Countries have different laws concerning the use of drugs. Marijuana is an example of a drug that is prohibited in some countries and used in others. The countries or states that allow the use of marijuana mainly intend to help their citizens with conditions that can be treated using it. An example of such a state is Virginia. However, there are requirements that you need to have so that you can be allowed to purchase marijuana from dispensaries or have a medical marijuana card.
Marijuana
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As a person residing in Virginia, you may be unsure how to get a medical marijuana card. However, you don’t have to worry as this article provides the steps you can use to get this card. If you are in Virginia, consider using the services of ReThink-Rx Marijuana Doctors in Virginia for your medical marijuana needs.
Importance Of Virginia Medical Treatment
In July 2021, the use of marijuana was allowed in Virginia for people aged 21 years and above. However, you’re only allowed to possess a set amount of marijuana. You risk facing criminal penalties if found with more than the permitted marijuana amount. With this new bill, you may wonder if there’s a need for a medical marijuana card. The answer is yes.
A Virginia medical marijuana card is essential as it offers benefits such as:
- Access to licensed dispensaries. These dispensaries sell medical marijuana products to people certified to use medical marijuana.
- Legal protection. Having a condition that can be treated through marijuana may require having more than the allowable amount of marijuana in Virginia. This means you may end up on the wrong side of the law. However, with a medical marijuana card, you can prove to the authorities why you have that amount for your health purposes and avoid criminal penalties.
- Job protection. Some companies conduct drug tests on their employees to ensure they aren’t using drugs. Testing positive for THC means you risk losing your job. However, with a marijuana medical card, you can prove to your employers that you’re using marijuana for health benefits only. But, this doesn’t give you the right to use marijuana products during working hours.
- You can use it in other states. Having a condition that’s treatable by medical marijuana may require you to use marijuana products often. This means you need access to marijuana even when you travel. This shouldn’t be an issue if you have a Virginia medical marijuana card, as you can use it to buy marijuana in other states.
Steps To Follow To Get A Medical Marijuana Card In Virginia
Here are procedures you can follow if you want to be allowed to use marijuana for its medicinal purposes:
1. First, You Need To Be Diagnosed With A Condition That Can Be Treated Using Marijuana
As previously mentioned, you can use marijuana in Virginia for medicinal purposes. Therefore, the first thing you should do is confirm if you have a condition that can benefit from marijuana use. You do so by making an appointment with a medical marijuana doctor. It would help if you had this specific doctor because some doctors are members of medical associations that don’t approve of issuing medical marijuana certifications.
You may want to know which health conditions benefit from marijuana treatment. Some of the qualifying conditions include:
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Chronic pain
- Anxiety disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Cancer
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Epilepsy and many more
After being diagnosed with these conditions, your doctor should write a recommendation letter. However, you should note that not any medical marijuana doctor can write a recommendation letter or issue a certificate. These doctors must be licensed by the Board of Medicine and registered with the Board of Pharmacy.
Additionally, there’s no restriction on who can get the recommendation and who cannot. These conditions can affect adults as well as children.
2. Next, Register With The Virginia Board Of Pharmacy
Once your doctor diagnoses you with a condition that will benefit from medical marijuana treatment, you need to start working towards getting your card. What you’re required to do in this stage is to register online. There are a couple of documents you’re supposed to have in this registration. These documents include:
- Recommendation letter from your doctor
- A medical marijuana application form
- Your ID or driving license to prove that you’re a resident of Virginia
- Your address that matches with the one on your ID, and
- Your social security number
Submitting these documents doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be approved. The Virginia Board of Pharmacy will review your submitted papers to confirm whether you qualify for a medical marijuana card.
3. Wait For Feedback From The Virginia Board Of Pharmacy
The Virginia Board of Pharmacy takes 7-10 days to get back to you. In the meantime, you can keep busy by looking at licensed dispensaries around you. Additionally, you can research marijuana products that you prefer using. There are various marijuana products available at licensed dispensaries. These products include:
- Flower marijuana
- Vapes
- Edibles
- Tinctures
- Concentrates
- Lotions and many more.
For instance, if you have a problem with your respiratory system, it would be best if you use marijuana products that don’t involve smoking. You can decide to use edibles or lotions. Also, your age matters. People of old age are known to have weak immune systems. Therefore, indulging in activities such as smoking wouldn’t be right. Moreover, it wouldn’t be right to choose marijuana products consumed through smoking for children diagnosed with the said conditions. This means if you’re young or of old age, you should prefer non-smoking products.
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After the assessing period, you will receive your Virginia medical marijuana card through email. However, you can request a hard copy to be mailed to your home address.
Health Benefits Of Using Marijuana
Here are ways marijuana benefits your health:
- It Releases Stress. Being diagnosed with any health condition interferes with your peace of mind. Stressing about your health isn’t advised as it may cause more health deterioration. Therefore, you should try not to worry. The use of marijuana helps you to concentrate on stress-relieving activities such as reading novels, going for walks, watching movies, and others.
- It Prevents Muscle Tension. Marijuana contains THC, which is known to relax your mind and muscles.
- It Has Anti-inflammatory Power. Cannabinoids help your body moderate inflammation in a way that’s not too much.
- Reduces Vomiting And Nausea. This is very helpful to cancer patients that undergo chemotherapy. Chemotherapy may make you feel nauseous and throw up. Luckily, using marijuana reduces this feeling leaving you in a better mood.
- Manages Your Body Weight. You may think using marijuana may add more weight due to more food intake caused by munchies, but that’s not true. Despite consuming calories, marijuana users have a moderate body mass index. There isn’t an accurate explanation for this, but some scientists think marijuana increases cellular metabolism. As a result, you burn calories without using too much energy.
Summing It Up!
The use of marijuana is allowed in some states. One of the reasons these states permit marijuana use is for the sake of residents with health conditions that can be treated using marijuana. Virginia is an example of such a state. However, you need a medical marijuana card in Virginia to get medical marijuana from a dispensary. You can use this article to understand how to get a Virginia medical marijuana card.
Sources
https://www.virginiamarijuanacard.com/how-to-qualify
https://www.cannabis.virginia.gov/
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