Health care providers offer tips about medical cannabis
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – State legislators gave their final approval for medical cannabis on January 26, 2022, of this year, but it won’t be available on every corner or, for everybody.
In our area, some local healthcare providers are hoping to share details about how to get a card for cannabis. And, just who is eligible for the prescribed pain relief.
Chronic pain and illness can mean living with pain. Some Mississippians fought to get medical cannabis approved to help make daily living easier, but it’s not as easy to obtain it as some may think; there’s a process.
“You make an appointment with dr walters and his team you go in and it’s cash pay your insurance will not take care of any of this. You make an appointment with him and he will certify that you have a condition to get a card,” said Allegro Family Clinic president Amy Bogue.
Bogue said that local healthcare providers met on her back porch last week to talk about some of the things people need to know. The terminology is at the top of the list.
“Medicinal marijuana is just what you hear when people get on the street and I don’t know where it comes from, I don’t know where it is grown, you don’t know anything about it. When you talk about medical cannabis it’s going to be highly regulated and the healthcare professional is not going to be prescribing any type of medical cannabis; all they’re doing is confirming that you have a diagnosis that’s been approved to get a medical marijuana card,” said Bogue.
Bogue said Dr. Jack Walters with Columbus Orthopaedic will be the only physician in the Golden Triangle area who can certify people. Family doctors and medical specialists will refer patients to Dr. Walters. His office will evaluate the patient, and then a card may be issued for medical cannabis.
It is important to work with your own doctor and to know how this drug will affect you.
“I really think that you should talk to your primary care provider and make sure that with your list of conditions especially the medication that there are no contraindications. It’s not for everyone and we don’t want to give the message that this is a green light for everyone. What we don’t want is for you to partake and it impacts another condition that you have. The other concern is driving a lot of people may not consider that any kind of inhibition but it’s the same as drinking too much alcohol or taking too much pain medicine and driving it’s the same thing; if you’re going to partake in this you need to watch out you can get pulled over and get a ticket for being high,” said Bogue.
Two medical marijuana dispensaries are approved for Columbus. One is scheduled to open at the old Fitzner Pontiac building on Highway 45. The other will be in the Northgate Plaza, also on Highway 45.
Bogue says more information should be known each week about medical cannabis leading up to dispensaries opening in our area.
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