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How
to speak to
your
doctor about
Medical Marijuana
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Weather
you have already discussed your
use of medical marijuana with your doctor or you are feeling hesitant
to do so for a variety of reasons, it is a good idea for your doctor to
be aware of the therapies you are using to manage your pain. Your
relationship with your doctor, and how well you talk with each other,
affects your care.
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Here
are some tips on
how to approach your doctor:
Be
prepared for your appointment.
Doctors may
not have much information about marijuana for medical
purposes as it is not an approved drug.
Here is an
information sheet to give to your doctor.
Speak
up. You will need to raise
the issue with your doctor. If you are concerned
about your doctor's reaction, remember that your doctor is there to
work with you to help make the best decision about your health. He or
she may have a negative attitude toward the use of marijuana in
general, but if you are prepared to explain how it helps you, he or she
will most likely be understanding.
Bring someone
with you for moral support.
If you are
nervous, bring a friend with you to your appointment so you
can make sure you bring up the subject of medical marijuana with your
doctor.
Before your
appointment, get the forms you need.
(To get the
forms you need, please register at the bottom of this page.)
The
only form you need to bring to your doctor is Form B1.
If you bring in the whole
stack of forms for the MMAR (Marijuana Medical Access Regualations),
your doctor will not likely have time to sift through them all to
determine which one to complete.
Get passport
photos taken (some small
convenient stores do this or at any
photo place) and bring in two copies with you to your appointment and
have your doctor sign the back of both of them, as required by the MMAR.
Make a list of
medicines and therapies you have tried for your symptoms, so
that at your appointment, you can identify which has worked for you and
which has not worked.
At your
appointment:
Clearly identify the symptoms you feel that can be managed better with
medical marijuana. Your doctor will want to understand how you are
using or plan to use medical marijuana and what effect this is having
or will have on your symptons and well-being.
Tell
you doctor whether you are smoking it, eating it, or using it in
some other form, and how much and how often you are using medical
marijuana. Be prepared to explain how medical marijuana is relieving
your symptoms and to say how much medical marijuana you use in grams
per day.
If you have never used medical marijuana
before, get
informed. Speak to others who use it to manage their symptoms.
Present
your doctor with the information sheet, that is available in a
link at the top of this page.
Consider
signing and bringing in the "Release Form for Medical
Pracitioners" from the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA).
The CMPA is the medical professional's insurer and signing this form
may elleviate some of your doctor's concerns about liability. Note:
this form is not valid in Quebec. This is NOT a Health Canada form and
is NOT required to obtain an authorization to possess medical
marijuana. It may however be useful in getting your physician to
support your application.
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