To my knowledge, every state with legal medical cannabis requires patients to consult with a licensed doctor before obtaining a medical cannabis card. Doctors are tasked with determining both patient eligibility and the therapeutic appropriateness of recommending cannabis. What goes into their decisions? A lot.
Doctors need to consider a plethora of things in order to make informed decisions. But it is the same with any other prescription medication or therapy. A smart and concerned doctor does not make critical therapy decisions without first thinking things through.
Here are just some of the things doctors consider before recommending cannabis:
Medical Conditions
Medical cannabis is similar to traditional prescription drugs in the sense that it is only suitable for a limited number of conditions. Just like antibiotics do absolutely nothing to cure viral infections, medical cannabis is not a cure for diabetes. Doctors need to consider the specific conditions a patient is dealing with in order to know whether or not medical cannabis is appropriate.
Current Health and Symptoms
Hand-in-hand with medical conditions our current health and symptoms. A doctor takes a good look at the current state of a patient’s health, knowing that any drugs he prescribes could have both positive and negative impacts. Symptoms are also considered.
Symptoms are key in the medical cannabis space for the mere fact that the point of recommending cannabis is to manage symptoms. Chronic pain patients rely on medical cannabis to alleviate their pain. Cancer patients use it to combat both pain and nausea.
Other Therapies
Doctors also consider other therapies and their potential to treat a patient’s condition. Acute pain is a particularly good example here. The operators of Salt Lake City, Utah’s Beehive Farmacy say that acute pain was added to the state’s list of qualifying conditions a couple of years ago. However, there is an important caveat.
Acute pain only qualifies if a doctor would otherwise prescribe opioid painkillers. But if a doctor is open to other treatments, medical cannabis is off the table – at least initially.
A growing body of evidence supports the use of medical cannabis for certain types of conditions. But just because medical cannabis is allowed does not mean it is always the most appropriate treatment.
A Patient’s Past History
Another thing doctors need to consider is a patient’s history. There are two things to account for in this regard: the patient’s overall health history and their history with drugs and alcohol.
In some states, doctors are not allowed to recommend medical cannabis to patients with a history of drug or alcohol abuse. In other states, medical cannabis is still allowed but on a limited basis. Doctors must carefully weigh the benefits of cannabis therapy against the potential risks for someone with a history of abuse.
In terms of a patient’s overall health history, there may be things in a person’s past that suggest medical cannabis is not the best choice. Doctors just cannot assume consuming cannabis will be okay.
Not All That Different
When you stop and consider the things doctors need to account for before recommending medical cannabis, it’s easy to reach the conclusion that their decision-making processes are not all that different from what they do before recommending another prescription medication. Lots of things need to be considered before telling a patient to take a particular drug.
Medical cannabis may be complicated for patients, but it is equally complicated for doctors. Limited clinical data does not make things any easier. But the more we learn about medical cannabis, the more effectively patients and doctors can work together to make wise decisions.