If you’ve ever been interested in medical marijuana, you’ve probably wondered exactly what the process of getting medical marijuana is like. What do medical marijuana doctors actually do, and is it a guaranteed process once you start it? Because there’s so much misinformation and fearmongering out there about medical marijuana and medical marijuana doctors, it can be hard to determine the truth. These are four of the things that a medical marijuana doctor will actually do.
1. Look at Your Existing Diagnoses and Information
If you’re using a service that allows you to speak directly to a doctor to seek approval for medical marijuana, the doctor is typically not going to be diagnosing you. Instead, you’re going to provide information about diagnoses that have been made by other physicians, and the doctor is going to take a look at those specific diagnoses. This means you’ll typically need to send your medical files over or fill out a legal release form so the doctor can receive the information.
2. Discuss Other Treatments You May Have Tried
Typically, a medical marijuana doctor may talk to you about any other treatments that you’ve tried in the past. While many doctors see marijuana as a very beneficial first-line treatment for certain illnesses, it might not be better than some types of treatments in certain situations. If a medical marijuana doctor typically recommends something else as a first-line treatment, they may ask if you’ve tried it and whether it was helpful.
3. Talk to You About Any Benefits You’re Hoping For
It’s also important that you approach medical marijuana with the right mindset. You shouldn’t expect that medical marijuana will do something for it that it simply won’t. A medical marijuana doctor can let you know exactly what to expect, including anything that you should look out for and any expectations you have that you’re unlikely to meet. This way, the doctor can ensure that you’re going into it for the right reason.
4. Give You an Approval or Recommend Other Options
At the end of your appointment, your medical marijuana doctor will either approve you for medical marijuana usage or recommend something else. Medical marijuana doctors are not in any way required to give you approval for medical marijuana, and if they feel as though marijuana wouldn’t help you in your current situation, they may not approve you. A marijuana doctor will only approve you if they genuinely believe that marijuana would be helpful for you.
Conclusion
There’s plenty of misinformation out there about what a medical marijuana doctor does, both from people who generally dislike the idea of medical marijuana and from people who are genuinely confused about what a marijuana doctor does. Ideally, a marijuana doctor should have a partnership with you – you both want to prioritize your health, after all. At the end of the day, your doctor should want to point you toward the best solution for your health, whether or not that solution involves marijuana.
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