Many of the states have given the green light to medical cannabis. Common sense suggests it is only a matter of time before the remaining holdout states get on board. Yet as common as medical cannabis is these days, there is still plenty of disinformation floating around. Take the medical cannabis card as an example.
People believe a lot of erroneous things about the card, what it accomplishes, how to get one, etc. What’s really interesting is that so much of the misinformation is easily debunked with a little bit of research. It doesn’t take much to learn everything one needs to know about medical cannabis cards simply by visiting a state’s medical cannabis website and reading.
To drive home the point, here are the top five months relating to medical cannabis cards, along with the real truth:
1. Anyone Can Get a Card and for Any Reason
Medical cannabis cards are easy to obtain in some states. So easy, in fact, that it is now commonly believed among consumers that anyone can get a card and for any reason. That’s absolutely not true.
Salt Lake City’s BeehiveMed, an organization devoted to helping Utah consumers obtain their medical marijuana cards in Utah, explains that states have qualifying conditions lists. Only patients diagnosed with a listed condition are eligible. Above and beyond that, the states also require a cannabis recommendation from an approved medical provider.
2. Getting a Card Will Lead to Cannabis Prescriptions
Next up, a lot of people mistakenly believe that obtaining a medical cannabis card is the first step toward getting cannabis prescriptions from a doctor. Again, not true.
Doctors cannot write cannabis prescriptions under federal law. Remember that marijuana (medical cannabis is marijuana for all intents and purposes) is still a Schedule I controlled substance. Doctors can only recommend it with state approval. But under federal law, they cannot write prescriptions.
3. A State Card Is Recognized Everywhere
The idea that a state-issued medical cannabis is recognized everywhere is the next myth. Truth be told, very few states practice reciprocity. This means that an Arizona medical cannabis card carries no weight in Utah. Medical cannabis cards are not like driver’s licenses in this regard.
This is important because state laws vary. A patient may have permission to use medical cannabis in one state but not another. So before patients travel outside of their own states, they need to check the laws in their respective destinations.
4. A Card Provides Access to Any Cannabis Product
If you believe that a medical cannabis card gives you legal access to any and all cannabis products, think again. It does not. Again, this is a matter of state law.
States regulate medical cannabis forms, delivery methods, potencies, etc. The states also do not allow smoking medical cannabis because of its health risks. A patient must purchase and consume using one of the approved forms and delivery methods on his state’s list.
5. Insurance Will Cover the Costs
This final myth – the one that suggests health insurance will cover medical cannabis costs – is mostly untrue. I say ‘mostly’ because a small number of state insurers have begun covering medical cannabis services on a limited basis. But by and large, insurance companies will not pay for medical cannabis exams, card applications, and products.
If you are new to medical cannabis, do yourself a favor and become a student. Take the time to research your state’s laws so that you can keep things legal across the board. It is the best way to get relief from your symptoms while keeping everything on the up and up.