NuggMD’s telehealth platform connects state-licensed medical marijuana physicians with their patients for safe and affordable online evaluations.
CHICAGO, March 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — NuggMD, the nation’s leading medical cannabis telemedicine platform, is launching their services in Connecticut and in Illinois. The popular platform will now be available in 11 states, including New York, Nevada, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, New Jersey, Virginia, and Oklahoma. NuggMD has connected more than 700,000 patients to their medical marijuana doctors since 2016 and is now available to over 100 million Americans.
Both Connecticut and Illinois have revised their policies due to COVID. Governor Lamont’s March 2020 Executive Order 7L allows residents in Connecticut to receive their medical marijuana evaluation via telemedicine for the duration of the COVID emergency. Illinois residents are also no longer required to obtain their medical marijuana evaluations in-person; state-licensed physicians can issue recommendations via telemedicine until further notice. Patients in both states can now receive safe and socially distanced MMJ telehealth evaluations without risking unnecessary exposure to illness in a medical environment. This, among many other safety modifications, is making access to cannabis safer for at-risk patients.
“We applaud states taking a compassionate stance on patient-safety,” said Kam Babazade, NuggMD Co-Founder and COO. “The most at-risk cannabis patients no longer have to brave public waiting rooms to get the relief they need. This is a huge step in the right direction to help everyone stay healthy.”
Connecticut decriminalized small amounts of cannabis possession in 2011. Governor Malloy, who signed the legislation, stated that he was reprioritizing law enforcement for violent and more serious crimes. The following year he signed the medical cannabis program into law. The state is now actively considering legislation that would legalize recreational sales by 2022, but it’s not certain yet whether the bill has enough support to pass. To qualify for use of medical marijuana, a Connecticut resident must have one of the state’s more than 3 dozen qualifying conditions. Some of the more common conditions that are approved for medical marijuana treatment in Connecticut are cancer, PTSD, interstitial cystitis, and chronic pain of at least 6 months duration associated with a specified underlying chronic condition refractory to other treatment intervention.
In contrast, recreational marijuana has been legalized in Illinois, but the medical marijuana program is still extremely popular. Registered patients can receive discounts at dispensaries and are exempt from paying the cannabis excise tax, which can be up to 25%. Registered patients can also purchase more than twice as much cannabis as a recreational patient–up to 2.5oz, and can skip the long recreational lines at dual-licensed dispensaries. Patients can also grow up to five plants at home — a privilege not granted to recreational users at all. To qualify for Illinois’ medical marijuana program, patients must have one of the more than 50 qualifying debilitating conditions for medical marijuana use. Some of the more common conditions on the list are cancer, post traumatic stress disorder, osteoarthritis, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic pain.
NuggMD’s fully-licensed physicians are available in both states from 8am to 10pm every day, including weekends, with no appointment necessary. Evaluations in Connecticut are $149 and are priced at $99 in Illinois. Patients who don’t qualify for medical marijuana treatment in their state will always receive their evaluation for free.
About NuggMD:
NuggMD is the nation’s leading medical marijuana technology platform, serving patients in California, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Illinois and now Connecticut. They have connected over 700,000 patients with their new medical marijuana doctors face-to-face via their state-of-the-art telemedicine platform. They believe that every human being has the right to explore the benefits of medical cannabis and are fully committed to helping each patient explore all of their options in their journey to wellness. For further information, visit Nuggmd.com/connecticut and Nuggmd.com/illinois.
