Nowadays, the popularity of medical marijuana is growing day by day in U.S. states due to the therapeutic benefits of cannabis products. But what exactly Medical Marijuana is? Who Introduced Medical Cannabis in western lands? And most of all, is it legal to use medical marijuana in New York, and if that is so, how to get medical marijuana legally? Through this article, you will get detailed information about medical Cannabis and how to get a legitimate New York medical marijuana card to purchase cannabis products:
What is Medical Marijuana or Cannabis?
Cannabis is a plant that has therapeutic benefits along with recreational purposes. People use most parts of Cannabis, including seeds, to make oil, dried leaves as powder, and other parts of the cannabis plant as vaping to fulfill their purposes. It can have a pleasurable influence and may alleviate the signs of several ailments, such as persistent discomfort.
Ways to Use Medical Cannabis
People have different ways to use medical marijuana and cannabis products, such as:
- Brewing Cannabis as a Tea
- Capsules Or Supplements
- Vaping Or Smoking
- Having Medical Cannabis in the Edible Form, Including Candies, Cookies, or Brownies
- Using it as a local treatment
- And more!
History of Medical Cannabis In the USA
Cannabis has had a great medicinal history since 2900 BC in ancient Egypt and Asian lands, including China and India. During the 1830s, an Irish physician William Brooke O’Shaughnessy who served in India for England, introduced medical marijuana in western regions. He observed the benefits of medical Cannabis and made several documents for weed from the trials he followed, recording, particularly, its anticonvulsant and analgesic consequences. In 1842, he retreated to England with a stock of marijuana, later that was used as medicine soon expanded throughout Europe and the United States.
After seeing the benefits of Cannabis, it was introduced to the United States Pharmacopeia for therapeutic uses in 1850. But by the end of the 19th century, people started to lose their interest in using Cannabis as medicine due to lack of information, and the states started legislating bills to regulate the purchase and ownership of Cannabis. Most states even started to restrict its availability as a medicine.
In 1941, the U.S. government had removed Cannabis from the U.S. Pharmacopeia. After all these strict federal prohibitions, people started to interest Cannabis and medical marijuana products as medication in the 1970s and 1980s. This interest led them to the legislation of medical marijuana, and in 1996, California made its first step to authorize Cannabis for treatment purposes.
However, New York legalized medical marijuana in 2014 by the state government with some rules and regulations. As per the New York marijuana laws, a patient must get a medical marijuana card in New York to purchase cannabis or weed products.
What is a Medical Marijuana Card (MMJ Card)?
A New York medical marijuana card or MMJ card is a legitimate certificate assigned by the New York government that enables the patient to obtain, occupy or cultivate weed or cannabis plant for medicinal purposes. But to obtain a medical marijuana card, the patient will need to satisfy some medical health and other conditions as per the New York government.
How to schedule an appointment with authorized physicians for Medical Marijuana Card in New York?
Before learning about scheduling an appointment with medical marijuana doctors in New York, you must understand the qualifying conditions. The following points will help you to know about the qualifying conditions along with the proper process of getting a recommendation from a licensed MMJ doctor:
What Are The Qualifying Conditions For New York Medical Cannabis Cards?
The following health and other qualifying conditions are essential to have a legitimate medical marijuana card:
- Health Qualifying Conditions
Whether adult or minor, if a patient has been diagnosed with at least one of the severe debilitating conditions recognized by the state government, the patient can apply for medical marijuana in New York. TThese health conditions can be cancer, HIV/AIDS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, complicated sclerosis, spinal cord nerve damage, epilepsy, and more.
Along with these health conditions, a patient should also have one of these associated or involving conditions, including wasting syndrome, chronic or intractable pain, relentless nausea, fits, severe or persistent muscle spasms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or opioid use disorder (OPD).
- The Requirements To Qualify For New York Medical Marijuana Card
Even if the applicant qualifies for one of the health conditions mentioned earlier, the patient must fulfill the following requirements for a Medical Marijuana NYC:
- The patient should be a resident of the N.Y. state.
- The patient should have residency proof. It can be a driving license or an NYS Id card.
- The patient should have a medical situation as per the state guidelines.
- The patient should have a valid certification written and signed by a licensed doctor on their letterhead. However, if you are a veteran getting therapeutic care at a Veteran Affair (V.A.) department, you will not need a recommendation.
The Procedure of legitimately acquiring medical cannabis in the State of New York
My MMJ Doctor is among the leading brands that provide you with a quick and straightforward three-step process for 420 evaluation in New York. This process will help you book an appointment and get an evaluation from a legitimate MMJ doctor at home without stepping out from your home. Here are the following steps to schedule an appointment and receive a recommendation from an authorized physician:
Step 1: As per the My MMJ Doctor website, to schedule an appointment with a doctor, you will need to provide the following information, including:
- Personal information
- Preferred dates and times for Video appointments.
- Your message to the practitioner
Step 2: After submitting your application and your information, you will obtain a confirmation mail that includes your appointment details. Then a licensed physician will consult you online via video conference for about 15-20 minutes to evaluate your mental health as per the government criteria of qualifying conditions.
Step 3: After the evaluation, if you qualify for the medical cannabis card, the doctor will upload your MMJ recommendation to the state system, and you will have to enroll with the New York State Department of Health to complete your certificate online with the state.
