How Long Does it Take to Get a NY Medical Marijuana Card?

Getting a Medical Marijuana Card in New York is a process with an indefinite time span. The amount of time it takes to complete the whole process depends on the applicant, the practitioner who is certifying the applicant and the state of New York. One has to understand the role each of the three play and the possible time it may take to complete each step of the process.

However, the process is not as hard as it seems and the state of New York tends to give faster reception to issues of MMJ card application than other states. So, before you start stressing about how long does it take to get a NY medical marijuana card, first worry about getting certified by a doctor or physician in New York.

How Long Does it Take to Get Certification?

Well, this is the most indefinite part of the process. To get certification, one has to get evaluated by a medical marijuana doctor first. After the doctor approves of your condition’s eligibility to be treated by cannabis, the doctor then certifies you. Well depending on the clinic you use, you may receive your certification in your email within 24-36 hours or even less.

The practitioner however, can certify on spot if you qualify. This means he or she will enter your information in the Medical Cannabis Data Management System (MCDMS), generate your certificate and send it to you right away.

Again, this depends on the clinic you use.

Certification and Telemedicine?

With the introduction of telemedicine, the process of getting certification for a Medical Marijuana Card in New York, has never been easier. Instead of walking into a clinic physically to get evaluated by a medical practitioner, you can complete the whole process digitally. This means through trusted online clinics like NY Medical Card, you can get an appointment with a doctor and get evaluated through a video call.

The time it takes for you to get an evaluation after getting an appointment however depends on the clinic you choose to use but some clinics do not take more than 15-30 minutes to give you a call. This has proved to be both a money and time saving way to get certification.

How Long Does it Take to Register With The State?

Registering your certification with the state of New york is one of the easiest processes. Well, this is probably because the state also offers guides on how to register to those who do not understand the process.

All you have to do is register your certification with the state registry. The process is a bit faster if you already have an account with the state registry. It will only take about 3-6 minutes or more depending on the applicant. However, if you do not have an existing account, you have to make one first before registering with the state. The process may even take longer for someone who has an existing account but has forgotten the login information.

So, if the state approves your application, you will receive a Temporary Registration Card that will allow you to access cannabis products from the state marijuana dispensaries as you wait for the physical card. The Temporary MMJ ID is supposed to be used in conjunction with a state issued photo ID.However it is advisable to stay with your certification as a supporting document.

How Long Does it Take to Receive Your Physical Card?

According to the Office of Cannabis Management OCM website in New York State, it may take about 7 business days to receive your physical medical marijuana card in your mail. However, this is not quite definite. It may take more time, about 9 days for you to receive your MMJ card in the mail.

Renewal Process

In New York State, the process of renewing your MMJ card is a bit easier than in other states. Instead of going through the whole process again, practitioners can extend the existing certification if they are the one who issued it. The certification number remains the same although a new copy of the certification is sent to the applicant.
For the patient whose certification has been extended, the patient does not need to re-register. The patient can continue using his or her existing Registry ID card.

Caregiver’s ID

Application to be a caregiver takes almost the same effort and time as that of a patient. However there are three basic steps to becoming a registered caregiver for a medical cannabis patient. Firstly, you must get designated by a certified patient or other appropriate person (for patients who are minors or incapable of consent) as a caregiver on the patient registration. The patient should have an approved registration.Secondly, you must create an account in the state registry and register as a caregiver. If you are approved you may receive a temporary registry ID card that can be printed and used immediately in conjunction with a government-issued photo ID. You can visit a dispensing facility to purchase products for your patient, with the temporary registry ID as you wait for the physical card.

State registration and the waiting time for a physical card can take the same time as that for a patient. An individual may act as a designated caregiver for up to four patients.

Summary

For patients looking for certification from a medical practitioner, telemedicine is a faster way and you can complete that part of the process in less than an hour. The time you take to receive the certification depends on the doctor and clinic.

State registration my.ny.gov is a very easy process which takes less than 10 minutes to complete depending on the applicant.

It takes about 7 working days for the state registry to process and deliver a physical registry card to your mail. Meanwhile they give you a temporary ID which you can use to access cannabis products.

Also read: How to Get a New York Medical Marijuana Card? A Definitive Guide

August 3, 2022August 8, 2022

Can I Get A Medical Marijuana Card With A Felony?

With the legalization of the use of medical marijuana in 37 states of the USA, there has been a sustainable rise in the number of marijuana consumers. Obtained from the Cannabis Sativa plant, cannabis or marijuana is a popular psychoactive substance known for recreational and medical benefits. However, the laws and qualifying conditions for the use of marijuana vary from state to state.

The criteria usually include being a U.S. citizen and having the appropriate age. For instance, the legal age to use marijuana in most U.S. states is a minimum of 21.

But what if you are charged with a felony? To people’s knowledge, in the USA, a felony is a highly serious crime like murder or rape compared to less serious offenses. The punishment for felonies is generally very severe depending on the type of the crime. Millions of people live with a felony in the USA. Convicted felons lose many rights in the United States, including voting, foreign travel, parental perks, and social benefits.

Not getting a Medical Marijuana Card can be another right that a convicted felon may be deprived of. However, this depends on where you live. Before we dive deeper, let’s first understand what an MMJ card is.

An Overview of Medical Marijuana Card

Though marijuana is well known as a recreational drug, it is known to help individuals boost their health and quality of life. Medical marijuana is an alternative drug for people suffering from various health issues like depression and anxiety to name a few.

However, it is important to get a medical marijuana card to use marijuana for medical use. An MMJ card is a document approved by a certified medical expert that allows someone to legally obtain and use marijuana to real all of its medical benefits. However, there are certain conditions like appropriate age that you must qualify for to get an MMJ card. The qualifying conditions vary from state to state.

Can I Get Medical Marijuana Card With a Felony?

In some USA states like Mississippi, certain felons convicted of serious crimes like rape, don’t have voting rights. For a convicted felon even accessing normal things like getting a job, travelling, or voting is a roadblock.

Imagine how hard it can be to get an MMJ card. Interestingly enough, obtaining an MMJ card with a felony depends from state to state.

For convicted felons, it is feasible to get an MMJ card approved by a licensed physician, however, you are subjected to a background screening.

This background check focuses on your criminal history and record. While the offences listed in your criminal record are important, the most vital will be whether or not you are charged with a drug offence. In case you are charged with a drug offence, there is a high chance that you won’t qualify for an MMJ card.

States That Allow Felons to Use MMJ

Interestingly, a convicted felon is more deprived of benefits like voting rights and public housing than medical marijuana.

A majority of MMJ programs have no hard restrictions for felons. In most cases, one must qualify the following conditions to get an MMJ card

Above a specific age limit
Suffering from a health issue
Completing the application form honestly
Recommended by a licensed doctor
Licensing fee payment

There are many states that are in favour of allowing felons to use medical marijuana. This includes

California: As per Proposition 64 in California, nonviolent marijuana criminals can clear their records. Doing so allows them to enjoy rights like getting a gun licence, enjoying a government job, and starting a cannabis-growing business.

New York: Similarly, with the legalisation of recreational marijuana in New York, the bill allows felons to get an MMJ card in NY. However, it is important to get it approved by an authorised cannabis doctor in NY.

Arizona: Arizona allows drug traffickers, murderers, and felons to get an MMJ card after receiving certification from a licensed medical marijuana doctor.

States That Don’t Allow Felons to Use MMJ

Most U.S. states allow felons to get an MMJ card. However, exceptions do exist. Some U.S. states that don’t issue an MMJ card if you are convicted are

Illinois: Sadly, Illinois is one of the states that don’t allow felons convicted of drug offenses to access or get an MMJ card.

As per state law, the person applying for an MMJ card needs to get their fingerprints scanned and go through a background check. You won’t get an MMJ card in case your reports show that you have been charged with a drug offense.

It is important to note that applicants who clear test results under the provision for first-time offenders can easily get MMJ cards.

Iowa: Just like Illinois, Iowa doesn’t allow felons convicted of drug offences to get an MMJ card. The state follows a simple mantra, “Once a criminal, always a criminal.”

Can Felons Get Medical Marijuana Business Licence?

As mentioned above, states like New York and California allow felons to use medical marijuana to improve their health conditions. But when it comes to getting a medical marijuana business licence, things are different.

As per legal marijuana programs, it is restricted to get a commercial business licence if the felon is convicted of drug offences.

Almost every U.S. state has similar restrictions to “legitimize the trade”. The main reason behind this is the trading of marijuana from a legal to an illegal state.

Let’s Wrap Up

Hopefully, most of your doubts are cleared. Overall, a convicted felon can get an MMJ card in most legal states except Illinois and Iowa at present.

Last but the least, it is important to know that many states impose restrictions on caregivers with felony convictions. To your knowledge, a caregiver has a legal right to buy, transport, and deliver medical marijuana to a qualified patient.

Suffering from health conditions like depression or anxiety? If yes, medical marijuana is the right medicine for you. However, it is recommended to approach NY Medical Card to get a Medical Marijuana card from a licensed doctor on the same day.

September 23, 2021October 6, 2021

Can Medical Marijuana Help in the Treatment of Eczema?

When a question inquiring into the medical effectiveness of marijuana for a particular disease or disorder is asked, many eyebrows are raised. This is because not every person is open to the suggestion of new and unconventional forms of medications and would rather go for traditional and regressive medicines to treat their health issues. However, many MMJ doctors like the medical marijuana New York doctors are constantly advocating the use of medical marijuana as a valid treatment for not only pain and inflammation but also for serious skin conditions like Eczema. How exactly? Let’s find out.

What Is Eczema?

Eczema, also referred to as atopic dermatitis is a skin condition classified as an autoimmune disease that makes the skin red, inflamed, itchy, and flaky. Other physical symptoms that are commonly noticed in the people who are suffering from this condition are red to brownish gray patches of skin; small, raised bumps which leak fluid or pus that turn to crust when scratched, and extremely red sensitive and swollen skin all over their hands, feet, chest, eyelids, etc. This skin disorder mainly affects children around the age of 5 and persists throughout their adulthood stage but for some people it flares periodically and might sometimes even skip years to show its symptoms.

The main triggers of this disease include hereditary genes, allergens, common irritants, and poor blood flow in the veins. This is especially caused when the afflicted area starts itching badly and is continuously scratched on by the people. As of yet, there is no cure that can treat this skin disorder.

How Does Medical Cannabis Help Eczema?

As per reliable sources, CBD the phytocannabinoid that is extracted from the cannabis plants is a valid antimicrobial component and can kill Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria known to cause flare ups in people who suffer from Eczema. Similarly, there are a lot of other factors that hint at the important properties of medical marijuana in the way of treatment of Eczema. Let us go through each one in detail.

Anti-itching Effect

The Endocannabinoid system in the bodies of normal humans enable the reception of cannabinoid solutions almost perfectly. And due to this reason, alone cannabis becomes highly effective in treatment of various disorders in people. This aspect is then taken full advantage of by the doctors with the introduction of cannabis as a medication which will react with the receptors and reduce the symptoms and appearance of Eczema.

Antimicrobial Effect

As mentioned before, the antimicrobial properties of cannabinoids help in fighting off the staphylococcus aureus strains which are main instigators of this skin disorder. This again highlights how effective cannabis solutions are for the people suffering from Eczema.

Anti-inflammatory Effect

The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD and other derivatives of cannabis plants are quite well known. Hence, a lot of topical application medical marijuana products can be made use of to help inhibit mast cell activation which will then prevent the release of histamines. Histamines then further help in getting rid of painful itching and other such issues caused by Eczema.

For instance, in the state of New York if someone is suffering from this painful skin condition and if they are in possession of a medical marijuana card NY, they can simply consult with their MMJ doctors and ask them to prescribe certain topical skin products which will help with their symptoms.

Pain Relief

Known for being one of the best solutions of pain relief, it makes sense for cannabinoids to also be used to relieve a person of pain that will affect the person suffering from Eczema. It not only reduces pain but is known to give immediate effect which again emphasizes the healing and restoring properties of medical marijuana as a treatment.

Relaxation

There is also the inclusion of relaxing benefits that MMJ products are sure to give the users. All the itch and discomfort that affects the patients can be relieved by using these 420 solutions.

Why Are Doctors so Supportive of Medical Marijuana Solutions?

Well, marijuana has surpassed all expectations in the field of medicine by emerging as one of the most effective forms of treatment for people suffering from a number of health conditions by helping them recover and alleviate many severe symptoms. The simply wondrous therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana that a user experiences are not without credit in spite of the fact that not all consider it to be a reliable form of treatment. Whatever may be the reason for people to not give as much of a warm reception to medical cannabis as is given to any other average form of medication, there is no scientific research that establishes any long term side effects of these MMJ solutions. This makes it one of the most valuable forms of treatments in the world of medicine today.

New York MMJ doctors especially are in strong support of medical marijuana as a valid solution for many health issues and for this reason consistently recommend their patients to choose MMJ products for their treatment. After getting a New York medical marijuana card it becomes super easy for these patients to buy high quality products at reasonable prices for long term use to treat their chronic health issues. What could be better than that?

Try cannabis topicals for your skin disorder today and enjoy the amazing benefits.

September 8, 2021September 9, 2021

Does Medical Marijuana Help With Back Pain

As per reliable reports, Low Back Pain (LBP) is the second most common cause of disability in US adults and around 149 million days are lost each year due to extreme cases of it. Back pain is without a doubt one of the foremost reasons for people to skip work and visit the doctors. This also makes it quite a costly health condition with total loss costs coming around
100 to 200 billion dollars annually, mainly due to decreased wages and reduced productivity.

Medical marijuana became the ultimate solution for this problem and many countries supported this intervention. The doctors played a major role in guiding such movements from Medical marijuana New York doctors to health professionals in other states, it was a joint effort which led to the popularization of naturally derived cannabinoid solutions for intense back pains. It became an alternative form of treatment for back pain as opposed to the allopathic treatment and provided a significantly cheaper option. The naturally occurring cannabinoids were non-addictive for the user and also gave few to no side effects at all. This led to a revolution of cannabis usage, where patients are now openly embracing the use of it and getting the benefits.

In regards to the pain relieving quality of MMJ in cases of back pain, let us closely read through every aspect that makes it a good option for people.

How Is Medical Marijuana an Effective Treatment for Back Pain?

As conventional medicines give the users many side effects ranging from nausea and upset stomach to ulcers and gastric bleeding, an obvious need to come up with a better alternative solution to treat back pain without experiencing side effects was realized. Medical marijuana due to its stunning pain relieving possibilities thus became the one option people turned to. But is it effective in treating back pain and if it is, how exactly? Yes, MMJ is the perfect solution for people for treating their back pains and mainly due to the following reasons.

It makes the pain bearable by reducing the intensity of pain.
While helping with the intensity of the pain, it allows you to be free from potentially dangerous and addictive allopathic medications.
Depression, anxiety, and other mentally exhausting problems that arise from severe back pain can also be solved by the consumption of medical marijuana.
It overall increases the quality of life and promotes a healthier life as it uses only plant derived compounds with absolutely no chemicals in it.

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain and How Does Medical Marijuana Help Treat Them?

Being a strong and effective treatment for chronic joint pain, cannabis or medical marijuana is an established way of relieving pain and helps with reducing many symptoms of lower back pain, let’s see how.

Pain and Muscle Spasms

Many valid studies have promised that the consumption or application of medical marijuana can calm down muscle spasms. Pain and muscular spasms are the most obvious symptoms of back pain and have to be consoled well to help the patient in getting rid of their intense back pain episodes.

Nausea and Vomiting

Medical marijuana also helps the patients in getting rid of the nausea and vomiting that the traditional medicines like opioids caused for the patient. It also induces sleep and reduces the chances of getting depression.

For instance, a person can consume medical marijuana in New York only when they are suffering from a specific issue from a list of health conditions. In this particular list, severe nausea is one of the health issues which warrants the use of medical marijuana. Any patient looking to get a medical marijuana card to treat their nausea in New York can simply find a legit MMJ doctor near them, hop on a call and get their card within a few minutes.

Inflammation

Marijuana has high anti-inflammatory properties and that is why it is used to treat many issues like arthritis, degenerate issues in the spine etc. Most of the neck pains and back pains are a direct result of degenerate changes in the spine and thus MMJ becomes the perfect solution.

Method of Consuming Medical Marijuana for Back Pain

Medical marijuana can be used in a number of ways depending on the product you’re using to get rid of your back pain.

Inhalation

This is probably the fastest method of consuming marijuana to treat your pains. You smoke or vape your pain away.

Drinking Liquids

Here, the medicine can be incorporated in the diet of the patient. It will reduce the pain without giving any psychoactive effects.

Sublingually Using Tinctures

Another fast method of consumption, tinctures are indeed effective in alleviating pains in the patients of back pain when a few drops are put under the tongue of the patient.

Via Edibles

The pain relieving effect will take a few hours to be felt by the patient depending on the potency of the product and also the problem to be treated. This is advised for all chronic pain patients as they have to regularly consume marijuana.

Externally Applying Topicals

Topical application is when the afflicted area of pain is rubbed with an MMJ gel or cream giving the user the soothing effects via the method of absorption. The desired effect will depend on the application and the duration of use.

Conclusion

Since there is no end to the back pain problems that keep cropping up due to the sedentary lifestyle that people are living, the quest for a permanent solution was very much needed. Especially in the recent years when the cases of severe back pains have skyrocketed, medical marijuana became a blessing in disguise. The shocking revelations of each individual getting affected by back pains at least once in their lifetime called for a new age of medicine where marijuana could be used openly for the treatment of certain problems and it got one. Let’s be a part of this change and promise to always go for natural solutions for our problems.