Marijuana laws can be quite confusing. As it stands in 2019, the drug exists in a kind of grey area, where it’s legal in some states and illegal in others. Muddying the waters further is MMJ, or medical marijuana, a type of cannabis utilized by patients suffering from a spectrum of conditions. MMJ is legal in far more states than its recreational cousin, but can still prove confusing for patients and non-patients alike. When it comes to actually growing marijuana, the stats become even more confusing. The bottom line is that MMJ patients can grow more marijuana than non-MMJ patients, or recreational users. You might be curious about why this is, or wondering “How much cannabis can I legally grow?” We examine this and more in our breakdown below.

1. They Require More For Their Health

The single biggest reason, and maybe the most obvious one, is that MMJ patients require more marijuana for their health. For them, marijuana isn’t recreational; it’s crucial to their overall well-being. Think of it as medicine. If the average person could cultivate their own medicine, for whatever condition they suffer from, then they most certainly would. It’s no different for MMJ patients. The list of conditions that MMJ can provide relief from is vast and wide. Some are temporary and require only modest amounts of the drug. Others, like Parkinson’s or MS, are far more serious, and therefore require more effort to keep in check.  So what exactly is the legal amount of cannabis to grow? Well, this varies wildly from state-to-state. More confusingly, it’s ever-changing. Here is a list of current state regulations, but as MMJ is a developing medicine, these are all subject to change.

Image by noexcusesradio on Pixabay: Many patients can grow marijuana with MMJ recommendation.

The best policy is to keep up to date with your local health care professional, or online with trusted sources like MMJ Recs. They will help you keep abreast of the situation, and ensure you stay within legal limits.

2. They Want to Control the Purity of the Product

For patients battling chronic conditions, the purity of the MMJ is extremely important. The more pure the product, the stronger the effect. If you’re battling an extremely debilitating condition, then you want to be in control of the marijuana you take. One good way to do this is by growing the product yourself. It should be said that much of the medical marijuana grown in the U.S. these days is very pure, and manufacturers put a lot of effort into ensuring the quality of their product. However, a homegrown touch can just serve to ensure that patients are availing of the purest product possible, meaning an MMJ recommendation and growing marijuana go hand in hand.

3. It’s Cost-Effective (and Time-Effective)

Conditions that require a constant supply of medical marijuana can become expensive for patients, in both financial terms and time-efficiency terms. Going back and forth from dispensaries every other week can be draining, and the cumulative cost of the medicine can become overwhelming for some patients. Growing their own marijuana provides a valuable option which both relieves financial pressure and provides easier access to the drug. Growing marijuana properly might take a little while to get the hang of, but if you’re dealing with a chronic condition, it’s likely to be worth it over the long haul. Just make sure you keep on top of the legal amount of cannabis to grow, depending on where you are in the country. Recreational users of marijuana don’t have this necessity, and therefore can adapt their spending as they go.

Image by brujaisma on Pixabay: MMJ patients can grow more marijuana than recreational users.

4. Non-Reliance on Dispensaries

As well as costing patients both time and money, dispensaries are the only avenue for patients to avail of their medicine. Therefore, they become totally reliant on them as the sole outlet for MMJ. Giving patients the option to grow their own MMJ at home removes this dependency, and may serve to make them more content in the long run. Again, for recreational users, marijuana is a luxury item, so this reliance isn’t really a factor for them. Therefore, it makes sense that MMJ patients can grow more marijuana than the general public.

MMJ Recommendation and Growing Marijuana

Before you can start growing your own marijuana, you have to possess a valid MMJ recommendation, or MMJ card. While the process to achieve this varies from state-to-state, by and large it’s fairly simple. If you suffer from one of the conditions listed on the state’s individual rundown of qualifying conditions, then you can avail of MMJ, and even obtain your MMJ card easily over the internet. These MMJ cards need to be renewed every year; patients can easily do this through an experienced site like MMJRecs. Some states have a very long and broad list of qualifying conditions. Others are more narrow and specific. But, as MMJ usage becomes the norm, more and more states are accepting the drug as a valuable, natural medicinal option. Over the coming years we should see more states embracing MMJ, and subsequently allowing patients to grow their own.

However, before you start any kind of MMJ cultivation operation, make sure to check all legal avenues you can. You must be completely certain that it’s legal in your state, and that you abide by the parameters set down in the law.

Featured image by quinntheislander on Pixabay

The use of medical marijuana is on the rise in the state of California as more and more people become familiar with the drug and its wide range of benefits. But what many people don’t realize is just how simple the process of getting a medical weed card online actually is.

Anyone can apply for a medical weed card online if they believe that they have an ailment that would be helped or alleviated with medical marijuana.

The Laws

The passing of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 was a big step for Californians who needed medical marijuana for their ailments.

Proposition 215, colloquially known as The Compassionate Use Act, was passed in the State of California back in 1996. This act allowed citizens who suffer from a variety of different ailments to legally seek out treatment and relief with prescribed use of medical marijuana. It also provided a safe environment for patients to openly talk to their doctors about medical marijuana, the correct dosages, any side effects and the best ways to utilize the drug for their specific needs.

Doctors have also been given a lot more freedom to which conditions qualify for medical marijuana use, including arthritis, glaucoma, AIDS, cancer, anorexia, chronic pain and migraines. For a full list of qualifying conditions you can follow this link here.

Proposition 64, which recently passed in the state of California, changed the laws surrounding medical marijuana for recreational use. This new law has left many patients wondering where they now stand, and prospective clients wondering whether it’s worth getting a medical weed card for themselves.

Medical weed can be used for a wide variety of conditions, from glaucoma and arthritis to cancer and migraines.

What Proposition 64 Means for Both the Public and MMJ Patients

Under Proposition 64, regular citizens are now allowed to possess and use cannabis recreationally (much like smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol). However, there are still some limitations to this new proposition that don’t apply to MMJ patients, and the law itself won’t properly come into effect until 2018.

This means that it will still be illegal to purchase cannabis for recreational use, and public citizens will have to rely on being ‘gifted’ the substance if they wish to partake legally. Recreational use will still be forbidden in public arenas and consumption will have to remain discreet and in private spaces only. MMJ patients, however, will continue to have permission to dose in most places that tobacco use is still allowed.

The other major difference between the public and MMJ patients with regards to proposition 64 is the amount that one can possess at any given time. Regular citizens will be restricted to one ounce of flowers (or eight grams of concentrate) while in public spaces, and will be limited to just six plants in their homes, whereas MMJ patients will continue to be allowed to cultivate up to 100 square-feet of cannabis at any given time.

Other benefits for patients in possession of a medical weed card are shorter waiting times at marijuana dispensaries (once the public can purchase it legally), a forgoing of the sales tax and protection from the fluctuation in prices incurred when marijuana begins to be bought, sold and traded as a commercial commodity.

The Process of Getting a Medical Weed Card Online

Anyone with a medical condition that believes that access to medical marijuana would be of use to their condition, or will help to relieve some of their symptoms, can apply for a medical weed card online from an online service, like that provided by MMJ Recs.

Online services are handy, as they not only provide patients with direct access to licensed physicians – who are usually specialized in medical marijuana use, the benefits and the correct usage and dosages for specific ailments – but they also cut down wait times dramatically and circumvent the need to make appointments at registered clinics.

Getting a licensed physician to fill out a medical marijuana evaluation online for you takes only a few minutes.

To apply online, you’ll be required to fill out a standard medical form that outlines why you believe that access to MMJ will be of benefit to you. You’ll also need to provide a full medical history of the condition in question and any other medical documentation that you might already have.

The actual evaluation, which is performed by a fully licensed physician, takes only a few minutes and involves a short phone call or Skype conversation. If the doctor believes that you qualify, then they’ll issue you with a recommendation letter and weed card that will arrive in the mail within a couple of days.

The card will come with your full name, date of birth, patient ID, expiration date (a renewal of your card will be required annually), a doctor’s signature and an embossed seal. With this card you’ll be able to buy medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries or order it online through protected marketplace sites.

And there you have it – all you need to know about applying for your medical weed card online! If you have any further questions, please feel free to post them in the comments section below.

We’re going to assume you know almost nothing about medical marijuana and focus on the real basics of the drug, what it does and how a California medical marijuana card might benefit you. Medical marijuana isn’t for everyone, so before using it, you should know what you’re using and how to use it.

What Is Marijuana?

Medical marijuana is nothing more than a plant

This may seem simple, and on a basic level, everyone knows what marijuana is. However, on a factual level, far fewer people know exactly what it is. This commonly leads to the drug being demonized even though countless studies have shown that there are health benefits of using the MMJ in moderation. Marijuana is, by far, the most used recreational drug in the United States.

First things first, medical marijuana is nothing more than a plant. The drug is made of the shredded leaves and sometimes flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. Whatever strain or whatever form of cannabis someone uses, they are all psychoactive, which means they are mind-altering. The plant is made up of hundreds of chemicals, but the most powerful one is called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). When consuming marijuana, THC has the biggest impact on your brain.

How Do You Use Medical Marijuana?

For the majority of users, marijuana is consumed through rolling loose leaves into a medical marijuana cigarette called a joint. Joints are sometimes mixed with tobacco to cut the intensity of the weed. Others prefer to use a bong, which is a large water pipe that heats the drug into smoke, which is then inhaled. Vaporizers are another common form of medical marijuana consumption that works as mini bongs. With the legalization of medical marijuana and your CA weed card, there have been numerous forms of consumption methods introduced, including edibles, oils, drinks and more.  

What Is the Common Medical Marijuana Lingo?

There are numerous terms that you might hear people use to describe medical marijuana, and the list is ever growing. Here’s a short list of the most common terms and exactly what they mean.

• Joint: A rolled cigarette-like way to consume medical marijuana
• Bong: A water pipe that allows you to inhale weed
• Blunt: A hollowed-out cigar where the tobacco is removed and replaced with marijuana
• Hash: Medical marijuana mixed with tobacco

The most common nicknames for marijuana include weed, pot, reefer, grass, dope, Mary Jane, ganja, herb, chronic, boom and skunk.

What Is Being High Really Like?

At its height, medical marijuana will give you a feeling of introspective dreaminess.*

If you’ve never experienced a medical marijuana high, you might associate it with films and TV shows that depict the effects of marijuana. When you consume medical marijuana in moderation, the most common effects are a heightened sense of well-being and euphoria. You’ll find yourself talking a lot more and, inevitably, laughing a lot more as well. At its height, the high will give you a feeling of introspective dreaminess, which will eventually tail off into sleepiness and then, most likely, sleep. You’ll also experience feelings of exaggerated emotional and physical sensitivity and strong feelings of camaraderie if you are in a group setting.

The drug will also have a direct impact on your speech patterns, which will be slower. Your ability to carry out a conversation will be impaired as a result of this. Weed also affects your short-term memory. The typical high from marijuana lasts for around two hours but can last for as long as 12 hours if you overindulge.

*You will probably not hallucinate animals driving cars!

Is Using Medical Marijuana Safe?

This question is a lot more complicated than you might think. To put it in the most understandable terms possible, it is scientifically proven that marijuana is safer for you than either nicotine or alcohol. In the case of alcohol, marijuana is actually more than 100 times safer for you, but this, of course, does not mean that it is 100 percent safe. Marijuana is slowly becoming legalized across the United States because of the health benefits it offers those who use it. The most common medical use for marijuana is for people suffering from some form of slight mental illness including anxiety, depression or stress, but there are physical benefits to the drug as well. Marijuana can be used to help treat and even prevent cancer and glaucoma, and it is an excellent form of medication for those suffering from intense or debilitating pain. As the drug becomes more popular and is slowly legalized across the U.S., new health benefits are being discovered almost every day.

Of course, like all good things, there are drawbacks to marijuana as well. Although there is no research that indicates occasional marijuana use leads to any health issues, there are issues with long-term and heavy marijuana consumption. Issues include memory capacity and, in the most severe of cases, schizophrenia.

With moderation, marijuana is safe, but if you’re deciding to take that step to get your California weed card, make sure to talk to your health professional about how much you should use, when you should use it and how often. With that advice, you’ll be good to go.

With three out of four Americans believing that the legalization of medical cannabis is inevitable, it’s no wonder that an increasing number of politicians share an identical line of thought. As more than half the states across the U.S. now offer medical marijuana as a form of treatment and eight states also permitting recreational use, it’s clear that attitudes towards the drug among those in power is shifting.

Great strides have certainly been accomplished in regards to the legalization of medical cannabis, but recent reports out of Washington, D.C., have indicated that the Trump administration may be planning to clamp down on the drug. Although any imminent action from the Department of Justice has been denied, this news has understandably troubled many citizens and politicians alike.

However, with the majority of Americans — including politicians — supporting the legalization of cannabis and the sheer number of states that currently permit cannabis use for medicinal reasons, it’s hard to imagine laws rolling back to outlaw said use. In fact, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders has recently announced the formation of a Congressional Cannabis Caucus, vowing to sponsor and pass federal laws that protect states’ right on issues related to medical cannabis.

Politicians often shy away from their stance on recreational cannabis, yet a substantial number have often voiced their support of its use for medicinal reasons, and there are some conservative surprises residing within the more typical left-leaning folk. Although the political spectrum is divided in a number of ways, the decriminalization of medical marijuana is an issue that frequently invites a common ground.

Let’s we take a look at some of the more vocal politicians who continually support medical cannabis use along with a few of those who may just surprise you.

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders is in favor of medical cannabis.

No shock here: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, is a huge supporter of medical cannabis. Sanders has, on more than one occasion, gone on record as saying that he believes tobacco is more harmful to human health than cannabis. He also co-sponsored the State’s Rights to Medical Marijuana Act in 2001, which would have made the use of the drug for medicinal purposes acceptable at a federal level. Sanders also supports recreational cannabis.

Sen. John McCain

Arizona Sen. John McCain is notoriously uncompromising when it comes to policy. Arizona decriminalized medicinal marijuana back in 2010, but since then, McCain surprised everyone by advocating the use of recreational cannabis, cited as saying: “Maybe we should legalize. We’re certainly moving that way as far as marijuana is concerned. I respect the will of the people.” His daughter has also come out in support for full legalization, admitting she had smoked a joint (or two).

Rep. Allen Peake

Georgia Rep. Allen Peake also supports medical cannabis.

Rep. Allen Peake is far and away one of the most surprising political figures to support medical cannabis. Not only does he hail from the deeply conservative state of Georgia, but also he’s a Republican and a family man. Although the use of cannabis for either medical or recreational reasons remains outlawed in Georgia, Peake was instrumental in the passing of House Bill 1, which legalized the possession of cannabis oil for people in the state who suffer from a number of sicknesses.

Sen. Maggie Hassan

Although many supporters of medical cannabis also support the legalization of recreational use, Sen. Maggie Hassan is not one of them. Nevertheless, in 2013, the New Hampshire senator signed a bill into law authorizing the implementation of medical cannabis. Upon New Hampshire’s decision to legalize, Hassan stated, “Allowing doctors to provide relief to patients through the use of […] medical marijuana is the compassionate and right policy for the state of New Hampshire.”

Sen. Cory Booker

Sen. Cory Booker’s support of medical cannabis may not be overly surprising unless you take into account the negative attitudes toward the drug in much of New Jersey government. Even though medical cannabis has been legal in the state since 2010, Gov. Chris Christie has made it exceedingly challenging to acquire medical cannabis. Alternatively, Booker believes it to be important; he co-sponsored a federal amendment offering legal protection to patients who receive cannabis treatment.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s state of Massachusetts decriminalized recreational use of the drug in 2016.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is a firm supporter of medical cannabis. She has previously related the benefits of marijuana consumption to her own life experience: “I held my father’s hand while he died of cancer, and it’s really painful when you do something like that up close […] if there’s something a physician can prescribe that can help someone who’s suffering, I’m in favor of that.” Warren’s state also decriminalized recreational use of the drug in 2016.

As reports suggest, cannabis is a particularly contentious issue in Washington at the moment. Fortunately, there is no shortage of politicians who understand the benefits that come with medicinal use. Let’s hope those likeminded officials continue to represent the majority of the American people on the matter.