Accessing Weed: The Med Card

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Mental health matters! We are essentially the first generation to really be informed about mental health and what it means to take care of it. As someone who was diagnosed with chronic anxiety at the age of fourteen, I have been taking medication for it ever since but still found myself in need of extra help. I discovered several other methods useful for taking care of my mental health such as therapy, meditation and journaling, and smoking weed.

However, as you know, acquiring marijuana varies in difficulty depending on state legislation. For those above 21 it is relatively easy to have access to weed from licensed dispensaries or from personal growers in certain states. But for those under the age of 21 who would benefit from using cannabis to regulate and help their mental health struggles, having access to weed is illegal, unless they are 18 and in possession of a med card.

Medical marijuana cards became legal on July 4th, 2019 in an implemented program for patients in need of medical marijuana. Ranging from 18 years and up the card warrants the holder access to marijuana for “medical” uses. There are several different companies and websites that enable you to obtain a med card and prices will vary depending on the site. The process of getting a medical marijuana card is relatively easy. The application process consists of paperwork, medical records, and the approval of a doctor.

How I went about the acquisition of said card was fairly simple and took less than two hours.

A friend of mine recommended me to Leafly and instructed me on how to get in contact with a doctor. While on the phone with her we went through each piece of paperwork and made sure all of my information was correct and submitted, then it was time to schedule an appointment with a doctor. Rather than approval coming from my primary care provider, the company enabled me to meet with their own office and have a short conversation about my benefitting from having a med card. The woman I spoke with on the phone was very professional and pleased to hear about my general and social anxiety benefitting from cannabis and encouraged me to continue using that resource. Now being in possession of a med card has enabled me to have 12 months of access to weed without ever having to worry about accessing it. The process is easy, the application is efficient, and the weed is plentiful!