What You Need to Know About Medical Marijuana in Maryland
Medical marijuana is a great way to help with a variety of conditions that someone may have. This is why more and more states are starting to legalize medical marijuana, and a med card in Maryland is a possibility for many. However, even people who have medical reasons for using marijuana often don’t know much about their state’s medical marijuana program. If you’re interested in getting a medical marijuana card in Maryland, there are a few things you’ll likely need to know. Here are the most important.
1. Qualifying Health Conditions
Every state has their own list of qualifying health conditions that they consider eligible for medical marijuana. In Maryland, the list includes:
- Cachexia
- Anorexia
- Wasting Syndrome
- Severe or chronic pain
- Severe nausea
- Seizure disorders
- Severe or persistent muscle spasms
- Glaucoma
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
However, this isn’t necessarily a complete list. Maryland also allows a doctor to recommend medical marijuana for “another chronic medical condition which is severe and for which other treatments have been ineffective.”
2. Cannabis Products Available
Maryland has an assortment of different cannabis products available. When you visit a licensed Maryland dispensary, you’ll be able to get access to whole flower cannabis and cannabis vape cartridges, as well as edibles, concentrates, and topical products. There are no extensive bans on certain types of cannabis products, so you can talk to your doctor and your dispensary about what products are best for you.
3. The Process of Registration
The process of registration for medical marijuana is fairly unique in Maryland. In most states, you’ll only go through the medical marijuana process after you receive your doctor’s recommendation. However, in Maryland, the first step is to make an account with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission and get your MMCC profile ID, as you’ll give it to your doctor doing the recommendation so they can upload your recommendation letter directly.
4. Recreational vs. Medical
Currently, Maryland doesn’t have recreational marijuana, although there is a concerted effort to make recreational marijuana legal. Even if a state also has recreational marijuana available, however, medical marijuana allows medical users to have a recognized medical reason for their marijuana usage. That means even if Maryland does end up legalizing recreational marijuana, it’s still a good idea to get your medical marijuana card, as it will provide you with more options, less tax, and a legally recognized ability to use marijuana in Maryland.
Conclusion
In general, the process to get medical marijuana in Maryland is fairly easy. If you have a serious condition that marijuana may help, you may be able to have a doctor give you a medical marijuana recommendation to gain access to marijuana. The most important thing to know is that all sorts of conditions qualify for medical marijuana, and you should talk to your doctor about applying for medical marijuana if you have any sort of serious chronic condition that has been difficult to treat over time. In Maryland, it may just be possible for you to treat it with the help of marijuana.