Seven Tips For Talking About Medical Marijuana in Oakland Park To Your Doctor

Talking to your doctor about medical marijuana isn’t always easy. If you’re interested in using cannabis medicinally and want to discuss the topic with your doctor, check out the tips below to make the conversation as smooth as possible before visiting marijuana doctors in Oakland Park.

1. BE SERIOUS

If you’re going to talk to your doctor about medical cannabis, make sure you’re actually serious about using weed medicinally. Cannabis has some very legitimate medical benefits which we’ve covered in a huge backlog of other articles. However, don’t try and use those to justify getting a prescription just so you can get high legally.

2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Before you approach your doctor about medical weed, make sure to get informed about medicinal cannabis and the way it could help you manage your condition and its symptoms. A great place to start is to better understand your condition and how it affects you personally. If you suffer from a chronic inflammatory disease like osteoarthritis, for example, make sure you take the time to understand how the disease affects your life and what symptoms you think cannabis could help with (such as the chronic pain in the affected joints, for example).

3. BE TRANSPARENT

Transparency is key to having a good relationship with your doctor, and it’s also really important when talking to your doctor about the possibility of using a new medicine like cannabis. Be honest about why you feel the drug might help, and also make sure you’re open about your previous use of the drug. If you’ve tried cannabis before and found it helped you manage some aspects of your condition, make sure you let your doctor know. Also, if you think a specific kind of cannabis or cannabis-derived product might be particularly useful to you, make sure to let them know why you think so. Again, all of this will help you paint a clearer picture for your doctor about how you plan to use the drug to manage your condition.

4. THINK ABOUT THE KIND OF MEDICAL CANNABIS THAT WOULD BEST SUIT YOU

There are many more ways to take cannabis rather than to roll it up in a joint and smoke it. Make sure you’re familiar with other cannabis products (like edibles, concentrates, or topicals), and research which ones might be best for you. Once you’ve got a good idea about the right kind of cannabis product for you, present the idea to your doctor and make sure you show them that you’ve read up on the reasons why.

5. ASK QUESTIONS

While it’s important that you inform yourself about cannabis and its medical benefits, make sure you’re not doing all the talking when you finally take up the topic with your doctor. Instead, make sure to ask them plenty of questions, too. Ask them about their opinion on medicinal cannabis, and whether they’ve used it before with some of their other patients. If they have, try to ask them about the experiences they’ve had and the results they’ve seen, keeping in mind that they’ll have to be confidential about some specific details. Also, make sure you clear up any doubts you may have about cannabis and how it’ll affect you, your condition, and your current treatment plan.

Here are some basic questions to consider asking your doctor:

  • Will medical cannabis interact with any of my other medications?
  • What type of cannabis would be the best for my particular condition?
  • How do you recommend that I consume cannabis?
  • Do you know of any studies or research on cannabis and my particular condition?
  • Where can I find more reputable information about cannabis?
  • What side effects should I expect?

6. KNOW WHEN TO LET OFF

Keep in mind that you’re speaking with a doctor and that—at least in theory—they should be up-to-date about changes to modern medicine and new treatments. If you speak to your doctor and they don’t seem to be 100% sure about giving cannabis a go, make sure to respect their professional opinion. No matter how much you think you’ve read or know about the drug, remember you are talking to a doctor who should—at least in theory—know what they’re talking about.

7. KNOW WHEN TO MOVE ON

If you’re not happy about the outcome of your conversation with your doctor, remember that it’s not the end of the world; you can always move on and get a second opinion from another professional if you feel necessary.

Remember, the perception of cannabis is changing, which generally means that doctors are more open to the drug than ever before. When you decide to have “the talk” with your doctor, make sure you keep this list handy to make the conversation as comfortable as possible. If you are considering making an appointment with a marijuana doctor in Oakland Park, we encourage you to consider Broward Alternative Health. If you have any questions or would like to schedule your first appointment, please call us today at (954) 297-5905.

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