The Pros and Cons of Having A Medical Cannabis Card

Medical Cannabis Card

California is one of the earliest US states to approve of medical cannabis use, legalizing it in 1996 after passing Proposition 215. While a majority of other states followed suit, there are variations to how far its legalization goes, what conditions it can be recommended for and precautions to be taken by MMJ users to stay protected by the law.

If you want to buy medical marijuana, all you need is a medical cannabis card. This will act as your ticket to any dispensary in the city, where you can easily buy cannabis products best suited for your needs.

But is getting a Medical Cannabis Card easy?

Depends. On the state you live in, and your medical conditions.Different states in the US have legalized medical use of marrijuana in varying degrees while some are still far from it. California has completely legalized its use, but only when fulfilling all other requirements. States like Nabraska and Tennessee have no legal loopholes for cannabis consumption while Georgia only allows use of CBD oil for medical purposes.

Depending on which state you live in, obtaining a medical cannabis card can be extremely easy or not easy at all.

Californians, having enjoyed the legal status of cannabis for the longest, have a greater number of physicians to recommend the use and more than enough dispensaries across the state to make the process easy and less daunting.

Medical Cannabis use is restricted to patients suffering from severe symptoms and cannot be recommended to just anyone. Even in California, your condition must be recognized by the state for medical marijuana recommendations. Those who fall into this pit are able to go through the application process for the MMJ card.

In states like California, you don’t have to worry about stopping at a clinic to get a doctor’s recommendation. A bunch of clinics provide online 420 evaluations so you can get your marijuana recommendation right at home.

All you’re required to do is fill out a pre-evaluation application.

This is followed by a one-on-one consultation with a certified physician, who decides if you are eligible for a MMJ card or not.

Once approved, you receive your recommendation over email the same day, and via mail too.

You can take this up with the state and get a legitimate medical marijuana ID card.

Pros of Getting A Medical Cannabis Card

Legal Protection

If you live in California, or any other state with legal marijuana clauses, having a medical cannabis card can save you from being arrested due to a felony. With an MMJ card, you can possess more, grow more, consume more.

As a legal MMJ user, you can travel domestically and even via airways as long as you possess less than 8 ounces of cannabis. But you also have to ensure that the state you’re travelling to allows you to carry your medical marijuana. Always consult the authorities of the state prior to flying with your pot, or you might find yourself in some serious legal limbo.

Higher Potency

The whole idea of an MMJ card is to avail stronger doses of marijuana that might help patients relieve some of their chronic symptoms. The local dispensaries that you’ll find around the city have both recreational and medical cannabis products but you only have access to limited products without an MMJ card.

Getting a recommendation card can give you easier access to higher doses of potent products and a wider variety of applications.

Cost Effective

This one depends on the state where you reside, but nonetheless, stands true for every state that has legalized medical and recreational use of cannabis.

As a recreational drug, cannabis is subjected to high taxes that can be a little overwhelming for your pockets. On the other hand, medical marijuana is free from additional taxes and majorly subjected to cannabis excise duty. In California, you only have to pay 15% excise.

Higher Possession Limit

The legal limit for recreational cannabis possession is upto 1 ounce and 8 grams of concentrates. Any more than this is considered a legal offence. For medical marijuana users, this limit goes up to 8 ounces, for possession in person.

While the legal age for recreational cannabis use is 21 years, an 18 year old with an MMJ card can also get access to medical cannabis products.

Greater Growing Limit

Sometimes, the amount of cannabis you can afford or find in dispensaries is not enough to alleviate your symptoms. In such cases you can grow your own cannabis, if your state allows.

California permits recreational users to grow upto 6 cannabis plants. But with a grower’s license, you can become eligible to grow a greater number, as per your requirements.

Just to be clear, not every medical cannabis card gives you the right to grow more than the legal amount. But you can choose to get an MMJ card with a grower’s license.

Cons of a Medical Cannabis Card

The cons most precisely surround the use of marijuana, rather than the possession of an MMJ card. But since it acts as an identifying factor of your cannabis use, its possession can limit a few avenues for you.

  • As an MMJ card holder, you aren’t allowed to own a commercial driver’s license.
  • An MMJ consumer cannot buy a firearm.
  • An MMJ user isn’t eligible to hold any public office positions. Since marijuana is still illegal from a federal perspective, you cannot work in a government position.
  • You’ll also come across private companies that do not recruit MMJ users, and if you’ve just started using marijuana during your tenure there, you might get fired.

While these are some serious hindrances, the positives seem to overpower the negatives. As a medical marijuana card holder, you can possess, carry, consume and grow greater amounts of MMJ without being castrated by law. You get access to a wide assortment of potent products and have to pay less taxes.

If you don’t want to own firearms, be a commercial driver or hold a government position, now might be a good time to fill that application out.
