A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding a Medical Marijuana Doctor for Your Needs

Finding a mmj doctor is essential for anyone looking to use cannabis as a treatment for their condition. The decision of which doctor you choose can be overwhelming, with so many variables to consider. This article will provide you with an overview of how the process works and give you a guide on finding the right medical marijuana doctor for your needs.

What is Medical Marijuana?

Medical marijuana is a category of cannabis plants that have been used for medical purposes to alleviate suffering. There are two main types of medical marijuana: Cannabis extract and whole plant. There are also two main categories of extracts: Full spectrum, where all cannabinoids and terpenes are included, and high-CBD, which only contains the compound CBD (cannabidiol).

Full spectrum extracts include THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis. It has been shown to help with pain relief, seizures, inflammation, nausea, sleep disorders and more. High-CBD extracts are typically used for children as it doesn't contain THC but does contain CBD--the compound that's often associated with a positive effect on depression.

Whole plant cannabis is typically higher in THC content than high-CBD extracts. This makes it easier to get the desired effects from using it recreationally; however, this comes at the cost of not being able to treat some conditions as well as high-CBD extracts or full-spectrum products can.

How to find a medical marijuana doctor

The first step of finding a medical marijuana doctor is to look into your insurance's coverage. Once you know how much your insurance will cover, you can start looking for a doctor in the area or at least one that practices nearby.

Your next step should be to look on the internet for reviews of the doctor and see if anyone has posted comments about them. You'll want to do some research before meeting with the doctor, so this is a great way to get some insight on them so that you can feel more confident when you meet them. If there are no reviews, it may be worth reaching out to someone who has worked with the doctor in the past and asking that person what they thought of working with them.

Once you have all these steps completed, you're ready to make an appointment with the doctor. The last thing that should go into your decision making process is potential referral fees (if any) and whether or not the office is located close enough to where you live so that it would make sense for you to come down there.

How to make an appointment with your mmj doctor

Once you've identified the doctor who will best suit your needs, you'll need to make an appointment. When scheduling appointments, it's important that you give enough notice so the doctor and his or her staff can prepare for your visit.

To make a proper appointment, start by calling the doctor's office and asking for more information about their schedule. If they have a specific time slot during which their office is open, ask if that time would work for you to come in and talk with them. That way, they know exactly when to expect your visit without having to do any other scheduling.

Once you've scheduled an appointment with your mmj doctor, try to keep that day free of commitments so they can spend adequate time with you while still giving their full attention to your concerns. Be sure not to schedule any appointments on the day of as well; just be flexible about when you go in and leave should there happen to be a cancellation at the last minute.

What can you expect when seeing your mmj doctor?

When you visit a medical marijuana doctor, the main idea is to get an assessment of your condition and determine if cannabis is going to be the best route for you. There are many different types of doctors that can help in this process, including psychiatrists, psychologists and medical doctors.

There are three main phases in seeing a mj doctor:

-The intake appointment

-Determining whether or not cannabis will be effective for you

-The treatment plan

In the intake appointment, your mmj doctor will ask about your condition and medical history. They'll also take a medical exam with you and your current healthcare provider. During this meeting, they'll discuss how cannabis could help your particular condition. The goal of this meeting is to find out if there's any other medication that would work better than cannabis. If they recommend any medications over cannabis, they'll give an explanation as to why they're more beneficial. This part of the appointment lasts approximately 45 minutes to an hour long.

Tips for talking to your mmj doctor.

If you want to talk to your mmj doctor, here are some tips and things to keep in mind.

First, make sure your doctor is licensed. The state of California defines a "medical marijuana physician" as someone who has "an active license to practice medicine in the State of California." If your doctor does not have such a license, they will not be able to provide you with medical marijuana prescriptions.

Second, get all of the information you need from your doctor. Decide up front if you want to seek out additional treatment from other doctors or specialists because different doctors can have different experiences with cannabis as treatment for certain conditions.

Third, don't feel pressured into any decision. You should only pursue medical marijuana as a last resort for a condition that no other treatments have proven successful for. If your condition is something that can be treated by traditional medications like opioids and ibuprofen, then there's no reason to move onto medical marijuana.