Top Medical Cannabis Doctor in the USA
Discover the best medical cannabis doctor in the USA with our expert review and comparison.
Answer
There is no online prescription for medical cannabis in the United States. Federal law lists cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance, so no pharmacy can fill a prescription for it. State programs use another document: a written certification or recommendation signed by a licensed physician. Most states with a medical cannabis program allow that visit by telehealth. After the visit you register with the state health agency and buy cannabis from a licensed dispensary in that same state.
Top Medical Cannabis Doctor in the USA
Prescription vs certification
The word prescription is common in advertising. The legal term is certification. A physician signs a form that states you have one of the qualifying conditions listed in your state law. The form goes to the state agency, which issues a patient card or registry number. A dispensary checks that number before a sale.
can any doctor prescribe medical cannabis
Federal agencies do not issue cannabis cards. Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for cannabis. Commercial insurers do not pay for it either.
Can Any Doctor Prescribe Medical Cannabis
What a telehealth visit covers
- Review of your medical records and current medications
- Questions about symptoms and past treatments
- Check against your state qualifying condition list
- Signature on the certification form
- Notes on dose, product type, and state purchase limits
State rules differ
State law sets the qualifying condition list, the fee, the card expiration date, and the plant limit. Conditions that appear in many state lists include cancer, HIV or AIDS, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain. A few states accept any condition a physician finds appropriate. Others publish a fixed list.
Several states require at least one in-person visit. A few allow out-of-state patients to apply. Check your state health department page for the rule in force now. State legislatures change these rules each session.
Documents to have ready
- Government photo ID
- Proof of state residency
- Medical records or a note from a treating physician
- Payment method for the visit and the state fee
Cost and timeline
Certification visits run about $50 to $300. State registration fees run about $10 to $100. Some states waive the fee for veterans and for people on public assistance. Approval takes a few days in some states and several weeks in others.
Limits on buying online
Federal law bans transport of cannabis across state lines. A card from one state does not work in another, apart from limited reciprocity agreements. Online ordering at a dispensary is a pickup or local delivery service inside the same state. Sellers that ship cannabis through the mail operate outside federal law.
Hemp products are different
Hemp products with 0.3 percent or less delta-9 THC by dry weight are legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. They need no doctor's note. They are not the same as state medical cannabis.