Where Are All The Medical Marijuana Doctors?
It’s one thing that 29 states have legal medical marijuana, but quite another to find a doctor to recommend it so patients can purchase their medicine.
Physicians can discuss and safely recommend, although not prescribe, cannabis to patients as a health care option, under state or federal law, thanks to a 2004 Federal Court decision that relied on the First Amendment.
“An integral component of the practice of medicine is the communication between a doctor and a patient. Physicians must be able to speak frankly and openly to patients,” read the decision.
Medical cannabis statutes in most states, going back to California’s Proposition 215 in 1996, choose this “recommendation” language carefully.
As states develop their MMJ laws, they enact regulations that include what and who can recommend and how the process works, but participating doctors are hard to find.
This article was originally published in High Times. Click here to read more.
________________________
For PA based physicians and medical professionals, Greenhouse Ventures and Thomas Jefferson University are hosting an accredited course to educate health care professionals regarding the basic science underlying the pharmacologic and therapeutic options associated with medical cannabis in patient care, and provide clinical insights on the use of medicinal cannabis in practice. Visit the website for a full list of dates and venues, further course information, and ticket price for the PA Medicinal Cannabis Education Tour.