What Is It Like to See a Medical Marijuana Doctor?
Article written by
Diana FolletteDirector of Patient Success
Content reviewed by
Dr. Lewis JasseyMedical Director - Pediatric Medicine
In order to get a medical marijuana card, you’ll need to speak to a medical marijuana doctor. If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in getting your medical marijuana card but unsure of what to expect. You’re in the right place! Keep reading and you’ll find out what it’s like to see a medical marijuana doctor.
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What is a medical marijuana doctor?
To become a medical marijuana patient, you need to be certified by a healthcare provider (usually a physician) which allows the state to confirm that you are eligible to become a cannabis patient.
A medical marijuana healthcare professional is:
- A doctor, nurse practitioner or sometimes even a dentist!
- Compassionate
- Understanding
- Knowledgeable
- Someone who believes in the medical power of cannabis
- Someone you can talk to about using cannabis as medicine
- (In some states) a holder of a certificate which allows them to certify patients
- Here to help
As far as we’re concerned, medical marijuana healthcare providers are the best kind of healthcare providers because they really do believe in the power of cannabis. They recognize its value and potential and want to help expand access and help people just like you get the medicine you need.
How to see a medical marijuana doctor
You can see a medical marijuana physician online with Leafwell. Telemedicine allows you to speak with one of our healthcare providers from the comfort of your own home, at a time that suits you. All you’ll need is a cell phone, tablet or computer.
In some states, you may be required to have an in-person consultation. Where possible, we can facilitate this to help you gain easy access to the medicine you need.
Where possible, we recommend telemedicine because it is quick, easy and HIPAA compliant. It is also often cheaper, as well as being more accessible for people who may not be easily able to travel to an in-person clinic.
What is the process of seeing a medical marijuana doctor?
With Leafwell, everything can be done online. We’ll ask you some standard questions and invite you to upload medical records (not always required) which will be securely passed to the certifying healthcare provider. They will review these documents before speaking to you so they have a clear understanding of why you want to use medical cannabis and whether it is a good choice for you based on your qualifying condition.
When the doctor is ready, using our state of the art platform, you’ll enter a HIPAA compliant video conference to speak with your physician. These consultations usually take 5-10 minutes and you’ll be asked some more questions. You will also get the opportunity to ask the physician questions.
After the appointment, if you are approved, we’ll send you further instructions. Each state is different so we recommend you follow our guides to ensure you complete the necessary processes to complete your application. Of course, if for some reason the physician is unable to approve your application, we will not charge you for the consultation.
Can I see my medical marijuana doctor again to renew my cannabis certificate?
Of course you can! We firmly believe in ongoing care for all our patients. We don’t just want to certify people and leave them to navigate the confusing world of medical cannabis alone. If you want to come back to speak with a healthcare provider about how cannabis is working for you, we offer follow-up appointments in addition to renewal certificates.
Plus, we have hundreds of blogs which should be able to provide you some insight and guidance as a medical cannabis user. Keep an eye out for our monthly newsletter (sign up below) to stay up to date on all things cannabis. We promise you’ll learn something new.
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