For What Conditions Is Medical Marijuana Recommended?

The cannabis plant contains a number of different elements that have proven health benefits. Scientists have only mapped a fraction of these ingredients and their effects on the body. Medical marijuana plants are bred to emphasis different balances of the active ingredients for different medical applications.

There are three primary types of cannabis, but there are thousands of hybrids derived from those three. New hybrids are created all the time to focus on particular medicinal properties in the plants. Cannabis is further processed and concentrated to produce capsules, oils, tinctures and edible products that give patients a variety of options for consuming their medical cannabis.

Medical Marijuana Conditions

Florida’s medical marijuana regulations specify only certain conditions can be treated with medical cannabis. The list of conditions includes:

• PTSD
• Cancer
• Parkinson’s disease
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis
• Crohn’s disease

Marijuana doctors in Florida are also given some discretion to treat patients with medical marijuana even if they are not diagnosed with a condition on this list. A general statement in the law allows for marijuana treatment of any condition resulting in “impaired strength, weakness or enfeeblement.”

Conditions such as Alzheimer’s or chronic back pain can be interpreted to fit into this broader definition of medical conditions treatable with cannabis products. The state marijuana database keeps track of patients, their conditions and the results of their treatment. This is a legal mechanism for adding more conditions to the approved treatment list.

By tracking the usefulness of medical marijuana for various conditions, the state will have evidence to support its use on conditions not already mentioned in the regulations. The benefits of medical cannabis for a wide range of conditions is still being discovered and expanded with research and experiential treatment.

Medical Marijuana Recommendations

Marijuana doctors in Florida are required to take a training course to learn about the uses of medical marijuana and understand the legal limitations in the state. Doctors are expected to work within the confines of the regulations, but those regulations continue to change as the medical marijuana program grows and develops.

Ultimately, doctors can use their discretion to register patients for medical marijuana. As with any other medicine, they are responsible to review the research and understand how marijuana works to relieve symptoms. Practicing medical doctors are the best people to make decisions about when and how to incorporate cannabis into patients’ treatment plans.

Doctors do not prescribe marijuana, because it is banned by the FDA, like heroin and other illicit drugs. Since they recognize the healing benefits of cannabis products and state law allows it, doctors make recommendations for medical marijuana usage.

Dispensaries are helpful in the process of obtaining medical marijuana to relieve the symptoms of your debilitating condition. They grow the cannabis and produce the products they sell to marijuana patients. The pharmacist at your dispensary will take your doctor’s marijuana recommendation and help you choose the right products from their product lines.

Medical marijuana recommendations provide guidance on the strains and content that would be most useful for your condition. They will also recommend a starting dosage. The dispensary can show you the products they have with the content your doctor recommends. Many cannabis products are available in different formats. The dispensary can educate you about the uses of oils or tinctures and help you find the right format for you.

Learn More

Start with our online application to see if you qualify for medical marijuana.

Dr. Jack Rothman

Dr. Rothman is a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  He has received multiple special awards and recognitions, including Physician of the Year, from the Pinellas County Medical Association (2014 – 2015) and the President’s Service Award from the Pinellas County Medical Society.

He attended medical school at State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York, where he also completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency. In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Rothman’s professional career includes being an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida and Clinical Instructor at the University of Tampa’s College of Nursing.

Dr. Rothman received his Florida Medical Marijuana Physicians Certification in 2016 and was one of the first recommending physicians through DocMJ in the state and is loved by many of those early patients today.