Getting a Medical Card

[LegallyBlind]

Hi guys I live in the Bay Area, California and I was wondering about getting a medical card.
Are most doctors pretty liberal on signing your medical marijuana application or are they pretty tough. Are there some that are much easier than others?
Also what type of medical condition is needed to obtain a medical card.
I don't want to lie to my doctor and the only real medical issue I could bring up is having extreme soarness in my thigs and legs from working out. I know this sounds like a lame excuse, but I don't really care since I have the right o pursue happiness.
I guess what I'm really asking is can you find a doctor that will sign your shit if you tell him any old thing with you thats wrong?

LegallyBlind Reviewed by LegallyBlind on 08-13-2006. Getting a Medical Card Hi guys I live in the Bay Area, California and I was wondering about getting a medical card. Are most doctors pretty liberal on signing your medical marijuana application or are they pretty tough. Are there some that are much easier than others? Also what type of medical condition is needed to obtain a medical card. I don't want to lie to my doctor and the only real medical issue I could bring up is having extreme soarness in my thigs and legs from working out. I know this sounds like a Rating: 5

[bobbydabud]

depression

[LegallyBlind]

I read somewhere that your condition needs to be preexisting in your medical records...? Anyone know if this is true?

[graph]

Personally, I don't think medicinal marijuana is for you. No offense, but for every person in the medicinal marijuana system who does not have a legitimate medical problem, it's another blow at the medicinal marijuana system. Your right to pirsue happiness has nothing to do with the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, and you might want to contact your congressman before your doctor.

I don't know of any doctor that would give you a recommendation for "any old thing". Nor would I want to. You see, even if you have a letter, you can still be taken to court, and your freedom would rely much less on a little piece of paper than a legitimate medical issue. If you want it bad enough you could probably break your legs. Anything short of that, I think you're healthy enough.

Here is a list of medical conditions that are able to be assigned cannabis use: Conditions typically covered by the law include but are not limited to: arthritis; cachexia; cancer; chronic pain; HIV or AIDS; epilepsy; migraine; and multiple sclerosis

And yeah, it has to be pre-existing. You have to have a lot of paperwork done showing that you've tried different drugs but none have worked except for cannabis. Remember, eventually all those lies will catch up with you.

[LegallyBlind]

Personally, I don't think medicinal marijuana is for you. No offense, but for every person in the medicinal marijuana system who does not have a legitimate medical problem, it's another blow at the medicinal marijuana system. Your right to pirsue happiness has nothing to do with the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, and you might want to contact your congressman before your doctor.

I don't know of any doctor that would give you a recommendation for "any old thing". Nor would I want to. You see, even if you have a letter, you can still be taken to court, and your freedom would rely much less on a little piece of paper than a legitimate medical issue. If you want it bad enough you could probably break your legs. Anything short of that, I think you're healthy enough.

Here is a list of medical conditions that are able to be assigned cannabis use: Conditions typically covered by the law include but are not limited to: arthritis; cachexia; cancer; chronic pain; HIV or AIDS; epilepsy; migraine; and multiple sclerosis

And yeah, it has to be pre-existing. You have to have a lot of paperwork done showing that you've tried different drugs but none have worked except for cannabis. Remember, eventually all those lies will catch up with you.

Thank you graph. I greatly value your opinion, and thank you for that very informative answer. I feel for all of the people with a legitimate need for medical grade cannabis, but I feel I have a right to it even if I don't have cancer or AIDS.
The reason I was asking is because I know people that have gotten medical cards that are totally healthy, and it seemed a little strange to me. I guess there are some doctors out there that as long as you pay the fee for their time they will sign it.
I am also not sure as to whether I want the government to have my name down somewhere saying that I am a cannabis user. The reason it apealled to me is the numerous clubs in my area that all have extremely high grade product and an amazing selection.
Thanks again for all of your help.

[IanCurtisWishlist]

Hi guys I live in the Bay Area, California and I was wondering about getting a medical card.
Are most doctors pretty liberal on signing your medical marijuana application or are they pretty tough. Are there some that are much easier than others?
Also what type of medical condition is needed to obtain a medical card.
I don't want to lie to my doctor and the only real medical issue I could bring up is having extreme soarness in my thigs and legs from working out. I know this sounds like a lame excuse, but I don't really care since I have the right o pursue happiness.
I guess what I'm really asking is can you find a doctor that will sign your shit if you tell him any old thing with you thats wrong?

I have a legal medical marijuana card. Here's the least you need to know:

Medical conditions covered under SB420 include "...any illness for which marijuana provides relief". This can include anything basically, from chronic panic attacks, back pain, joint pain and social anxiety, to AIDS and glaucoma-related issues. The law is written to include any theraputic use from which medical benefit is received.

This being said, you will need to be initially diagnosed by a primary care doctor, psychiatrist, or otherwise licensed physician. When you see your primary care doctor, tell him/her what you are experiencing as far as medical issues. If you are having back pain, tell the doctor. If you have panic attacks, tell the doctor. You will need a diagnoses for the cannabis doctor.

If you have been recently diagnosed with a condiiton which you feel can be relieved by smoking cannabis, you will need to obtain a copy of your medical record stating your diagnoses. This is the first step.

The second step involves locating a physician willing to sign a medical marijuana recommendation. If your primary care doctor will do this for you, you're good to go. However if you are finding it difficult to coax your doctor into recommending pot, you have another option--a specialist. I personally recommend a medical marijuana clinic known as MEDICANN (1-866-mdcnnbs) since you're living in the Bay Area. They have clinics on Franklin Street near Broadway in Oakland ( Right next to the Oakland Cannabis Buyer's Cooperative), one in Santa Cruz, and one on Sutter Street in San Francisco.

Schedule an appointment wth Medicann. You will need to bring your original documentation to your appointment; a valid California ID card, RECENT documented diagnosis of your medical condition. If you have medical or medicare, I believe the fee is reduced. Generally it will cost you about $90 to be evaluated by Medicann. If you have "any illness for which marijuana provides relief", you can legally obtain a recommendation. However it's crucial that you bring a recent diagnosis from your medical records to your medicann appointment, otherwise you've wasted your time.

At the appointment, you will fill out an application stating why you feel you need medical cannabis. You will be asked questions regarding your medical history. It's very similar to a job application. You will then meet with a licensed physician, who will make minor small talk with you, ask you why you feel you need medical cannabis, and then sign a certificate saying that he is legally recommending cannabis to you as his patient.

In short, for 90 dollars you will have your recommendation. But that's not the end of it. If you want a pretty cannabis ID card with your picture on it, you'll need to head across the street to the Oakland Cannabis Buyer's Cooperative (on Broadway) and bring your cannabis recommendation with you. The actual cannabis card will cost $25 and the membership is good for an entire year. You'll get your picture taken, and then you will be all set!

The next step is to congradulate yourself as you make your way though all the cannabis clubs in Oaksterdam--as a legal patient. (In my personal experience, they'll usually give you some free cookies or cannabis caramel, or some stoney treat like that as a first-time visitor)... you should find that most of the staff running the cannabis club are nice folks, who refer to your pot as "medication". They don't say "hashish" because hashish is still technically illegal. But you can get the best extract around at the cannabis club.

It's easier than you might think, but if the authorities catch you abusing the system, a) your case will not hold up in court if you are busted and b) it diminishes the credibility of the medical cannabis movement alltogether. So use your head. If you're using medical pot, don't carry it divided up in 1 gram baggies--this is still "possession with intent to distribute", and the local authorities and D.A. might decide to pursue charges if they find anyone doing this.

It's worth knowing your rights if you're using medical marijuana. Proposition 215 sets the limits on how much you can possess legally. You can have in your possession 8 ounces of dried marijuana--and even more, if your physician feels it's necessary. The guidelines for possession are county-specific, however proposition 215 sets the minimum limit of how much cannabis one can cultivate and possess. This means that , at a minimum, a legal patient in California can cultivate 6 mature plants and grow 12 immature plants at any given time. However counties can permit the growing and possession of larger amounts--in Santa Cruz county, the limit of cannabis allowed to be cultivated is dramatically higher.

You should also be advised that, while medical cannabis is legal under state law, the feds can come in and bust you at any time. You're not likely to be busted, since the feds don't have a list of people who use medical marijuana. The feds also won't bother you if you are growing within the legal limits--they're more interested in people like Ed Rosenthal, who was permitted by the City of Oakland to grow medical cannabis in excess of 1,000 plants. (he was arrested and charged, but the charges didn't hold up in court FYI).

Remember to be discreet, and know your rights. If you flaunt your crop, not only do you run the risk of being ripped off by some punk-ass, but the local authorities might not react kindly to it--local governments have been known to turn over patients to the DEA. This is especially true for smaller towns in California. You also can't drive while under the influence of marijuana, and it's not advisible to drive with it in your car. Sometimes the police will take your stash, regardless of your legal patient status, but the D.A. usually throws these cases out of court.

Lastly, I'd like to point out that the Oakland Cannabis Buyer's Cooperative is the only place which keeps your information on file. This is for convenience's sake. Say you are searched by an officer and are found to be in possession of marijuana. The ID card allows the officer to call the Oakland Cannabis Buyer's Cooperative to confirm whether or not you are indeed a patient, or fraudulently using a fake card. It's much easier this way.

Just don't fuck up medical marijuana by abusing it. Keep it discreet. By discreet, I mean don't use a megaphone advertising that you have marijuana while you walk around the city. I mean granted, it's the Bay Area and you won't get busted for pot anyways--but still, as an act of good class ... you got the scope?

Hope that helped. Let me know if you need further information.:thumbsup:

[IanCurtisWishlist]

"[i}And yeah, it has to be pre-existing. You have to have a lot of paperwork done showing that you've tried different drugs but none have worked except for cannabis. Remember, eventually all those lies will catch up with you."[/i]

That's actually not true. You don't need alot of paperwork, and you don't need to have tried any other drugs. It's not written that way in the laws governing medical cannabis, therefore it's not required

[Rhastus]

glaucoma runs in my family and the nerves in my eyes have started to show symptoms of glaucoma...
i'm gonna move to CALI!!!!

[shoi]

as long as ur not lying then i say go ahead and try.... if ur telling the truth and the doctor decides u need it then u cant feel morally wrong

[LegallyBlind]

Thanks a lot Ian. Just FYI the card would simply be so that I can get a good selection of quality marijuana and not have to deal through drug dealers anymore. I still plan to keep my cannabis use as discreet as always and would not abuse my rights.
When you say that you need a pre-existing diagnosis, does these mean that my physician just needs to make a note of my anxiety or my pain or whatever, or does this mean that he has had to of prescribed me with something for it?
Also is the Oakland Co-op place the only place that you can get your medical card made from?
Thanks again.