{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-question-tags-template-js","path":"/question-tag/medicinal-cannabis/39","result":{"data":{"allQuestion":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Question_10767-markdown","title":"What can I do to protect my job and my family from a random drug test?","slug":"what-can-i-do-to-protect-my-job-and-my-family-from-a-random-drug-test","content":"\"I have been conflicted about renewing as most employers do not accept the 215 or medical cannabis. What can I do to protect my job and my family from a random drug test?\"\n_____________________\nIf your employer conducts truly random drug screens, there is really nothing you can do. Cannabis can be detected by drug screens several weeks or even a month following discontinuation, depending on your percentage of body fat and activity level. \n\nSome employers are starting to accept medical marijuana use under the supervision of a physician, although this is not common as of yet. I would suggest you review any contract you have with your organization and any corporate policies available. If your company lumps cannabis in with drugs of abuse and randomly screens for it, you should stop taking it.\n\nMost employers don't conduct truly random drug screens, as it is costly and inconvenient for employees. In that case, they usually only test employees based on suspicion due to inappropriate work habits, behaviors, or talk. Not using medical cannabis before or during work and using absolute discretion for taking medical marijuana is advised. \n\nDepending on your indication(s) for using cannabis, topical cannabis in the form of salves may be an alternative for you. Little to no topical cannabis enters the blood stream but still has local muscle relaxant effects, anti-inflammatory properties, and analgesic effects.\n\ndredmunds","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10763-markdown","title":"Discharged by PCP for POSSESSING a Medicinal Cannabis ID Card","slug":"discharged-by-pcp-for-possessing-a-medicinal-cannabis-id-card","content":"\"I went to my required 3 month \"follow-up\" appt with the Nurse Practitioner at my PCP's office on Fri. 20 Feb. 2016. I take big pharma, in the form of Vicodin 5/325, for excruciating shoulder pain following a radical acromionectomy 19 June 2008 along with additional meds for a myriad of \"issues.\"\n\nWhen Isabel Lee, RNP pulled out the UA cup & asked \"When was your last dose?\" I told her the night before and that I \"might test positive for THC. While I can't smoke [diagnosed w/COPD] my daughter and her friends do smoke, a lot - they also have MMC's -- but I live in a condo & didn't want to get reported for the smell, so I got a card to protect myself.\" (Not entirely true, I do enjoy pain free moments with edibles.) However, I was given 30 days worth of my medication, Lab orders for a CBC and told to follow up with a different Dr., \"you cannot come back here.\"\n\nIt appears that not only do our Doctor's and their \"staff\" get to decide how well we are are going to feel, they now dictate who we associate with as well. Since it's my daughter, she's a bit more important than any Nurse Practitioner, but my question is simple: Can a Primary Care Physician abandon a patient because they are \"IN POSSESSION\" of a \"Medicinal Cannabis ID Card?\" I would test + for THC today, but I wouldn't have on Fri. 20 May 2016.\n\nThis is CA where Medicinal Cannabis is LEGAL, can they do this to me, do I have any recourse? Additionally, I'm on SSI/Disability so my choice of PCP's taking \"New Patients\" is extremely limited.\"\n_____________________\nJust as  patient can discharge a physician, a physician can discharge a patient as well. There are some caveats to that however. Physicians can discharge patients from their medical practice for any\nlegitimate and non-discriminatory reason, and thus terminate the doctor-patient relationship. \n\nAccording to the Medical Board of California, in order to avoid allegations of patient abandonment (unprofessional conduct), a physician should notify patients of the following in writing when the physician wishes to discontinue care:\n\n1) The last day the physician will be available to render medical care, assuring the patient has been provided at least 15 days of emergency treatment and prescriptions before discontinuing the physician's availability.\n\n2) Alternative sources of medical care, i.e., refer patient to other physicians, by name, or to the local medical society's referral service.\n\n3) The information necessary to obtain the medical records compiled during the patient's care (whom to contact, how and where).\n\nThe reason that a physician uses to end their relationship are varied. Some of those that are appropriate and acceptable are:\n\nTreatment nonadherence—The patient does not or will not follow the treatment plan.\nFollow-up nonadherence—The patient repeatedly cancels follow-up visits or is a no-show.\nOffice policy nonadherence—The patient uses weekend on-call physicians or multiple healthcare practitioners to obtain refill prescriptions when office policy specifies a certain number of refills between visits.\nVerbal abuse—The patient or a family member is rude and uses improper language with office personnel, exhibits violent behavior, makes threats of physical harm, or uses anger to jeopardize the safety and well-being of office personnel with threats of violent actions.\nNonpayment—The patient owes a backlog of bills and has declined to work with the office to establish a payment plan.\n\nIf a patient is part of of Managed Care Plan the language in it may prevent the physician from discharging a patient.\n\nSince I am not a attorney, I cannot comment on the legality of your PCP's choice to discharge you. I can only comment as to their complete ignorance regarding cannabis and their close minded attitude.\n \n\nPerry Solomon, MD\n_____________________\nThe following is my opinion only as an experienced licensed provider for 45 years.\nI am sorry to hear of your grief but for every dark side there is a positive. This is likely a doctor you want to be away from if the doctor has that much judgement, it may be a blessing they forced you to leave. \nPatients must wake up to the fact that we have been sold to the insurance company as if it's legal for them to own humans. The insurance CEO now controls the way the doctor practices medicine. I personally had an insurance CEO call me up and forbid me to help people get well, he said my job was to drug people and that's all he would pay for because insurance is not to help people get well but to maintain their disease.\nThat being said, and getting well it's up to you and I don't think your doctor has helped you very much. You certainly want to know what your vitamin D level is because most people in chronic pain have a vitamin D deficiency or a drug addiction problem from pharmaceutical drugs. There are so many ways to help you get well but you must look for a doctor that will help you with this and it will require that you do some research and change what you're doing with your cannabis. If you took your CBD cannabis regularly you've very likely could be out of pain especially if you maintain a blood level of vitamin D (25-OH D) above 50 ng/mL for optimal health benefits and additional pain relief. Add topical CBD salve to your program and used should be able to go six hours without pain medicine. We are here to help you and you can be healthier so take this as an opportunity to work on improving health and prove the doctor was wrong by treating you in such a disrespected manner.\nThe doctor should be brave enough to stand up to the insurance company instead of refusing you. Start by loving your self and recognize that many of us are shedding our old pain body because it doesn't work anymore.\nI also recommend that you read Eckhart Tolle, \"The Power Of Now\"  and \"A New Earth\" to help you stay in present moment in order to resolve your stress & anxiety, both only contribute to your pain and let your spirit shine through so positive people will find him. This is a journey worth taking. I hope to see you on the path.\n\n\ndrolson\n_____________________\nContact Leo dispensary for MJ card  very affodable and rapid https://www.drleommjdispensary.com/  Contact Dr Leo He is going to give you a solution to your problem, And you will get all stuffs from him ad well. Text:   (410)449-0527  \n\nDrleommj","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10754-markdown","title":"I have anxiety and migraines. What would be the best way to deal with this using medical marijuana?","slug":"i-have-anxiety-and-migraines-what-would-be-the-best-way-to-deal-with-this-using-medical-marijuana","content":"\"I get terrible migraines and tension headaches almost daily. I take prescription meds to try and get rid of them but am ready to try something else. I currently have cannabidiol 15:1. How much do you recommend taking for both headaches and/or anxiety (I suffer from both).\"\n_____________________\nHi there! We have numerous articles documenting the benefits of cannabis for patients with migraines. Please check out some of our favorite articles on this subject: \n\nThe Best CBD Marijuana Strains for Migraines\nhttps://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/the-best-cbd-marijuana-strains-for-migraines\n\nHow To Stop Migraines \nhttps://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/how-to-stop-migraines\n\nTreating Migraines with Marijuana with Dr. Patricia Frye\nhttps://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/treating-migraines-with-marijuana-dr-patricia-frye\n\nMigranes: How I Got Off Pain Meds and Found Relief with Cannabishttps://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/migraines-how-i-got-off-pain-meds-and-found-relief-with-cannabis\n\nVeronicaB\n_____________________\nI'm not a doctor but I would love to hear what one of the HelloMD doctors have to say regarding your questions. I am answering this as my migraines are what led us to start HelloMD in the first place. I will start my answer by saying that everyone reacts differently to cannabis and what is a solution for one person is not necessarily the right solution for another. When trying new products go low and slow, meaning micro dose, which is often far less then the recommended amount!\r\n\r\nIn my experience, just taking a high CBD spray is not enough to knock out my migraines. It is great for reducing inflammation and as a daily regime, I do this as well. The solution that has worked best for me and has gotten me off pharmaceuticals 99% of the time is a varied approach using multiple products to attack a migraine as I feel it coming on. I do not experience daily migraines and I know precisely when during the month I am most apt to get them. The nature of my migraines may be different from yours.\r\n\r\nCBD is an analgesic and an anti inflammatory but THC is also important for me for pain relieving qualities, although I must be careful in how I ingest it. It tends to make me anxious if i take too much, and that feels awful! If you suffer from anxiety THC may relieve your anxiety or it can make it worse, it is highly dependent on the person. For many, many people it absolutely helps soothe anxiety, but you just need to go low and slow with any products to test your own response. \r\n\r\nMy daily regime for migraines is to take Vitamin B and magnesium as studies show that daily intake reduces the frequency of migraines for people (it may take months to feel the effects). I also take an 8:1 ration of CBD sub lingual spray, which is non psychoactive at that ratio. I find I like this ratio the best. If I feel the onset of a migraine, I will start to take a low THC tincture called Anxiety Relief Tincture by Alta California Botanicals. This product is a very relaxing product. I will also use my ACDC vape pen which is high CBD. I usually will vape consistently throughout the day and again this is not psychoactive, but it seems to help ward off the heavy onset of a migraine. It definitely relaxes me and high CBD strains have a really positive effect for me.\r\n\r\nIf I feel it is really coming on and I know I am going to be home for the day I will vaporize Canna Tsu which is a high CBD strain with THC. Last but not least, as you have tension headaches, I might consider a topical around the temples, the neck and the shoulders. Xternal is a widely used and known product and I have heard good things from people regarding the use of this with migraines although I myself have not tried it. This is a non psychoactive product as well.\r\n\r\nSome people find that edibles are the way to go, my suggestion is if you go this route, start with 2.5 mg and work your way up. It takes up to 1-2 hours to feel the effects. Lastly, a healthy diet, & regular exercise are both components in my migraine reduction as well. \r\n\r\nI hope this helps! Best to you.\r\n\r\n\r\n\n\npamelahadfield\n_____________________\nI agree with Pamela Hadfield's answer but I have a bit of a different plan to deal with my anxiety and migraines. Daily I use a high CBD, low THC tincture, 28 : 1 and that has reduced about 90% of my migraines. I still get breakthrough migraines when I have ingested foods to which I react negatively. I did write an extensive answer regarding migraines on a previous patient's request so you might look at that article under 'ANSWERS'.\nI use the high CBD topical salve on my neck at the first sign a migraine is beginning, I drink a large glass of water (in case it's dehydration), a cup of black coffee and I take about one half scoop of \nde-ribose and usually the migraine is gone. If I still notice the stuffiness in my head I will do more CBD drops under my tongue. I always reflect on the exposures I've had that lead to the migraine because I have found rarely does one exposure to one substance lead to a migraine. I have also become a fanatic about reading labels because MSG is hidden everywhere.\nCBD works well for anxiety but if I have any breakthrough anxiety I will rely on an oral spray of passion flower in the liposome that crosses the blood brain barrier and is effective within 10 minutes and there is no high.\nWith cannabis we must find what works for us because there is no one type that works for everyone. With all the information we have on the website you should be able to successfully resolve your challenges.\nBe certain you maintain your blood level of 25-OH D, vitamin D3 above 50 ng/ml for optimum resolution of your symptoms.\n\ndrolson","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10753-markdown","title":"would they know i have medical card when crossing the border into Canada? I've read posts that they bring this up?","slug":"would-they-know-i-have-medical-card-when-crossing-the-border-into-canada-ive-read-posts-that-they-bring-this-up","content":"\"A lot of people believe that its just a questioning tactic, they might just ask as if they know if they see your from CA or oregon etc....but they really dont have anything that states that you have a MMJ license. Do they have this info at border patrol/immigration or no?\"\n_____________________\nWell, that's interesting! I have not heard of this before and the answer to this should be 'NO'. \n\nIf you are in California, you are not required to register with the state. Assuming you are not registered with the state, which requires you to do on your own and pay an additional fee for, your recommendation is completely private as it is a medical consultation between your doctor and yourself. You are required to give your medical recommendation to dispensaries which then allows you to register you with them, but this would imply that somehow the government is monitoring every individual signing up with dispensaries or collectives and that somehow they have access to the dispensaries computer systems, which I highly doubt. I would doubt this because it would have to be at a federal level and not a state level and this would be an incredible effort and cost initiative to do so, then that info would need to be shared with our international counterparts! Highly improbable.\n\nEvery state differs with how you get your recommendation and some states require you register with the state, but the state considers that a legal action, not an illegal action. So my guess in even those states is they would not share that with another country. Why would they?\n\nYou are OK traveling to other countries such as Canada (where it is legal) and should feel fine about having an MMJ license. I would not however ever travel with actual product to another country, this is most likely their concern.\n\nHope this helps!\n\npamelahadfield\n_____________________\nIf you got your medical recommendation through HelloMD, and you never registered with the state of CA - then no. There is no way the border patrol (or anyone else) will know that you are a medical cannabis patient. \n\nThe information you provide is complete confidential as per HIPAA guidelines, and is not shared with any regulatory body or database.\n\nmark","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10749-markdown","title":"ENHANCE CREATIVITY FOR WRITERS AND ENTERTAINERS","slug":"enhance-creativity-for-writers-and-entertainers","content":"\"Many have sworn by Marijuana to enhance creativity.  Is there a strain for this nowadays with medical marijuana?\"\n_____________________\nIn addition to medical benefits, the cannabinoid THC can promote a positive mental attitude, euphoria and enhance creative thinking. It is important to use cannabis responsibly in a professional setting and to monitor the dosage and effects of THC to prevent concentrations high enough to trigger arousal of the sympathetic nervous system. I would encourage writers, musicians and creative thinkers to selectively invest in the long duration effects of THC in a reliable low dose edible or pill form. The daily chill pill is a popular product created by a young man who had the genius to package 10mg of THC from the very popular strain Blue Dream in a coconut capsule. Blue Dream is one of the most highly rated strains on Leafly...the Yelp of marijuana! \n\ndrsumchai","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10728-markdown","title":"I'm a medical patient that dabs with wax. It controls my chronic pain, is it bad for me?","slug":"im-a-medical-patient-that-dabs-with-wax-it-controls-my-chronic-pain-is-it-bad-for-me","content":"\"I read a recent article in the NYT that claimed dabbing is horrible for people. I have used marijuana for years to control my pain and dabbing is by far the most effective. Is there a reason I should be concerned about my health? I do not hallucinate or have psychosis but find it takes away pain immediately.\"\n_____________________\nIt should not be bad for you. It is the extract of the plant, you are basically only consuming thc with no other chemicals. It also depends on the source of the extract. Most of the extracts go through extensive testing to provide patients with the most healthy and effective medicines \n\n506thc\n_____________________\nThe article you read, did it mention that 'smoking' dabs using a combustion method were more harmful than 'smoking' flower/dry herbs using a combustion method. This has some studies that back it up, but it also depends on how much you are consuming. Dabs are much higher in THC levels so you do not need to have as many hits. If you are not already you should be using a vaporizer for dabs instead of a lighter/flame. Here is a portable dabbing vaporizer that many people enjoy using that can be used as an oven packing vaporizer and as a tip heating dab pen - http://vaporsmooth.com/dipper-vape-pen-dip-stick-best-dab-pen/\n\ncanada","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10723-markdown","title":"Do bud tenders get any training?","slug":"do-bud-tenders-get-any-training","content":"\"What makes them qualified to provide advice on medical issues?\"\n_____________________\nThere are several companies offering bud tender \"certification,\" but the training is by no means standardized. Dispensaries may or may not require some sort of advance training; however, the vast majority of bud tenders are patients themselves that have personal experience and familiarity with the available medicinal products. \n\ndredmunds","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10709-markdown","title":"Can I get effectively self drug test","slug":"can-i-get-effectively-self-drug-test","content":"\"I may need to pass a drug test for cannabis, despite having a California medical card, and managed ulcerative colitis.   I have tried test strips available from online vendors (e.g. Amazon), but I am not confident in the results.  Can I contract for a drug test with a lab in the Bay Area?\"\n_____________________\nYou can buy a drug test kit at any Walgreens drug store but the sensitivity and specificity of the test cannot be guaranteed. It you are involved in an incident at work involving public safety or property damage and testing is mandated you will undergo industrial drug testing that is highly sensitive and specific given the civil litigation impacts of false test results in such a setting. Hair samples can be tested that will yield positive results when blood and urine tests are questionable. If you are employed in a setting that mandates drug testing, I encourage you to consider use of transdermal topicals for pain as there are no documented case reports of positive blood tests in people who use cannabis infused transdermal body balms, lotions and massage oils in the standard concentrations present in dispensary grade products.\n\ndrsumchai","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10686-markdown","title":"My sister has Tourette's. Is any evidence that smoking pot can help reduce the symptoms of this?","slug":"my-sister-has-tourettes-is-any-evidence-that-smoking-pot-can-help-reduce-the-symptoms-of-this","content":"\"I am wondering if I should help her get a medical card as she struggles with social interactions. Is this a good idea to try this?\"\n_____________________\nTourette's syndrome (TS) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder that manifests itself in vocal and motor tics, and may affect mood (anxiety) and behavior (obsessive-compulsive disorder).  There are well-established medications for the treatment of TS; however, their efficacy varies from patient to patient. \n\nIf your sister has failed conventional therapy, she may benefit from cannabis.  Several studies have been done that demonstrate patients have decreased severity and frequency of tics, an improvement in obsessive-compulsive disorder, and lessened anxiety.  \n\ndredmunds","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10673-markdown","title":"How do I do I find a caregiver to discuss medical cannabis for treatment of Crohn's in teens?","slug":"how-do-i-do-i-find-a-caregiver-to-discuss-medical-cannabis-for-treatment-of-crohns-in-teens","content":"\n_____________________\nI'm not sure exactly what your asking. You can ask any person who is informed about this subject to speak with you. For example, one of our HelloMD physicians Dr. Bluto just gave a very complete answer about Crohn's just below, which applies for teens as well.\n\nHowever if your asking about how to obtain cannabis when your under 18, then you must have a parent or caregiver discuss your situation with a physician to obtain it. \n\nRegarding a caregiver, the California Supreme Court  held that \"the statutory definition has two parts: (1) a primary caregiver must have been designated as such by the medical marijuana patient; and (2) he or she must be a person 'who has consistently assumed responsibility for the housing, health, or safety' of the patient.\" To see how this would fit for your individual case I would suggest consulting an attorney. \n\nWe at HelloMD do not perform evaluations for people under 18 years of age. \n\nPerry Solomon, MD","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10668-markdown","title":"How do  I prepare cannabis for consumption?","slug":"how-do-i-prepare-cannabis-for-consumption","content":"\"I am a medical marijuana user and I use it for my insomnia.\nI currently smoke it but I really hate doing that. How can I prepare cannabis in food and how do I know how much to use?\"\n_____________________\nOn our HelloMD Health & Wellness we started to address this question as the demand for recipes and understanding how to cook with cannabis is very high! It seems that it is often a natural progression that when people smoke or use cannabis products they start to wonder how they might make an edible or an oil for themself. One word of caution however, if you do make your own products please be sure to keep the item labeled and ideally out of reach and locked away, both so you recognize it contains THC but also so a pet or child will not accidentally ingest it.\n\nThere are hundreds of ways to cook with cannabis. We created a Cannabis 101 on cooking and here I will highlight some of the most important aspects, taken from a recent published post:\n\n\"Cooking with cannabis is a little more complicated than taking the entire plant and tossing it into brownie batter. In addition to producing some unfortunate-tasting brownies nobody would want to eat, doing so would also defeat the purpose of cooking with cannabis, as the herb needs to be processed (via heat) in order to decarboxylate and become psychoactive. Left to its own devices, the human body can't digest the THC found in raw cannabis. Because of this, most cannabis recipes require a form of cannabis extract, such as cannabutter or cannabis-infused oil.\n\nBecause cannabis is fat-soluble (stored in fat), it must always be cooked with some form of fat -- like butter, an oil, or milk. This allows the compounds within the cannabis to release into the fat, maximizing the effects of the plant and creating a better-tasting edible.\"\n\nAs a general rule, 1 teaspoon of cannabis butter or cannabis-infused oil contains 10 milligrams of cannabis, which is a good introductory serving (people who have never used cannabis before will be more comfortable around 5 milligrams per serving). If the consumer would like to alter the serving size as they become more experienced with homemade edibles, they should be sure to start off slowly and move up gradually.\n\nI will provide some links to some great recipes we have collected:\n\nTincture:\nhttps://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/vegetable-glycerine-tincture-recipe\n\nRice Crispie Treat:\nhttps://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/marijuana-rice-krispie-treats-recipe\n\nGood 'Ol Brownie:\nhttps://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/how-to-make-marijuana-brownies-recipe\n\nHope you find this helpful!\n\n\npamelahadfield","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10653-markdown","title":"Is the medical marijuana the same as what I smoked as a teenager in the 80s?","slug":"is-the-medical-marijuana-the-same-as-what-i-smoked-as-a-teenager-in-the-80s","content":"\"I wanted to know if weed today is stronger, addresses specific needs, has different effects, etc...\"\n_____________________\nFor a variety reasons, the answer to your question is yes, but allow me to expand a bit:\n\nThe average content of THC and other chemical compounds in cultivated plants has changed quite a bit. Cannabis is easily cultivated and hybridized these days to develop strains with very specific characteristics and concentrations of the various cannabinoids (chemical compounds in the plant). \n\nThe average concentration of THC in recreational strains has increased significantly over the past few decades due to cultivation techniques and demand. \n\nMedicinal cannabis is cannabis used with the intent to treat medical symptoms. There are many preparations to choose from and despite strain concentrations, you can find products with a wide range of chemical profiles. Some with high concentrations of THC and some with much lower concentrations.\n\nProducts should be chosen based on their therapeutic effects and the users sensitivity to the side effects. \n\nSome users are very sensitive to the effects of the plant while others can tolerate much higher doses.\n\nHigher concentrations of cannabinoids may translate into smaller doses, but each individual needs to determine dosing that is optimal. \n\nI would caution you to start with lower than recommended dosing of all products if you are new to cannabis or returning to cannabis after many years of non-use. \n\nMedicinal products should be lab tested and labeled with ingredients, and cannabinoid concentrations so you can determine the impact and adjust your dosing optimally.\n\ndrgerhart","image":null}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":456,"numPages":41,"currentPage":39,"id":5495,"name":"Medicinal Cannabis","slug":"medicinal-cannabis","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}