We all love online stuff, right? We do so much online these days that we tend to take the convenience for granted. We can shop online and have products delivered right to our doors. We can go online to do our taxes, pay our bills, and schedule the car for maintenance. What about obtaining a medical cannabis card? Can qualifying patients do that?
The short answer is this: it depends on where you live. Some states with legal medical cannabis allow online consultations with medical providers. Others do not. But even in states where online consultations are not allowed, the process for obtaining a card is not exceptionally difficult.
Why a Card Is Necessary
Before getting to examples of states with and without online consultations, it is important to understand why a medical cannabis card is necessary at all. It boils down to cannabis’ status under federal law. Cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning doctors cannot write prescriptions for it.
More importantly, there are few FDA-approved drugs derived from cannabis. For example, there is no approved pain medication containing THC. Therefore, there is nothing for a doctor to prescribe to a patient wishing to use cannabis for chronic pain.
In terms of the process, BeehiveMed says getting a medical marijuana card in Utah requires visiting with a medical provider and completing an online application. The two requirements are pretty typical across the states with legal medical cannabis.
A Completely Online Process
California is an example of a state with a completely online process. While patients certainly can consult with their medical providers in person, state law also allows for remote consultations. Patients and their medical providers can utilize telemedicine to satisfy the state’s legal requirement for medical consultation and evaluation.
There are multiple ways a California patient could go about arranging a remote consultation. The first option would be going directly to a provider’s website and scheduling a consultation. A second option is to use a clearinghouse website that arranges remote consultations for patients in multiple states.
During the consultation, the medical provider would ask questions about the patient’s medical condition, current symptoms and health status, and any past issues with drugs and alcohol. If the doctor believes medical cannabis is the most appropriate treatment, the patient would get immediate approval. They could then begin the process of applying for a card. The application would be completed and submitted online as well.
A Partially Online Process
Utah is an example of a state with a partially online process. I have used the word ‘partially’ because no state that I know of does everything completely offline. They still use the online model for application submission and account management. This is the case in Utah.
Patients in the Beehive State must visit with a medical provider in person, it least to get their first cards. Remote consultations are possible for renewal in some cases.
During the in-person consultation, the patient would be asked to answer the same types of questions. A doctor agreeing that medical cannabis is an appropriate treatment would complete their portion of the patient’s application using the state’s electronic verification system (EVS). The patient uses the same EVS, online by the way, to complete the application and submit the associated fee.
The bottom line is that some states are okay with facilitating medical cannabis cards completely online. Others are not. If you are looking to get your first card, check with your state to figure out how to proceed with your application.
