As of late last month, clinicians can greenlight medicinal pot for any condition they think it would help, not just for a limited list of ailments.
The changes, foreshadowed in legislation last spring, represent a big shift for a medical marijuana program that was once one of the nation’s most restrictive.
“This is a huge development because it means that instead of having to wait for adult-use, a lot of people are maybe going to be able to get access to cannabis now” to deal with such problems as sleeplessness and stress, said Dr.
Initially, dispensaries could offer only marijuana extracts in pills and liquids, not the flower in smokable form — a popular choice and relatively inexpensive to produce.
The rules eased somewhat over the years, allowing more dispensaries, practitioners, products and qualifying conditions.
With rheumatoid arthritis and other illnesses that made her dependent on a wheelchair and walker in her 40s, Penelope Hamilton reluctantly tried marijuana in 2015 and found it life-changing, she said.
Dr.
There’s strong scientific evidence that marijuana or its ingredients can ease chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
The company-paid medicinal marijuana tax is lower than the upcoming recreational pot taxes, to be paid by wholesalers and consumers.
“A lot of people say, ‘Well, what do you need a medical card for now? It’s legalized,'” Hamilton said.