What to Expect with a Marijuana Doctor Consultation Appointment

Getting a recommendation for medical marijuana from a doctor should not cause you any anxiety. It is just like any other doctor’s appointment, complete with a confidentiality clause. In order to facilitate the process and ease your nerves, we will describe what you can expect at your appointment.

The first thing you will be asked to do upon arrival is fill out paperwork-just like at any other medical appointment. You will be asked about your past medical history, conditions that run in your family, allergies you may have, etc. Plan on arriving 15 minutes early to get through the paperwork without interfering with your appointment time.
Make sure to bring the following items with you to the appointment:

• Proof of Identification-Valid Driver’s License, State ID card or Military ID card
• Medical Documentation-Recent medical records, list of any prescriptions you currently take, etc.
• Payment-Check, credit card or money order
• Misc.-If you are under 18, you must have a legal guardian accompany you.

Next, you will undergo an examination by the signing MD, not the physician’s assistant. If you have a doctor that you see regularly, it is important to bring along a copy of your medical records. In order to do this, simply contact your primary care giver and request a copy. The office will be able to send it to you via fax, mail or email. Or you can pick it up yourself.
If you don’t see primary physician, the MD will still see you, but will not have any records to review, so diagnosis may take longer. If the MD cannot take you on as a full patient, he or she may refer you to a clinic to receive a diagnosis before writing you a recommendation.

Once you have a diagnosis for a qualifying condition, the MD will write you a recommendation for marijuana. Note that this is NOT a prescription. Marijuana is still a Schedule I drug; meaning prescriptions for it are illegal. However, recommendations are perfectly legal.

This recommendation is valid for one year. By law, the MD is not allowed to suggest a dispensary to you. He or she can simply write the recommendation, and the actual retrieving of the marijuana is up to you.
That’s it! There’s no reason to be stressed or overwhelmed by the process of getting a recommendation for medical marijuana. Remember that you are there to get help for a medical condition and the doctor is there to assist you.