Marijuana, Marijuana Doctors, Medicine, and New Laws

For about 10 years now, medical marijuana has been legal in many states throughout the United States. Those who have a doctor's recommendation and a medical marijuana cardare allowed to legally purchase medical cannabis at any of the hundreds of licensed medical marijuana centers or medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the legal states.

Of course, it's not just a free for all in these legal marijuana states. There are plenty of laws governing marijuana doctors and how patients can access and use this medicine. If you want to become a medical marijuana patient, you need to understand and obey these laws so you can legally access your treatment.

Bona Fide Physician-Patient Relationship

Before a recommendation can be handed out, the first thing that is important to know is that state laws dictate patients and physicians have a bona fide relationship. What exactly constitutes a bona fide relationship?

This means patients must get a full physical exam from the physician, and that marijuana doctors should look at the patient's medical history carefully. Additionally, patients need to see the physician annually for follow up care and treatment to ensure they're still a candidate for medical marijuana use.

Some states have a Waiting Period

Always check your states current laws for updates and changes for the use of medical marijuana. 

For example, in Colorado, just because you visit one of the Colorado marijuana doctors'and get a recommendation doesn't mean you can immediately go out and purchase pot from a marijuana dispensary. New laws state that there is a 35 day waiting period for all applicants. If your application hasn't been processed within 35 days of submittal, you're automatically approved on a temporary basis to purchase medical cannabis until the state processes to your application.

But there is a catch. Despite the 35 day waiting period, patients do have the right to start possessing marijuana immediately if they have a doctor's recommendation. The catch is they can't legally purchase it from a medical dispensary within 35 days.

Laws for Using Medical Marijuana

Once you get your medical marijuana card, there are laws you have to follow for using your pot and each state varies. For example these are some of the Colorado medical marijuana laws:

• You cannot use medical marijuana in a way that endangers the health or well-being of another person
• You may not use medical marijuana in plain view or in a public place
• You cannot undertake any task while under the influence of medical marijuana
• You cannot possess medical marijuana on school grounds or in a school bus
• You cannot use marijuana while in a correctional facility, subject to a sentence to incarceration, or in a vehicle, aircraft, or motorboat
• You cannot possess marijuana without a legitimate physician's recommendation