A medical marijuana card is vital documentation in Texas for people who want to use cannabis as medicine. It’s a key step in treating diseases like intractable epilepsy, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Medical marijuana in Texas refers to items with less than 1% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, getting the document is not as simple as meeting with a physician and entering your name into a state registry.
Bexar County MMJ Card Requirements
After the initial appointment, the physician will discuss the patient’s symptoms and determine if they would benefit from low-THC medical marijuana. They will then add the patient to the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT) and provide a prescription for the medicine they think is appropriate.
Patients are encouraged to ask questions and express their concerns throughout the process, and physicians will work with the patient until they feel comfortable with the treatment plan. The physician will also recommend how much cannabis the patient should use and when. This will include whether they should be smoking, ingesting edibles or taking them as a vaporizer.
The doctor will then provide a written recommendation, and the patient can purchase their medicine at any licensed dispensary in Texas. Currently, there are three licensed dispensaries in Bexar County. Patients must bring a valid government or state-issued ID to the dispensary and a copy of their CURT card. This will allow the dispensary to verify that the patient is registered with CURT and can thus purchase medicinal cannabis at their store. However, since federal privacy laws are still in effect, only authorized physicians and staff at the dispensary can access this information.
Physician Evaluation
Although a stigma is still attached to marijuana, applicants must remember they’re not on trial. During their medical marijuana evaluation, they will meet with an experienced physician who will determine whether or not cannabis is a viable form of treatment for their condition. When assessing a patient’s eligibility of getting a medical marijuana card in San Antonio, physicians will look at several factors.
During the evaluation, physicians will ask the applicant questions and evaluate the severity of their symptoms. They will also consider if the patient has tried other pain relief forms and how effective they have been. In addition, a doctor will also examine if the patient has a qualifying health condition. Those with PTSD, chronic pain, or terminal illnesses may be eligible for the program.
The physician will also assess the patient’s previous history of cannabis use and the current state of their mental and physical health. During the evaluation, physicians will determine if a patient can tolerate low-THC cannabis. Low-THC is a type of cannabis that contains less than 1% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the compound that causes a psychoactive response in users. The medicine is formulated to help ease anxiety, irritability, nausea, and other symptoms associated with certain conditions. However, the level of THC needed to relieve a patient’s symptoms is personal and depends on many factors.
Online Application
In many states, including Texas, medical marijuana is legal to possess with a prescription. Whether you get stopped by law enforcement or need to pass a drug test for your job, having the written approval of a licensed physician can provide necessary verification. It can also reduce your anxiety and allow you to focus on what’s most important – your health. Your doctor may only prescribe non-psychoactive CBD, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the mind-altering compound found in cannabis).
CBD does not affect a person’s memory but can ease pain, anxiety, and depression. It is a powerful, natural anti-inflammatory and has even been proven to help with seizures, cancer, and more. Once your doctor determines you qualify for a marijuana card, they will submit your information to the state’s database. This is where you’ll be enrolled with the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas.
From there, you can purchase low-THC marijuana at a dispensary. Sometimes, a doctor may also prescribe high-THC marijuana to treat specific conditions. If you have intractable epilepsy, for instance, this is one of the only circumstances where your physician will be allowed to write you a prescription for marijuana. Other conditions include PTSD, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain. Pregnant or breastfeeding women are not eligible for a prescription because of the potential risks to their unborn or breastfeeding infants.
Dispensary Visit
With a doctor’s written approval, patients can go to a licensed Texas dispensary to buy marijuana. The dispensary will verify the patient’s ID, last name and birth date to ensure they aren’t a minor or someone with a mental illness. They’ll also scan the patient’s medical marijuana card to confirm it’s in the state database.
Once a physician puts a patient’s prescription in CURT, the patient can visit any licensed dispensary in the state to buy low-THC marijuana. He says his clinic schedules follow-up appointments to check how the medicine works and renews the patient’s spot on the state registry every six months. For the first-timer, a trip to a dispensary can feel intimidating. But it’s similar to visiting a brewery, natural health store or another specialty shop, Cravey says.
When the patient arrives, a host will welcome them into the retail area and introduce them to a budtender or patient consultant. Then, the budtender will offer suggestions based on the patient’s medical marijuana conditions. The patient can choose the form of the THC, whether in a gummy or tincture. They can also ask questions about the products. Patients can pay with cash or an approved payment method, usually a money order or direct withdrawal from a bank account. The budtender will then ring up the purchase and pack up the cannabis.
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