mcard
CategoriesGuides by

Will I Still Need a Medical Card When Cannabis is Legal?

In a word, “No”. You no longer need a medical marijuana card in order to possess cannabis, as long as you’re not breaking the law in terms of amounts you’re allowed to carry. On November 8, 2016, Proposition 64 – also known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act – was voted through. Of course, as there are no recreational dispensaries open yet, recreational users don’t have a place they can buy marijuana from as of yet.
From then on, adults over the age of 21 can possess, process, purchase, transport, obtain or give away up to one ounce of dried cannabis bud or flower and up to eight grams of cannabis concentrate. Should you be over 21, you can also grow up to six live plants for your own personal use, as long as you’re in a private residence and keep the cannabis in a locked area out of public view.
Now, you may be asking, “Why do I need a medical marijuana card?” Well, here’s five good, simple reasons why:
1. Tax

Recreational marijuana will have a 15% excise tax – something that those with a valid medical marijuana card will not have to pay. This means lots of money saved.
2. Access to More Dispensaries and a Better Choice of Products
With a medical card, you can go to any dispensary of your choice. Do you prefer one that’s a bit more lively and full of activities, or perhaps somewhere a bit more sedate and relaxed, where polite conversation and board games are more the norm? With a valid MMJ card, you can have that.
Moreover, not only do you get access to medical dispensaries, you get access to all their great products. Lab-tested cannabis flowers, high-quality concentrates made using safe methods, transdermal patches, a better choice of edibles, topical creams, all sorts of oils and the like … The list is endless. Also, you are less likely to have arbitrary restrictions on the amount of cannabis or cannabis-infused products you can buy. Recreational users are very likely to have far more restrictions placed on what and how much they can buy. Having a MMJ card gives you better choice.
3. It Gets Cheaper Still …
Dispensaries often have special deals for medical marijuana patients. Happy hours, specials on holiday periods, giveaway packs, different daily promotions, cheaper wholesale prices (ounces are often cheaper for medical marijuana patients). This means you will likely save a lot more money than just the 15% tax.
4. You Can Grow Lots More
Recreational patients can grow a maximum of six plants. Medical marijuana patients can grow up to ninety-nine, although your doctor may recommend an amount to grow. Those using marijuana for medical purposes may need more than what six plants provide in terms of weight, or may need more than six different strains for different problems to do with their condition/s. Plus, being able to grow only six plants potentially means time and energy lost should one or more plants die.
5. Better Protection from the Law?
States with a medical marijuana programme have a lot more precedence in the law with regards to legal protection, e.g.The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2008 and Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008.
Frankly (pun semi-intended), I don’t see why people – especially sick people who may benefit from medical marijuana – don’t get a medical marijuana card, especially if it could potentially save them from much harsher, highly addictive prescribed medications. If that’s got you thinking get in touch with me today and apply for your MMJ card online.

medical canna
CategoriesGuides, Medical by

5 Things You Should Know When Getting Medical Cannabis in 2017

As California prepares for the upcoming wave of dispensaries and shops set to provide legalized recreational cannabis; many people are still confused about medical marijuana, how to get it and how it might help them. Here are 5 things you should know about medical cannabis and getting your hands on it in 2017 …
1. Is a Medical Marijuana Card Still Necessary?

A medical marijuana card is still necessary until January 2018, when legalised recreational cannabis kicks in. Getting yourself a medical marijuana card will save you money both now and in the future (no sales tax on medical marijuana as well as dispensary deals), give you access to more dispensaries and a greater range of products, and give you the opportunity to grow cannabis. Yes, it costs to get a MMJ card and recommendation letter, but it’ll likely save you lots of money in the long-term.
Moreover, getting a medical marijuana card is easier than ever, especially with telehealth (and yes, I am available over telehealth – we are HIPAA compliant, totally private and extremely secure). All you need to do is:

  • Sign up at doctorfrank.com (or any other reputable site)
  • Fill out the medical marijuana evaluation form, attaching any relevant medical records you may already have proving your condition/s.
  • Talk to the doctor, which in this case will be myself, Dr. Frank D’Ambrosio.
  • If you qualify, you will be given a signed recommendation letter.
  • This recommendation letter can be emailed to you, so you can start using your recommendation letter straight away.
  • A medical marijuana card can be sent to you via post – not necessary, but highly recommended, and many dispensaries prefer you to have one.

2. Finding the Right Dispensary
Once you have your cannabis card and recommendation letter, it’s now a matter of going to the right dispensary. As everyone prefers a different environment, I recommend reading the dispensary’s reviews online, asking others if you know of anyone who frequents medical marijuana dispensaries and exploring them for yourself.
The range of dispensaries out there and what they provide is immense. However, they should all still provide a decent service. Do they grow good, trustworthy cannabis in well-tended environments? Do they have knowledgeable consultants, budtenders and owners who have studied their products and can tell you about them? Do they have have social and educational classes? An onsite doctor? All of these will usually show you how seriously a dispensary takes their job.
3. Finding the Right Strain
Much of the same advice that’s been given above on finding the right dispensary can be given about finding the right strain – i.e. ask others, read reviews and give several a try. Start slowly, though, and only take a little bit at a time. First-timers (and even some seasoned pros!) may want to avoid edibles – vaporizers are usually much easier to titrate with.
Asking “sativa, indica or hybrid?” will give you a rough idea, but can be misleading on occasion. Should you be looking for a particular effect, you’ll want to look at a specific cannabinoid and terpenoid profile – the genetics will tell you more about this than the strain names. The budtender/consultant at whatever dispensary you go to ought to be able to help and know their products inside-out, but remember that different phenotypes of the same plant may have different cannabinoid and terpenoid profiles.
Also remember that “everyone’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) is different”. This means that what may work for one person may not work for you and vice-versa, even for the same condition. Sure, there may be some common effects for some people, but not everyone. Remember, though: codeine doesn’t work for everyone, yet it’s still wrongly considered a “gold standard” of cough suppression. You can overdose on codeine; you cannot do so with cannabis, except in a theoretical sense.
4. Can’t Get to a Dispensary?
You can now get cannabis delivered to your door, securely, relatively quickly and discreetly. What a world we live in!
5. The Government Owns the Patent to CBD …
… Everytime you walk into a dispensary, read about someone getting arrested for cannabis use and/or see a sick person denied a medicine that could help save their lives, remember one thing: the US government owns the patent to CBD, but still considers it a Schedule I drug federally. In fact, all of the cannabinoids from cannabis are listed as a Schedule I drug, regardless of psychoactive effect. Make of that what you will …
Perhaps one last thing you should know is that you shouldn’t be afraid to use cannabis. Cannabis will not kill you, will not make you a mess and will probably not ruin your life – in fact, it many cases, it might just well improve it! Just listen to the hundreds of thousands if not millions of medical marijuana patients saying the same thing.