Patients new to the concept of medical marijuana might ask a few questions. Where do I find a doctor to write me a recommendation? How do I get MMJ legally?
Fortunately, we’re here to help you out. By the end of this page, you’ll be a pro when it comes to treating yourself with MMJ in Palm Desert, Calif.
You can’t legally treat just any condition with medical marijuana in California — you have to go by the MMJ laws established by the state. However, the law includes many conditions that interfere with daily life, so if you feel that your health impedes your day-to-day living, you could qualify. California looks at both your conditions and symptoms to determine if your health problems can be treated with cannabis.
The following disorders are eligible:
In addition, any disorder that makes it hard to do these ADA-defined daily living activities can qualify you:
For the state to consider your eligibility for the MMJ program, you must fill out the state-issued form (English version, Spanish version). Then, you have to let your county handle it by taking it to their health office. You will also need to submit supplemental materials like:
You can get together everything except for the doctor’s note on your own. You can ask your health provider for any kind of document in which your doctor signs off on your health problems, but it might be helpful to use the optional form provided by the state (English version, Spanish version). It could especially help if your doctor is new to recommending MMJ or you don’t know how to start talking with them about it.
Whether you use the state form or get another form of documentation, ask your physician to keep a copy in your files. The health department will get in touch with your doctor to verify that they have one.
Once the state sends you your MMJ card, you can buy medicine from a dispensary or growing collective. Make sure you possess under one ounce of bud or eight grams of concentrate at a time. If you’re from out of the country, be extra careful when you travel with your medicine — some ICE officials take advantage of the federal outlawing of marijuana to deport people.
California lets you consult with any doctor in the state to get a recommendation. However, not every doctor is willing to recommend it. If that happens to you, you can find a new physician using our list of weed-positive doctors.
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