What Is just a Physician Certification for Medical Marijuana?
A recommendation (certification) is made up of doctor's written statement that marijuana will be medically necessary for the patient's debilitating condition. It is not just a marijuana prescription, as a prescription is legally defined as a published order to a licensed pharmacist to produce the drug. Marijuana prescriptions are impossible due to prescription drugs being afflicted by extensive federal regulation.
This was the problem with Arizona's initial 1996 approval, Prop 200. It was worded to be able to require patients seeking marijuana to acquire two "prescriptions ".Because of this, what the law states was effectively dead.
Physicians who recommend marijuana medicinally are protected from federal prosecution provided that they do not get involved with distribution or production. Tens and thousands of doctors are recommending marijuana under state medical marijuana laws, and to date, no one has been punished by the federal government.
Patients may seek a certification from their general practitioner, however, he or she may possibly not be willing to supply the recommendation. This could be centered on anxiety about prosecution, or simply not knowing enough about it. If that takes place, patients are legally of their right for a copy of these medical records and seek another doctor who is proficient in medical marijuana.
States typically require recommendations come from a physician licensed to rehearse for the reason that state. Arizona does this. When the certification is obtained, the next step is to use with the Arizona Department of Health Services for an Arizona marijuana dispensary ID Registry Card.
The Arizona Medical Marijuana ID card will work for twelve months from the date of production. A new certification is likely to be necessary. A published certification includes:
The physician's name, license number, address, telephone number and email; The qualifying patient's name and date of birth; A statement that the qualifying patient has a debilitating medical condition as defined by the Arizona Department of Health Services. An identification of one or more of the debilitating medical conditions in Arizona DHS statues whilst the qualifying patient's specific debilitating medical condition; A statement, initialed by the physician, that the physician: Has assumed primary responsibility for providing management and routine care of the patient's debilitating medical condition after conducting a comprehensive medical history and physical examination, including your own review of the patient's medical record maintained by other treating physicians, that could range from the patient's reaction and a reaction to conventional medical therapies.
A statement, initialed by the physician, that the physician reviewed all prescription and non-prescription medications and supplements that the qualifying patient happens to be using for consideration of any potential drug interaction with medical marijuana;
A statement, initialed by the physician, that the physician has explained the potential risks and great things about the medical use of marijuana to the qualifying patient;
A statement, initialed by the physician, that the physician plans to keep to measure the qualifying patient and the qualifying patient's use of medical marijuana throughout the span of the physician-patient relationship;
A statement that, in the physician's professional opinion, the qualifying patient probably will receive therapeutic or palliative take advantage of the qualifying patient's medical use of marijuana to treat or alleviate the qualifying patient's debilitating medical condition;
An attestation that the info provided in the written certification holds true and correct; and the physician's signature and date the physician signed.