Welcome to the wonderful world of Medical Marijuana. Certifying medical marijuana can be daunting. Whether you have already completed your certification or looking to become certified, here are some helpful tips in discerning certifiable patients and maintaining a legal practice.
As you are aware, marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 Drug under Federal Law, despite its many documented medical benefits. Since you are here already, you don’t need convincing as to the benefits of medical marijuana. Simply put;
As medical marijuana gains traction as the ‘anti -drug’ drug, its implications for weaning off addiction to dangerous substances like opioids, heroin and other addictive synthetic drugs are overwhelmingly positive, as harm reduction, the ‘friendlier sister of abstinence’, is heralded as a good treatment for drug addition.
Medical marijuana’s ability to provide patients relief from pain, stimulus to eat, and ability to rest can mean the difference between life and death for some patients. That’s why it is important that medical professionals go forth and assist in providing relief to those patients. However, certifying medical marijuana in Florida comes with quite a few regulations and restrictions that must be adhered to, so we made this Guide to medical Marijuana Certification to get you started.
#1: Ensure your staff is trained in making and receiving calls from prospective medical marijuana patients.
It is critical to ensure that your administrative staff and receptionists/ front desk employees understand how to screen for Medical Marijuana patients. There are a few signs to look out for when handling calls from prospective medical marijuana patients. The first is to ensure they are a legitimate patient. Since it is illegal to provide certifications to patients without completing a physical exam, the first thing your staff should screen is whether they are suffering from a condition on the Qualified Conditions list in Florida’s Medical Marijuana statute (or your respective state) so they can schedule a physical diagnosis for the patient.
The next section provides a detailed explanation regarding qualified conditions:
Qualifying Conditions for Medical Marijuana
It is important that healthcare professionals understand the specific conditions under which Medical Marijuana is certifiable. There are two key reasons which underline the critical nature of ensuring correct certification.
First, responsible health care providers should strive to protect their businesses and should avoid recommending Medical Marijuana frivolously.
Second, most states where medical marijuana is legalized require recommendation only for those patients suffering from those explicitly mentioned qualifying conditions, so stringent diagnosis is beneficial.
Below is a list of common qualifying conditions:
- Cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Multiple sclerosis
- Glaucoma
- A terminal condition diagnosed by a physician other than the qualified physician issuing the physician certification.
- HIV+
- AIDS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Crohn’s disease.
We know it looks complicated, but it is imperative for medical professionals to ensure adherance to their respective state’s stringent medical marijuana laws.
Healthcare providers are advised to use both compassion and discretion when weighing what a patient needs against their state’s requirements.
Porcaro Law understands the nuances of Florida’s Medical Marijuana Statute and all the enumerated qualified conditions. We can provide your office with the paperwork they need, along with an easy to follow guide to ensure you certify patients correctly.
#2: Guidelines to follow during the patient’s visit
Once you have scheduled an appointment, there are a plethora of requirements and records to keep track of during the patient’s certification process.
First, the patient must be diagnosed with one of the qualified conditions enumerated above. Although it is highly unrecommended, doctors may certify patients even if they don’t suffer from a qualified condition. However, the patient’s ailment must be equal in severity and hold similar negative implications on their overall well being as a qualified condition.
Secondly, the patient must be accepted into the Office of Medical Marijuana’s Use Registry, which can be found here.
Lastly, the patient must follow a strict guideline of dosages and a re-certification process throughout the course of their treatment.
These details are varied and complicated, so we made it easy with a ‘Guideline for Patient Certification’ document which we would love to share with you.
#3: Guidelines for Renewing Your patient’s Certification
Just as with any other prescription medication, there are dosage limits and times when the patient’s health must be reevaluated to justify any further use. Certifying medical marijuana includes monitoring the patient’s symptoms and condition to see if the dosage is effective, communicating with the patient’s feedback on the efficacy of medical marijuana, and seeing any improvements/ worsening of symptoms over time (for non- terminal conditions), and keeping a database to ensure the patient.
Contact Porcaro Law Group today to receive information on certifying medical marijuana and how we can help you succeed.
