Marijuana Doctor

What to Expect During Your Visit With a Medical Marijuana Doctor

Introduction

The first visit with a marijuana doctor is always going to be a little nerve-wracking.  This is such a new field of medicine for many people.  If you used to use street marijuana, then the stigma can be even more intimidating.

This is exactly what your medical marijuana doctor wants to help you avoid.  The goal of a doctor is to help you progress in treatment in a way that is healthy for you and that doesn’t cause intimidation or anxiety.  To help you prepare, here are a few things you need to get ready and what to expect from marijuana doctors.

What to Prepare

Talking to any doctor can be scary for some people.  This is why it is important to prepare ahead of time so that you can answer questions easily and quickly. 

Medical History

Assuming this is the first time that you’ll meet with a marijuana doctor, make sure that you have your medical history ready for your doctor to see.  You can do this by calling your PCP, GP, or other specialists to obtain any of your medical information.

Previous Treatments

One of the biggest parts to prepare is what treatments you have used before that either worked slightly or didn’t work.

 For example, if you had to take pain medication that took care of the majority of pain, but there was still breakthrough pain, then the treatment was technically a failure.

Information

One thing that I personally think is miscommunicated regularly, is how much a PCP or GP knows even if they support the medical marijuana industry.  Remember, marijuana is a complex drug that works with specific receptors in the brain that helps with a myriad of issues. 

Your doctor may not know all of that!  At Marijuana Doctors, you don’t have to worry about that, but it is still a good idea to have additional information that might help your case.

What to Expect

Now that you have your case prepared, here’s a look at how a professional medical marijuana doctor is going to approach your case.

Professionalism

Doctors who have chosen to pursue the betterment of human life through the use of marijuana are going to have a deeper knowledge of insurance, strains, and dosages.  These doctors are very professional and, like any doctor, can sometimes come across as very clinical. 

Don’t let this deter you!  Doctors have to be professional and that statement is even bigger for medical marijuana doctors.  They are at the forefront of research and often have to deal with a lot of pushback.

Compassion

Generally speaking, medical marijuana doctors are going to be working with patients that have either had very tragic issues, or people who want marijuana for their ‘glaucoma’ as the old joke goes.

From cancers, PTSD, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, and more, marijuana doctors have seen some very hurt people.  Because of this, you can expect a lot of compassion for your situation. 

Usually, if you are at the point of asking to go on medical marijuana, then it is either the last resort or an attempt to avoid opioids and other extremely addictive medicines.

Don’t be afraid to tell your doctor your story: this will help them see how they can help you and track treatment.  Medical marijuana isn’t a joke but a viable option for many people who have dealt with long-term or short-term suffering.

Telemedicine vs. In-Person

With the introduction of the CoVID pandemic in 2019/2020, advances in telemedicine have skyrocketed.  There are now on-call nurses, virtual mental health professionals, and even virtual marijuana doctors! 

Fortunately, this can help those with high amounts of anxiety and it can also help those in more rural areas connect with their doctors.  When it comes to medical marijuana, there are several telemed options that you can choose.

Those options will depend on each state, so make sure you are aware of your state laws.

Pushback

One last thing to cover is the idea of pushback.  If you speak to doctors from Marijuana Doctors, then you are going to be good to go.  On the other hand, if you are talking to a PCP or GP with zero marijuana association, you may get some pushback.

The best way to handle the pushback is to provide your doctor with the information necessary to help them understand the importance of medical marijuana.  If they still push back, it’s best to step back and get a second opinion for your own health and well-being.

Conclusion

Meeting with a medical marijuana doctor can be intimidating.  Now that you know what to prepare and what to expect, hopefully, you feel better prepared to make the decisions needed to better your health.