Medical Marijuana Card

1. Log into www.pa.gov/guides/pennsylvania-medical-marijuana-program/ to register with the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

2. Make an appointment with the doctor and come to the office to be evaluated.

3. Pay the processing fee to the Department of Health and within seven to ten days receive the card in the mail.

4. Go to a dispensary.

Please be aware that The Balanced Woman is not a dispensary and is only providing evaluations and prescriptions for the card itself which needs to be renewed on a yearly basis.

Marijuana contains both cannabinoids CBD and THC. CBD has been shown to have a soothing effect as well as reducing inflammation, improving sleep, calming seizures and decreasing anxiety. CBD oil usually contains a bare minimum of THC at approximately .000-.003% and does not induce any psychoactive effects.

One of the other active cannabinoids in the marijuana plant is the psychoactive ingredient THC. THC has shown to be effective at increasing one’s appetite, which is helpful for those who suffer from anorexia or use medication that suppresses their appetite. THC has also proven to be effective in treating many neurological disorders ranging from Multiple Sclerosis to Parkinson’s disease as well as anxiety, PTSD, cancer, glaucoma and chronic pain.

Although the benefits of the isolated cannabinoids have been widely accepted, many researchers have noted that the combination of CBD and THC together in its natural state is a medicinally more effective treatment for a wide variety of ailments. While CBD is good for treating inflammatory pain, THC has shown to be beneficial in treating neuropathic pain. Both THC and CBD have proven effective in treating the many symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

The full list of State approved and qualifying medical conditions is:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis;
• Anxiety disorders;
• Autism;
• Cancer, including remission therapy; Control nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy; Stimulate appetite and improve weight gain in people with cancer and AIDS.
• Crohn’s disease;
• Damage to the nervous tissue of the central nervous system (brain-spinal cord) with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, and other associated neuropathies;
• Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders;
• Epilepsy;
• Glaucoma;
• HIV / AIDS;
• Huntington’s disease;
• Inflammatory bowel disease;
• Intractable seizures;
• Multiple sclerosis;
• Neurodegenerative diseases;
• Neuropathies;
• Opioid use disorder for which conventional therapeutic interventions are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions;
• Parkinson’s disease;
• Post-traumatic stress disorder;
• Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain;
• Sickle cell anemia;
• Terminal illness; and
• Tourette syndrome.

Medical Marijuana has also been shown to be beneficial in treating symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Certain studies have shown that cannabinoids such as THC have a cooling effect on the body and can mitigate the effects of hot flashes.

Medical Marijuana is also known for aid in alleviating insomnia. A quick consultation with the dispensary pharmacist will help in deciding which strain is best.

Medical Marijuana can also help manage pain caused by migraines, breast tenderness, joint pain and menstrual cramping. CBD and THC are known to be useful in regulating mood swings and ease feelings of depression or anxiety.

The CBD cannabinoid is not the psychoactive compound found in the botanical. That distinction is given to THC which is the compound that produces the “euphoric” feelings associated with the herbal. Fortunately, not all strains of Medical Marijuana contain the same ratio of CBD and THC. For those patients who might reap the benefits of THC, but don’t necessarily enjoy the “high” from the compound, there are different varieties of Medical Marijuana that are heavier in the CBD to THC ratio.

Again, establishing the correct ratio is something that should be discussed with a dispensary pharmacist in regard to which condition is being treated. One thing for certain is that Medical Marijuana is a valuable way of managing many disorders and discomforts. Recent research has backed up the various benefits of Medical Marijuana and now, having become more therapeutically acceptable, cannabis has become another useful tool in a doctor’s arsenal of treatments.

The fee for getting the medical marijuana card is $195 for the evaluation with Doctor Lambert at The Balanced Woman and a $50 payment to the Department of Health. Yearly renewal fees with Dr. Lambert are $125 .

To register with the DOH one will need a valid driver’s license ID number. The system will then issue a patient ID number to show that they have been certified for medical marijuana treatment. Once the patient is registered with the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program, they then make an appointment with the doctor to discuss their symptoms and to ascertain if they qualify for a Medical Marijuana Card.