Doctor appt. this Friday: How to convince him to write me a recommendation for MJ?

[Nailhead]

I have an appointment with my doctor this Friday, and on my previous visit I asked about medical marijuana but he didn't know anything about it, so he said he would do some research. I don't know if he did though, and I want to do whatever I can to improve my chances of getting my recommendation. I know as a backup I can get it from another doctor if I need to, but money is tight for me so the extra $150-200 that would cost me is just too hard to come by right now....and I really need to get on MJ, I'm loosing way too much weight from my medical condition!

I wanted to know if there is a form I can print out, like another doctors recommendation I can print and bring with me to have him sign off on. I found one online, but it had another doctors office name on the form so I knew I couldn't use that. I don't even know if he would sign the form if I brought one, but I have a feeling he won't want to sign the recommendation and his excuse might be "I don't have the proper forms", so I just want to be ready if he throws that one at me

I want to do anything that can increase my chance of getting this recommendation from my regular doctor, so if anybody has some tips or advice please let me know what you think I should do. The only drugs left to treat me are very harsh and severe drugs, and to me it doesn't make sense to try those before a safe plant, but you all know how some doctors are, they'd rather go the safe route, (safe for them that is).

My doctor doesn't seem like he is against medical marijuana, he seemed very interested when I was talking to him about it, but because it's so controversial I worry he might not want to have anything to do with it, especially since the God damn Crohn's and Colitis foundation won't admit marijuana has any benefits for treatment, meanwhile everyone I've talked to has said it has helped them greatly!

Nailhead Reviewed by Nailhead on 05-02-2007. Doctor appt. this Friday: How to convince him to write me a recommendation for MJ? I have an appointment with my doctor this Friday, and on my previous visit I asked about medical marijuana but he didn't know anything about it, so he said he would do some research. I don't know if he did though, and I want to do whatever I can to improve my chances of getting my recommendation. I know as a backup I can get it from another doctor if I need to, but money is tight for me so the extra $150-200 that would cost me is just too hard to come by right now....and I really need to get Rating: 5

[Storm Crow]

Sweetie, you need to google crohn's and cannabis. There are several studies that show cannabis helps. Normally, I'd look them up for you, but I have to go to work. medpot.net has some on it and Treating Yourself magazine (treatingyourself.com) had an article about it just this last issue. Print them up and take them in with you. Chances are your doc will not have done his research- YOU will have to do it for him. My doc is too scared of the feds to recommend cannabis. Hope you have better luck with yours. - Granny:hippy:

[mrdevious]

I don't know if I missed something StormCrow, but did he mention have chron's disease? But if that's the case, yes cannabis is very helpful for chron's disease as it reduces the bowel inflammation.


NailHead, by the sounds of it I think your doctor will put some real effort into researching the matter. Docs usually like to stay decently up-to-date on all sorts of medical issues if they have to deal with such issues regarding their patients.
If you really want to make it clear that you genuinly need it, and are not just trying to get high, ask him if there are any other medications that act by the same mechanism as cannabis on the intestinal tract, and be open to any alternatives. A couple weeks ago my regular doctor wasn't in so I asked another one to refil my tramadol prescription. She really annoyed me because she obviously thought I was just trying to get some to get high (definately not the case), so I did just what I recommended to you by recommending alternatives, and she finally had enough doubt to prescribe me 20 days worth (albeit hesitantly). So keep this strategy in mind, though please don't ever use it if you are just looking for a high.

[Nailhead]

Thanks Storm Crow, but I already know about the wonderful benefits of using marijuana with Crohn's. The last time I saw my doctor was after having a bad reaction to one of the prescribed medications I had just started taking, and I told him I wanted to try marijuana for a while before starting on any new prescription drugs. He did seem interested that I was basically going to be a lab rat for how marijuana can effect Crohn's, but I quit because some strains don't work very much at all, and when buying off the street I have no clue what strain I'm getting.

I know most good doctors keep well read on this kinda stuff, but if that was true with my doctor he should have at least known something about medical marijuana. I don't think he keeps up to date as some other doctors.

But my problem isn't convincing him marijuana can help me, he seemed open to the idea and from the test I did I really have nothing bad to say, but from his perspective he might still be worried he can loose his job if he signs the recommendation. I know they passed some law where this can't happen, because basically the doctors are using their first amendment right when signing the recommendation, but I'm sure a lot of doctors are still uneasy about signing off.

Basically I'm just wondering if I can print out and bring in a sample form for the recommendation and have him sign that, or does this have to be printed out by the doctor? I don't know if he did or didn't do any research since my last visit, but I want to expect he didn't do anything. I want to bring any legal paperwork with me that he would have to give me, if that is possible.

Hopefully he will have the recommendation ready to sign, but I doubt it. I know how my doc is, and I just have a feeling he could easily be pursuaded by the Crohn's and Colitis foundation website stating marijuana has no medical benefit for treating Crohn's. A lot of doctors rely on that organization, so there is a good chance he saw that and quickly stopped doing any more research because it is a pretty well respected organization that has drawn millions of dollars to help research this disease. That is why I'm so frustrated that they simply write marijuana off when every single person I have talked to online that has Crohn's and uses marijuana says it helps them far better than any of their prescription drugs. That is a very powerful statement, and I've read a lot of statements saying just that!

Ok sorry, I'm going off on a rant again, but again I just want to know if there is a blank recommendation I could print out to bring with me.

[420marijuana420]

Your doctor dosn't know what Medical Marijuana is? Where's his office, Morocco?

[Storm Crow]

You need form DHS 9042 (4/05) Just google the form number and you will find it.- Granny:hippy:

[mrdevious]

You need form DHS 9042 (4/05) Just google the form number and you will find it.- Granny:hippy:

Granny?

Do you mind if I inquire as to your age and gender StormCrow?

[birdgirl73]

Granny's next birthday is her 60th, if I remember reading correctly, and she's a lovely lady. Hence the term "Granny" instead of "Grandpa." She also happens to be one of my favorite people here and is one of our most helpful members. We love Granny!

[mrdevious]

We do love Granny! I think it's awsome to have another member here with some age and experience.

[Nailhead]

Your doctor dosn't know what Medical Marijuana is? Where's his office, Morocco?

He knows what medical marijuana is of course, but he had no idea it could be used to treat Crohn's, which is why I don't think he can be all that great of a doctor because any well informed doctor should have known this already. I mean I found it out with a simple google search, might as well call me a doctor lol

You need form DHS 9042 (4/05) Just google the form number and you will find it.- Granny:hippy:

That looks like it is an application for the state ID, I don't want that, I only want a recommendation from my doctor. Here is an example I have found, but I can't use this because it has another doctors office address on it.

Form Example

I could just copy that into a word document and edit out the part that mentions Santa Cruz County General Medical Clinic and replace it with where I go, but I don't have a word document program on my computer and won't have time to do that tomorrow.

I don't know, I doubt any doctor on this planet earth would sign a form a patient brought in with them so it's probably just a waste of time anyway. Any sane doctor would have all their forms, especially one dealing with a contraversial topic such as medical marijuana, would have it looked over by an attorney first so I think I'll just go and hope he has his own form ready to sign.

But like I said, I doubt he will. Oh well, we'll see how things go, one thing is for sure, if he doesn't sign me off I'm changing doctors because he never really offers me any advice other than trying a new prescription drug, and being a person that hates prescription drugs he seems useless. If he can at least write me the recommendation I have enough reason to stay, but chances are I'll need a new doctor. I've already looked at a few, I'm trying to find an asian doctor because they might be more sided with the medical marijuana issue since they come from a background of using natural medicines.

My old doctor was asian, I bet he would have signed me off, uhh I hate changing docs!