Going to the doctors regarding a medical cannabis consultation may seem daunting to many. What if they think I just want to get high? What if they say no? These are just some of the things that may be going through your head leading to a consultation. Here is what you can expect from your consultation, and how to prepare for it.

Medical Condition

After filling out forms and applications, the first topic of conversation will generally be your medical history and current conditions. Clearly show your doctor the conditions you are experiencing, and a list of prior treatments you have been prescribed with. It is important to note that medical cannabis is eligible only for those where prior treatment has failed. Because of this, you must show during the consultation the treatments and how they were not appropriate for you. During this conversation, bring up side-effects of the treatments that you had, both physical and mental as well. No matter what, do not lie to your doctor. Bring up how these treatments benefitted you as well, but holistically, how it seems that the treatment isn’t working for you. 

You can follow this up by talking about your own research regarding medical cannabis. This could be discussing the potential benefits you believe it will bring. But at the same time, consider showing your doctor the potential side-effects as well. This will let them know you are aware of the potential risks of using medical cannabis as a treatment. Consider informing your doctor if you are currently self-medicating with cannabis prior to legal treatment, mentioning its pros and cons. This may help to convince the doctor that it may be safe to prescribe you the treatment as you have prior experience using it. 

Doctor’s Potential Reservations  

Cannabis as a medical treatment is not yet as widely accepted as other forms of treatment. Due to this, a lack of education regarding cannabis and its effects may be possible with your doctor. A potential reservation that your doctor may have is that they believe you want to use the medication to get high. If this is the case, assure them that you are only interested in CBD (cannabinoid), a compound of cannabis with no psychoactive effects. 

It may be worth a shot to discuss cannabis in a more in-depth manner with your GP if they are uninformed or misinformed about medical cannabis. Talk about how different compounds of cannabis have proven, wide-ranging benefits for many different ailments. Fatigue, nausea, and pain are just some of the symptoms that cannabis can assist with. However, we understand that sometimes, your doctor may hold strong opinions against medical cannabis and that no amount of discussion will convince them.

If your medical cannabis consultation with your doctor does not lead to the result you were looking for, you have several options. One of them would be to visit a different GP to see whether it leads to a different outcome. Another option would be to visit a clinic. There are plenty of resources that can help you find a doctor to help you get the treatment appropriate for you. 

Conclusion

This may all seem like a lot to take in all for just a consultation. But it’s always better to be over-prepared than to be under-prepared. If you need any resources regarding finding doctors or the benefits of CBD, AltMed has all the resources you need to learn more.