First time posting. Hope this makes sense..

I need some help, and everyone here seems to know their stuff, so I thought I'd ask for advice ....

Lately I've been looking into getting a medical marijuana card. Let me explain a little about my history first. I'm a 39 year old man who didn't start smoking marijuana until I was 24. Before I smoked I was this hard ass, unsympathetic, manipulative asshole who suffered under the weight of my A.D.D. which lead to my depression and anxiety. I had tried all types of meds prescribed by doctors. Welbutrin, Paxil, Ritalin etc etc, all of which either left me feeling like a zombie inside, or nothing at all.

Then one day at 24 a friend got me to try marijuana for the first time. I liked it as just about everyone does for the first high. Then my friend kept comming over every day and smoked me out. After the first few weeks, something started to change. I found it easier to relate to people. I became more empathetic. I could focus more on things because it felt like all the back ground static in my head had been brought down to a low hum. I found it easier to control my depression because not only was my mood elevated, but I wasn't constantly being besieged with the non stop information gathering that my A.D.D. brain usually gave me. My A.D.D. became easier to work with, which lead to better control over my depression and anxiety.

Marijuana made me a better person. There is the me before I started smoking, and the me after, and they are two completely different people. Marijuana helps me maintain my sanity without making me feel dead inside. Something that no medication had done. My problem ? Supply. When my connects go dry, it's like my pharmacy telling me they're out of my meds. After about 5 days without, I become more anxious, more easily agitated, and my attention span becomes shorter then a 5 year olds.

Hence why I'm considering getting a medical card.

Now, from what I understand, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure A.D.D. and depression and anxiety are listed as being justifiable reasons for the use of medical marijuana. So, I've started doing some research on the net, and wow, there's a lot of crap out there to get through ! So I have a few questions, and I hope some of you can help me out and get me started on my path to getting my card. For reference sake, I live in Costa Mesa. So here goes..

Question 1. How do I find a doctor ? I've looked online for address but can't shake the feeling that a lot of these so called " evaluations " and " doctors " are scams to get my money. How do I tell the difference ? Can anyone give me a recommendation ?

Question 2. How do I explain my history to the doctor without sounding like I'm full of shit and trying to score a card for recreational use ? I believe honesty is the best policy, and I imagine a good doctor is on his guard against dishonest people. I don't want to say the wrong thing and come off sounding like an idiot.

Question 3. How do I find a good dispensary ? One of my other reasons for wanting to try medical marijuana is access to different strains. The problem with buying on the street is that the strain changes frequently. Some strains work better for me then others. Being able to pick a specific strain would be very beneficial. Can anyone give me a recommendation ?

Any help I can get is appreciated. Thank you for your attention, and I hope to become an active part of this forum

You sound just like me. Almost all the same on how it makes me a better person. Just go in there confident tell them what you told us and take your old meds in with you. You can find doctors on norml.com, then go to the canorml site through the links on the right hand side and find a doctor closest to you. It seems all of them charge exorbitant prices, but hey its definetely worth it. Good luck

I think part of my problem will be proving my history. I haven't used any meds since I was 25. I have no old bottles or doctor records. ( who keeps those things for 15 years anyway ? )

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Originally Posted by chronicbudha1

I think part of my problem will be proving my history. I haven't used any meds since I was 25. I have no old bottles or doctor records. ( who keeps those things for 15 years anyway ? )

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If you just explain yourself to the doctor like you have here, it shouldn't be a problem. There isn't a "secret method" of successfully getting a card with a physician.

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Originally Posted by Neko150

If you just explain yourself to the doctor like you have here, it shouldn't be a problem. There isn't a "secret method" of successfully getting a card with a physician.

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I'm not looking for one. I just want to make sure that I go in informed. Thanks.

Anyone have a recommendation for a doctor in the O.C. ?