Marijuana has had a medicinal use for humans since ancient times. Unfortunately, since then, a lot of things have changed in our society. Because of the effects that it causes on the human brain, this plant was made illegal in almost every country around the world. But, a lot of things are changing and governments are starting to understand the importance of marijuana for medicinal use. Even for recreational use. California is one of those states that fully legalized medical marijuana, but how hard is it to get approved for it?
In fact, California might be one of the most progressive places on the planet when it comes to the ingestion of cannabis. Of course, it cannot be compared with the Netherlands, but it is still quite impressive that estate in the United States has completely legalized the use of medicinal and recreational use of marijuana.
In 1996, proposition 215 was approved with 56% of the vote which legalized the use of medicinal marijuana. But, it took several years after this proposition was made into a law. In 2003, Senate Bill 420 is what established the identification card system for patients that required the use of medical cannabis.
However, then, there still was a certain possession limit even if you did have a card. Fortunately, seven years after that, in January 2010, every possession limit was lifted for owners of this ID card.
But, again things changed when 2016 the proposition 64 was passed which legalized the use and distribution of recreational marijuana. In other words, every single person located in the state of California was allowed to ingest or smoke cannabis.
It’s cheaper for owners of medical marijuana ID cards
Even with proposition 64 in 2016 which made cannabis legal for everyone, there are still some benefits of owning an ID card for medical cannabis. Yes, you can go into a shop without one and get yourself all kinds of different strains that you cannot smoke or ingest right then and there. You also have the option to buy payroll joints, blunts, or even smoke from a bong.
However, a person with such an ID card will not have to pay for taxes or state sales. This makes cannabis for patients more accessible. Which is always a good thing. We cannot put such expensive price tags on something that can help people with pain or with certain illnesses.
But, since patients with such an ID card can skip taxes and state sales, the process to get approved is now more difficult than ever. This was done so people do not try and scan the system to make their purchases cheaper even though they do not require any kind of medical help.
You can possess and grow more
If you are approved for the use of medical cannabis and if you obtain such an ID card, you will have the freedom to possess and grow a much larger amount of the cannabis flower. Keep in mind, the stems and leaves are not added to the total weight. There is only a limitation of the cannabis flower.
Growing your own stems at home can be quite beneficial, especially for patients that require the healing properties of the cannabis plant for physical pain or other physical limitations. Instead of having to go to a recreational storefront or to a dispensary, they can just use the flowers they grow at home.
Having the ability to possess a lot more at once is also quite beneficial. If a patient is not willing or unable to grow a plant at home, they can buy larger amounts of marijuana, reducing the number of times they will need to go to a dispensary during a certain period.
What you will need to do to get a medical card
The entire process of obtaining the ID card is actually quite simple. According to Dr-Weedy in San Diego, the entire process can be finished in just 5 minutes. Everything can be done online in a few short and easy steps. The hard part is waiting to get approved.
So, the first thing you will need to do is register online.
You will probably need a couple of documents next to you because they will require you to input your name, your email, your home address, your age, and other private information. They will also probably require you to input what your illness or disability is.
Once you are done with that, you will probably have to wait a few days. Although, that depends on how many people are waiting for approval. Sometimes, it might take a few days and other times you can get a response on the same day.
Once you get a response, you will need to be evaluated by a physician. These days, that evaluation can even be done online. Although, there is also the possibility that they might ask you to be physically present during the evaluation.
If you expect to do it online, make sure you have a working camera and microphone on your computer.
Once that is done, all you need to do is wait. If you are approved, you will have two options. You can either pick up the card by yourself or you could wait for it to be shipped to your address after several days.
Which conditions are eligible for use of medical marijuana?
Now that you understand that the process of obtaining the ID card is simple, you probably want to know whether you are illegible to get one. Right now, there are a lot of illnesses, physical disabilities, and other conditions that are accepted for a card. AIDS, chronic pain, cancer, sclerosis, migraines, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and a lot of other conditions are eligible for a medical card.
In other words, if you have any of these, I am sure that the doctor will give you approval.
As you can see, it is not that hard to get approved for medical marijuana in California. You just need to have the right condition.
