Is it time to renew your medical marijuana card? Depending on which state you are in, there are different guidelines for you to follow. And, renewing your medical marijuana card online makes the process much easier than visiting a doctor. All the documentation that you need to renew your medical marijuana card online or become a legal medical marijuana patient is readily attainable online. You will also find the process rather simple, especially when compared to a physical visit to the doctor.
Renewing your medical marijuana card online, or applying for a medical marijuana card for the first time, is similar to the process you will go through when visiting a doctor in person. Use this definitive guide to renewing your medical marijuana card in California. First of all, no matter which state you are in, you will need a doctor’s recommendation to qualify for a MMJ card.
After Proposition 215 was passed in November 1996, anyone wishing to become a medical marijuana patient can legally do so- but this needs to happen by a doctor’s recommendation. According to Section 11362.5 of the Health and Safety Code, also known as The Compassionate Use Act, the main goal of the initiative is:
“To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use cannabis for medical purposes where the medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person’s health would benefit from the use of cannabis in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which cannabis provides relief; and
To ensure that patients and their primary caregivers who obtain and use cannabis for medical purposes upon the recommendation of a physician are not subject to criminal prosecution or sanction.”
Although the above excerpt mentions certain conditions that physicians may recommend marijuana for, they are not limited by these conditions. There is currently a lack of evidence to suggest cannabis as a treatment for a definitive list of conditions. For this reason, the Compassionate Use Act does not place a limit on what conditions physicians may recommend marijuana for.
When you wish to renew or apply for a doctor’s recommendation online, there are various online marketplaces you can do so.
There are online dispensaries, websites, and companies that offer this service. The websites will clearly lay out how to complete the 420 evaluation online. It is cost effective and usually the easiest way to renew your medical marijuana card. The recommendation does need to be given by a licensed doctor in the state of California. As previously mentioned, you can do this online. Or, if you prefer, you can even ask your trusted doctor, osteopath, physician or even surgeon.
When you are applying for a doctor’s recommendation online, you simply have to choose your online company. The process is usually the same throughout; you will be required to upload existing documents and your video appointment will be set up with the licensed doctor. Once the evaluation is complete, you will have the renewed recommendation mailed to you. In the interim, you will be sent a PDF version.
Naturally, the fees vary across companies. You can choose to have the entire process wrapped neatly up in one bundle: the doctor’s recommendation as well as the card renewal. This option is the most convenient and usually costs around $40.
The best part? No fuel costs. You can do the card renewal as well as the doctor’s recommendation from your home.
A medical marijuana recommendation is valid for a total of one year. The MMJ card expires as well as the recommendation. Check the date on your doctor’s recommendation and apply for a new card when the date is close.
Although the process is usually fast, it is always best to plan ahead and be prepared.
Are you wondering how to renew your medical marijuana card and you don’t have a reliable source of internet? Chances are, if you are reading this article then you have internet. However, here’s what to do if you need to apply for the medical marijuana card and doctor’s recommendation in person:
There are a variety of different places that you can find licensed medical marijuana doctors. However, there have been reports that the experience is rather unpleasant. Patients have come back from what is usually the roughest neck of the neighborhood complaining of long waiting lines and a higher fee than they were expecting.
What are the differences between an online medical marijuana doctor appointment and a physical, in-person appointment?
Besides online medical card renewals being easier because of the ability to apply from your couch instead of spending time in lines and on the road, there are also other differences between the two.
Even though Medical Marijuana has been legalized since 1996, the average primary care physician has proven to be reluctant in giving out medical marijuana recommendations. As recreational marijuana has become legal in California with Proposition 64, this could start to change as the public perception around marijuana shifts.
However, this could still take more time.
This is why there has developed a group of doctors that are licensed by California’s medical board and specifically dedicate the license to recommending marijuana to patients.
When you apply through an online service, you are immediately connected with one of these doctors, making the process simple and easy.
