How Do I Get Medical Marijuana?

There is a growing amount of research that shows medical marijuana can help relieve symptoms of a number of different health conditions. Recognizing this, the state of Ohio legalized the use of medical marijuana in 2016, but there are certain steps you must take to gain access to this treatment.

One of your most important steps is to find a certified physician, such as our own Dr. Sachida Manocha here at Interventional Pain Center. Our team understands the valuable role that medical marijuana can play in helping to ease pain, and we feel that it can play a part in many treatment programs.

If you’re interested in adding medical marijuana to your treatment plan, here’s how it works.

Qualifying conditions

Before we get into the process of gaining access to medical marijuana, we first want to outline the conditions for which it’s approved. They include:

• AIDS
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Cachexia
• Cancer
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• Crohn’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• Huntington’s disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Severe or intractable pain, including arthritis, migraines, lupus, degenerative disc disease, and complex regional pain syndrome
• Parkinson’s disease
• HIV positive
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Sickle cell anemia
• Spasticity
• Spinal cord disease or injury
• Terminal illness
• Tourette syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury
• Ulcerative colitis

If you don’t see your issue on this list, please call us for more information.

Visit a certified physician

If you do recognize your condition on the list above, your next step toward gaining access to medical marijuana is to visit a certified provider, such as Dr. Manocha. When you come in, we first thoroughly evaluate your health to determine whether medical marijuana can play a beneficial role in helping you to find relief.

If we feel that medical marijuana can help, we create a profile in the Patient & Caregiver Registry, after which you will receive an activation email that will help you complete the registration process.

Once you’re properly signed in, this registration lasts for one year, at which point you need to see us again to have it renewed.

Getting and using your medical marijuana

Once you’re cleared for medical marijuana, we will supply you with a list of licensed dispensaries. Medical marijuana comes in many forms, including:

• Oils
• Tinctures
• Plant material
• Edibles
• Lotions
• Creams
• Patches

We will be prescribing a dosage that you can receive in whichever delivery method suits you best. Of course, we’re here to help, and we can review the pros and cons of each, so you can make an informed decision.

As well, if you have any further questions that we didn’t answer here, we suggest you check out this link from the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program.

If you’re interested in pursuing medical marijuana as part of your treatment plan, you can learn more by booking an appointment online or over the phone with Interventional Pain Center today. We have locations in Worthington and Newark, Ohio.