Am I a Candidate for Medical Marijuana?

Recognizing the potential health benefits of marijuana, Ohio lawmakers made cannabis legal for medical use in 2016. 

As an expert in pain management, Sachida Manocha, MD, of Interventional Pain Center saw the benefit in adding medical marijuana to his wide range of services and treatment options. In fact, he took the necessary steps to become licensed to prescribe cannabis to patients who may benefit from its use.

If you’re wondering whether medical marijuana can play a role in managing your condition, let’s take a look at who is eligible and how you can go about adding cannabis to your treatment regimen.

Conditions that qualify for medical marijuana

After reviewing the data and research, Ohio lawmakers passed House Bill 523, which makes medical marijuana available to those who have certain health conditions. We list them here in alphabetical order so you can easily determine whether your condition meets the criteria:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Cachexia, or wasting syndrome
• Cancer
• Chronic pain
• Crohn’s disease
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• Epilepsy
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Hepatitis C
• Huntington’s disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Sickle cell anemia
• Spasticity
• Spinal cord injury
• Terminal illness
• Tourette syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury
• Ulcerative colitis

As you can see by this list, the state acknowledges that cannabis can play a role in a person’s physical and mental health.

Obtaining an Ohio medical marijuana card

To legally access marijuana, you need to obtain an Ohio medical marijuana card. The first step is to have a licensed health care provider evaluate your health, which is where Dr. Manocha can help. As we mentioned, our practice understands the potentially valuable role that medical marijuana can play in managing your pain, which is why we’re certified by the state to authorize its use.

Your first step is to set up an appointment with us so Dr. Manocha can evaluate your health and eligibility. If you’re new to our practice, we suggest that you bring any pertinent medical records so we can have them for reference.

If Dr. Manocha feels that you may benefit from medical marijuana, he’ll submit your recommendation to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. Then you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to activate and download your card.

Getting your medical marijuana

Once you have your card, you’ll be able to access a dispensary near you. Medical marijuana comes in many strains and forms, but, rest assured, we’ll guide you so you can find a dose and form that best suits your needs.

To learn more about medical marijuana and to see if it could help you, book an appointment online or over the phone with Interventional Pain Center today.