protect users from being fired. This means that it all comes down to how tolerant your employer is. Before you begin using marijuana, go through your workplace rules or your employer handbook to stay in the clear.
More often than not, the idea of using marijuana tends to make us shameful. However, that should not be the case. The use of marijuana, in this case, is simply for you to feel better. The herb is being used to help maintain your symptoms and improve your condition; not for any other psychoactive benefits that it provides. Once you start viewing marijuana as more than just a schedule 1 drug, you won’t have to feel ashamed while consuming it.
There is a fine line between using cannabis with a purpose and just using cannabis for the sake of it. In the first one, you’ll dose your cannabis right and only consume as much as is required to feel an improvement in your symptoms. In the latter, you consume an unrestrained amount without following the recommended dosing chart. This slight difference can lead to addictive behavior in the future.
This also holds true for any opioid-based medication that you are consuming.
Your doctor doesn’t want you to know every detail about the endocannabinoid system, but an overview of what it is and what it does can be enough. This will help you understand the whole idea of using cannabis and why our body reacts the way it does to it. A basic understanding of the endocannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) and cannabinoid enzymes that are already present in your body is a good place to start.
Once you’ve gone through your consultation with medical marijuana California doctors, your next step is to enter a dispensary and get access to the marijuana product you want. But before you do that, make sure you’re reaching out to the right source. You don’t want to buy your cannabis from a shady, no-good place without a license to sell cannabis. Instead, opt for the state-licensed dispensaries so you can be assured of the product quality.
Once you’ve gone through your consultation, received your MMJ card and accessed marijuana products, your California Medical Doctor still has something to say. When consulting medical marijuana California doctors, you’ll often hear them tell you to start off with small doses that should be consumed with a good amount of gap in between. The idea is to go low and slow. For any patient who is a first-time user, consuming potent marijuana products in greater quantities or too regularly can lead to a bad trip. Instead, you want your body to get accustomed to the marijuana before you increase the dose. Consuming too much cannabis for a few days and then reducing the consumption or seizing it can lead to some unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This is why regulating your initial doses is crucial.
Medical marijuana California doctors have been licensed to recommend medical marijuana to patients that can benefit from t’s use. But apart from that, they’re also responsible for guiding you in the right direction when it comes to cannabis consumption. That is why these marijuana doctors are always available during consultations to answer any questions that you might have or clarify any prejudice that you hold against it.
At the same time, these physicians do not want you to get into marijuana completely blindsided. Instead of depending solely on the physician, you must learn about marijuana on your own as well. This pertains to things that your physician may not be able to control. For instance, the laws of your state, the regulations that your employer has put on you, how you view marijuana, where to buy it from and how to consume it. Learning about these things on your own or asking these questions from medical marijuana California doctors can improve your overall experience with marijuana.
