Doctors now legally able to discuss marijuana as treatment option
December 12, 2018
Charlea Estes-Jones
Last Thursday marked a first for physicians and patients in the state of Missouri. On December 6, Missouri physicians could legally begin discussing medical marijuana as a treatment option with patients. With voters approving medical marijuana in the General Election, the wheels are turning to get physicians, patients and dispensaries in a position where it will be medical marijuana is a legal option for treatment of a variety of ailments.
Local physician Dr. Lisa Roark, MD, was a vocal proponent of medical marijuana leading up to the election. With the change in law last Thursday, she said she is already discussing medical cannabis as an option for patients with a variety of issues. She said since last Thursday, she’s met with over 20 patients from all over the state wanting to get the process started to receive their medical marijuana cards.
Dr. Roark said that while she is meeting with patients, the actual treatment options aren’t available yet, but she is giving letters of intent to her patients. She said, “Basically what I’m doing is going ahead and getting records if it’s not a patient I regularly see. I make sure I go through their whole health history and see what they’ve tried in the past and decide together with the patient if it is appropriate for them. I give them a letter that they have a qualifying condition, but I also advise them that since we have no legally available medical marijuana that I cannot guarantee their legal protection because even if they have a qualifying condition and it’s legal in our state, which it is, there is no legal cannabis.
“It means they would have to break the law to have that.”
Charlea Estes-Jones
Last Thursday marked a first for physicians and patients in the state of Missouri. On December 6, Missouri physicians could legally begin discussing medical marijuana as a treatment option with patients. With voters approving medical marijuana in the General Election, the wheels are turning to get physicians, patients and dispensaries in a position where it will be medical marijuana is a legal option for treatment of a variety of ailments.
Local physician Dr. Lisa Roark, MD, was a vocal proponent of medical marijuana leading up to the election. With the change in law last Thursday, she said she is already discussing medical cannabis as an option for patients with a variety of issues. She said since last Thursday, she’s met with over 20 patients from all over the state wanting to get the process started to receive their medical marijuana cards.
Dr. Roark said that while she is meeting with patients, the actual treatment options aren’t available yet, but she is giving letters of intent to her patients. She said, “Basically what I’m doing is going ahead and getting records if it’s not a patient I regularly see. I make sure I go through their whole health history and see what they’ve tried in the past and decide together with the patient if it is appropriate for them. I give them a letter that they have a qualifying condition, but I also advise them that since we have no legally available medical marijuana that I cannot guarantee their legal protection because even if they have a qualifying condition and it’s legal in our state, which it is, there is no legal cannabis.
“It means they would have to break the law to have that.”