WA State Card Renew

[cannasense]

You advertising? Not interested. I only pay for a driver's license every 4 years, and don't have to take a test every time. So, what's the difference with a medical authorization?

A medical authorization allows one to use cannabis to treat certain qualifying medical conditions. A drivers license allows one to operate a motor vehicle. A medical authorization must be issued by a qualified medical professional. A drivers license is issued by the state. The only thing these two things have in common is that they're both legal rights defined by statutes. Using your logic the penalties for murder and shoplifting would need to be the same because they're both illegal under state law.

If the condition still exists according to the most current doctor's records a patient may have, what difference does it make who signed the thing? What if a person's real attending doctor specifically for their condition will not sign but a doc in the box will. Once you have an authorization that under the statue doesn't expire (read as long as the original condition exists) means does not expire. And, any doctor visit related to the condition should still validate the condition still exists regardless of who signed for the medical authorization. Wanna split some more hairs, and continue the ambiguous circle jerk?

People reading this need to be aware that nowhere in the statute does it say that recommendations don't expire. It also doesn't say they do expire. The latest additions to the law do specify that one must have a valid authorization and that medical records will no longer substitute for a valid recommendation. If your authorization has an expiration date then it is very likely invalid after the expiration date.

The closest analogue to a medical marijuana recommendation is a prescription. When a doctor writes a prescription they specify a dosage, the number of pills per refill and how many refills the patient gets on the current prescription. The prescription also has an overall expiration date. These limits are the natural mechanisms that limit the patient to a set duration of treatment. Even for chronic conditions a treating physician is going to expect regular contact with the person to whom they are prescribing medication.

Because a medical marijuana recommendation doesn't allow the physician the natural controls the prescription process provides it is entirely reasonable from both legal and medical perspectives to have a medical marijuana recommendation contain an expiration date.

While it is true that a person with a recommendation without an expiration date could argue their authorization is valid even after an extended period of time, it would in the end be at their doctors discretion as to whether they consider the authorization still valid.

Consider the case of a doctor who wrote a recommendation without an expiration date five years before being contacted by the police to verify the authenticity of his recommendation. A responsible doctor concerned about his own medical and legal liability might not provide the answer the person with the five year old recommendation is looking for. Personally I'd say the expense associated with having a yearly recommendation with clearly defined authorization dates is well worth the 55 cents / day it costs me. Most people spend way more than that on pop or coffee every day.

The doc in the boxes who want yearly renewals aren't being non-profit, they are requiring a fee for a medical service. If the doc in the box won't go to some area of the state because its not cost effective, its not really being non-profit and compassionate.

That is absolutely untrue. Fee for service (FFS) activities are not only allowed for not-for-profit organizations, but many social service, rehabilitation and medically oriented not-for-profits consider FFS income to be a major, healthy component of their organization's fiscal health.

But, that is just my opinion so let them fight it out in court or what ever when one of their patients gets hauled in and the doc start spending more time in court then signing authorizations.

In a thread asking for facts it is irresponsible to offer one's unqualified opinion as fact, especially in situations where following that unqualified opinion could cost the reader great expense or time in jail.

I'm for cannabis liberation for whatever reason because by all the medical and human science its the right thing to do. :twocents:

That's fine, so do I, but you shouldn't express how you want things to be as fact in threads asking for facts.

cannasense Reviewed by cannasense on 07-02-2010. WA State Card Renew Ok I've heard 2 stories now! Where can I find the WA State rules/guidelines for renewing your medical card. I heard that there is NO renewal, and I've heard its a yearly thing. Can someone please help me find this information? Beaglebabe Yakima Rating: 5