Medical Marijuana

[Resilient]

So I am considering talking to my doctor about getting put on medical marijuana instead of all of the meds I am currently on. I have fibromyalgia, PTSD, severe anxiety, and irritable bowel so I definitely meet some diagnosed criteria but I'm afraid of how my doctor will react. She refuses to prescribe any kind or narcotic and even birth control. She would rather refer me out to another doctor than to prescribe me anything like that. I also think this would help my endometriosis pain because the medicine I am on now isn't working. I mean, what would it hurt to bring it up? Y'know? What if I can actually get put on medical marijuana and it turn out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me?

Hey Court, as you know marijuana is a controversial topic. In my state, medical marijuana is still causing controversy even though it became legal for medical use in 2012 (and recreational in 2016) so we're still a long ways away from doctors, such as primary care, getting immediately on board and prescribing a prescrpition for this as they would with other pain relieving medicine.

I take it you have done research on medical marijuana more specific to your condition? If not, then I suggest you do that before bringing the topic up to your primary care. Let them know that you aren't "just a junkie" looking to get medical marijuana; write something up to show that you have a complete understanding of medical marijuana and its benefits for your condition.

If you need to begin research, I suggest looking in places that has NHS, NIH or GOV attached to the website domain.

Best of luck.

[Latte]

Honestly, I am mostly alarmed that your doctor won't prescribe you birth control.

I totally understand doctors positions on narcotics; those are extremely addictive and there is also the opioid crisis (e.g. it's worsened by the fact that some people will sell pills they didn't take) so I get why most doctors won't prescribe those and why they're generally reserved for short term things since they don't want to prescribe it long term and create an addiction issue if it can be avoided.

But refusing to provide birth control is utter nonsense unless you have risk factors that would make it contraindicative (e.g. family history of strokes, or having high risk of uterine or breast cancers).

I think you bring up getting medical marijuana, it's super beneficial to many people an marijuana isn't addictive like narcotics and stuff (bearing in mind that I do think it can create dependency because people can become reliant on it making them feel better... but it's sort of like alcohol where the majority of us can have a dependency but won't have a chemical addiction but some people do get a chemical addiction to alcohol). Any how, should ask to be referred to another doctor if she's not even open to discussing it.

What I would do is go prepared with research. Make sure it's science based -- don't just pull shit off of blogs or Web MD, find actual research that shows why it's helpful.

[Jamal2525]

I think that if you need it to control yourself in the environment, then you should not give it up.

[Proud90sKid]

I have a medical marijuana card in the state of Florida. Every state has a different program, but as marijuana is still classified as a schedule I drug at the federal level, most regular doctors do not offer recommendations for it. I think they even need to be seek the state certification to even be able to give recommendations (and your doctor doesn't sound like the type). You typically have to go to a cannabis doctor to get this type of treatment. Those doctors will usually get you "good" if you know what I mean, because access to cannabis is what they sell for a living. In Florida and many other states, anyone who has ever seen a psychologist or doctor for basically any reason can just walk in and get approved at a cannabis doctor with very few questions asked. When I was approved last, the doctor literally did not ask me anything, just gave the approval and that was it. I'm not even sure if she opened her mouth the entire time.

You would for sure qualify in Florida. PTSD is one of the conditions that is explicitly allowed a medical card- by the voters. This has been expanded to include "other debilitating conditions", but having a diagnosis of PTSD will most likely straight up qualify you in most medical states.

But the lack of federal approval does have the drawback in that there have not really been the studies done to show that specific doses of specific products work for specific conditions. Cannabis science is new and a lot of the "well known facts" have actually turned out to be supported by weak science. So really, take this sort of treatment with a greater grain of salt. I am honestly just using the medical card to get access to dispensaries, as are most people that I know. I was approved for "anxiety".

There are exceptions to "regular doctors not prescribing cannabis". I went to a gastroenterologist once and it turned out that she also prescribed cannabis for patients with Crohn's. I think that a regular non-cannabis doctor like her though, would be much more conservative and reserved with regards to giving people recommendations than a cannabis doctor would be. They would probably watch it very closely like a medication.

That said, you need a new doctor anyways unless you have demonstrated problems with narcotic drugs in the past. While narcotic drugs have a large number of problems associated with them, they are also sometimes necessary to prescribe. Some doctors refuse to prescribe things like adderall to people with ADHD, or occassional benzos for panic attacks. I think they are doing those patients a real disservice. And no birth control?

[Coffee.]

I agree with other comments highlighting that it's problematic your doctor won't prescribe you birth control. Birth control can be very helpful for endometriosis...and while narcotics can be addictive, if you're experiencing chronic pain, that should be a conversation and not just an immediate no. I'd overall consider getting a new doctor.

For those I know with chronic pain, particularly fibro and conditions with muscle spasms, medical marijuana can be incredibly beneficial. It depends on where you live on how the process goes getting it. Oftentimes, you go to a specialty doctor anyway. I know people who have cards in the state of Arizona if you have any questions!