Telemedicine (the digital diagnosis and treatment of patients) is revolutionizing medicine by linking patients and doctors while significantly reducing expenses for both parties. The efficacy of telemedicine has risen substantially in recent years thanks to developments in telecommunications. In such a fast-paced industry it can be difficult to keep up with its evolution, but we aim to ensure you stay on the bleeding edge of its advancements. Recently, the legalization of marijuana in numerous states has led telemedicine to offer patients an incredibly easy way to get medical marijuana.

Once upon a time, someone suffering from chronic illness such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, or Alzheimer’s could only find marijuana on the streets, and they’d be at risk of arrest just for possession. Now, anyone with an illness or disease that would be aided by the prescription of marijuana is legally free to obtain medical marijuana from many health practitioners around the country. This change in law provided people with access to government-regulated marijuana, where dosage and strains could be extremely accurately defined and prescribed, dependent on patient needs. It’s been a huge step forward for America, and a particularly huge step for medicine. Since the legalization of medical marijuana, the use of opioid painkillers and subsequent deaths from said painkillers has been significantly reduced.

However, a great many people suffering from chronic conditions are left so debilitated by their pain that traveling, or even leaving their houses, is out of the question. Until recently, an inability to get to the doctor would guarantee these people would not be prescribed medical marijuana. And so their pain would persist despite a known alleviator. Furthermore, there is still a climate of shame regarding the use of medical marijuana in some communities. This results in patients who are in dire need of a prescription forgoing one on the basis that they don’t want to be identified by someone they know going into a medical marijuana doctor’s office. They desire true anonymity.

Changes in the legalization of marijuana and the advent of telemedicine have gone hand in hand.

To further progress things, telemedicine has begun to allow medical marijuana prescriptions to be granted via telecommunications, including through websites such as MMJRecs. Subsequently, patients with chronic illness do not have to go through the pain or discomfort of traveling long distances to get medical marijuana. This is particularly important in states with a geographically dispersed population. But currently, not all states allow a medical marijuana prescription through telemedicine. Also, it must be noted that in order to benefit from telemedicine of any kind, you must be considered far enough from a doctor that traveling for an in-person visit would be difficult. Each state has its own ideas when it comes to telemedicine and the law, so it’s best to check your state’s legislation to figure out whether you qualify. A local doctor may also be of help in understanding the relevant state-level laws.

An established doctor-patient relationship is a requirement in medical marijuana treatment. States do not want doctors blindly providing patients with medical marijuana without first building up a detailed idea of their medical history and subsequently identifying a likely diagnosis that will be aided by the use of marijuana. Telemedicine allows medical practitioners to develop a relationship with patients who are incapacitated from the comfort of the patient’s home. With medical marijuana now legal to be prescribed via telemedicine, doctors are better able to serve their patients in a timely manner.

California’s medical board is certainly at the forefront of advancements in laws relevant to both medical marijuana and telemedicine, and they had this to say: “The initial examination for the condition for which marijuana is being recommended must be an appropriate prior examination and meet the standard of care. Telehealth, in compliance with Business and Professions Code section 2290.5, is a tool in the practice of medicine and does not change the standard of care.”

California is one state that has embraced the combination of legalized medical marijuana and telemedicine.

It may be surprising to some to learn that California is the only state where an explicitly positive policy regarding the use of telemedicine in conjunction with medical marijuana prescription has been laid out. This provides Californian doctors the ability to recommend medical marijuana via telemedicine without fear of losing their license to practice medicine or being sued.

So it’s clear to see that telemedicine is greatly impacted by the legalization of marijuana. With the legalization of marijuana, or any other drug, comes far more complexity in the laws and practice of telemedicine. As medical practitioners attempt to grapple with new laws and currently undefined ones in this relatively new and incredibly exciting area, there is likely to be some hesitance to go all in on telemedicine for fear of legal retribution. But as time goes on, the impressive efficacy and cost-effectiveness of telemedicine will ensure that the laws surrounding it will get properly defined, and that more and more health practitioners will feel comfortable exploring the myriad benefits this young form of medicine provides.

Telemedicine is an incredibly fast-growing industry that’s only going to expand further in the future. There are so many benefits to accessing health care through technology – everything from consulting with a specialist not geographically close to you, to getting a diagnosis through a video chat with your doctor. One of the fields where telemedicine is being used even more is related to medical marijuana. Even though recreational marijuana is now legally available in California, there are still tons of reasons to get a medical marijuana card. In addition to getting to avoid that pesky sales tax and having the opportunity to grow more plants, using telemedicine to get a medical marijuana card couldn’t be easier. The super-simple process means you can steer clear of doctor’s office waiting rooms and use online services, like MMJRecs, to get your cannabis card.

Clear-cut pricing

Using telemedicine to get a medical marijuana card means you won’t have to succumb to any of those hidden fees or increased prices that you might be stuck with going to a regular doctor’s office. When you use a site like MMJRecs, you’ll get straightforward prices with a flat rate. If you just need an MMJ recommendation from a doctor, you only pay $59. For the doctor’s recommendation and an ID card, it’ll run you $84. The best deal is the package option that includes the recommendation, ID card, and a grower’s permit for just $149. Plus, if you aren’t approved for an MMJ card, you have a 100% money-back guarantee!

Telemedicine is really revolutionizing the way MMJ patients access their treatment.

Easy-to-complete online forms

Going to a regular physician instead of using telemedicine to get a medical marijuana card can mean you have to fill out a bunch of forms about your health history and symptoms (not to mention all that other paperwork you have to complete any time you visit the doctor’s office). However, if you use telemedicine to obtain a cannabis card, you can simply fill out a quick and easy form online. You’ll be asked basic questions about your health condition and how using marijuana could help alleviate your symptoms. The forms don’t take long to complete, so you won’t be bogged down by paperwork.

Online doctor evaluations

It can be a stressful, time-consuming process to visit your doctor’s office. You have to make an appointment, coordinate transportation, and spend your valuable time in a waiting room. Using a site like MMJRecs means you can have a consultation with a licensed physician without ever leaving your home. They’re available round the clock, every day of the week. More than 420 doctors are selected from the California Medical Board Licensed Marijuana Doctors. The physicians are also all HIPAA (Health and Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)-compliant, so you can be sure your private and sensitive information stays that way. The physician will then look over your information with you on a video call (all 100% online) through your computer or on your smartphone – so you can even conduct the consultation while you’re on the go! Most of the evaluations end up taking less than 20 minutes from start to finish.

Instant email delivery of your recommendation

Once the doctor has discussed your medical needs, they’ll go over the benefits and risks of using marijuana products. If the physician believes it would be in your best interest to get a medical marijuana card, they’ll immediately email you a legal medical marijuana recommendation. You can instantly print it out and use it at most dispensaries and delivery services throughout the state. Just the day after, you’ll also be sent an official, embossed recommendation mailed to your home address (which serves as a valid form of documentation for your MMJ card).

Using telemedicine to get a medical marijuana card can help you save valuable cash.

Exclusive discounts and offers

After you receive your MMJ card, you can access exclusive discounts from the MMJRecs site, as well as medical marijuana dispensaries and online stores. These discounts (along with the savings you’ll get without paying sales tax on your products) can significantly help decrease your cannabis costs. If the dispensary of your choosing offers a rewards program, you should definitely sign up. They can offer deals or coupons (like a percentage off your first purchase) or even provide store credit bonuses. You could even earn rewards if you recommend other MMJ users to their store. These savings can help demonstrate how much more beneficial having an MMJ card can be versus just buying cannabis products for recreational use.

If you think your health could benefit from consuming medical marijuana, you can easily complete these simple steps, using telemedicine to get a medical marijuana card today.

Telemedicine is revolutionizing the way in which patients access health care – and this doesn’t just mean antibiotics and the contraceptive pill. Telemedicine is even educating patients who need medical marijuana, and as the market can be a bit of a jungle, it is even helping them find out which strain can treat their illnesses. The power of telemedicine is in education, so it’s not surprising that telemedicine and MMJ are being utilized together more and more.

Sadly, laws relating to medical marijuana vary across the United States. While marijuana is still an illegal drug at a federal level, some states have legalized it for use for medical reasons. Some states, such as California, have quite relaxed rules and others, like New York, are a bit stricter. As medical marijuana can treat several conditions, including but not limited to cancer, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety, depression, and multiple sclerosis, it is no wonder that it is being used more and more by patients who are looking for an alternative treatment to harsh pharmaceuticals.

Telemedicine is the use of telecommunications technology to deliver diagnostic or medical advice. While it has been in existence for nearly as long as telecommunications technology itself, it is experiencing a renaissance now thanks to the rise of smartphones. It is allowing patients to take control of their health care with affordable, flexible, and reliable health care on the go. It’s really no wonder that patients are now combining telemedicine and MMJ.

Telemedicine and MMJ combine perfectly to help patients access the treatment they need.

Before you embark on using telemedicine for medical marijuana, though, it’s very important to be aware of the laws in your state. For example, if you’re in California, you’re lucky enough to be able to get a general medical marijuana letter and you’ll be able to pick your own method and strain of medical marijuana. However, in other states, you may have to rely on your doctor to prescribe you a specific strain. Either way, patients can use telemedicine to decide which strain will be the best for their condition.

When using telemedicine, it is really easy for patients to access medical marijuana. Simply log on for a video consultation with a doctor who specializes in medical marijuana and they will discuss the best type of MMJ for you to take. This is where telemedicine can be very helpful to patients, as many doctors are not familiar with medical marijuana or are unwilling to prescribe it due to unfair stereotypes about its use. When you’ve had a discussion with your doctor via telemedicine, they will issue you with a medical marijuana letter, which can be used as a medical marijuana card. Then, depending on your state, you will be able to access the type of medication that you need to properly treat your illness.

Like any medication, different types of medical marijuana work differently for different conditions. To understand this, we must look at the makeup of marijuana as a drug. It can be made up of cannabidiol (CBD) or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or a combination of the two, alongside hundreds of other kinds of cannabinoids. The types of medical marijuana are so varied that using a doctor who is specialized in the area is essential in properly treating your condition.

Through telemedicine, it’s never been easier for your doctor to prescribe you the right strain and delivery method for your MMJ.

Certain strains are relaxing, which is perfect for people who suffer from anxiety, migraines, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia, amongst others. Other strains would be classed as more stimulatory, which can be useful in treating bipolar disorder, back pain, and ADHD. There is no perfect solution for any condition and a lot of work can go into experimentation with both strains and the ways in which they are delivered. If you are embarking on this kind of experimentation, the best thing to do is to maintain a constant dialogue with your doctor. This is where telemedicine and MMJ partner so well together. As telemedicine offers a flexible and adaptable way of seeing your doctor, you can check in with them from the comfort of your own home instead of dropping everything to attend an appointment that is hard to get and even harder to fit into your life.

Medical marijuana can be consumed via smoking, vaping, edibles, tinctures, and even lotions applied to the skin. This is just the tip of the iceberg. In discussion with your doctor, try each one out until you find something that works and that can fit in with your life. You want a treatment that works for you that you don’t have to make too many lifestyle changes for. For example, if your apartment bans smoking, there’s no point in treating your anxiety with an MMJ joint that needs to be smoked.

Telemedicine is changing the lives of all kinds of patients, but it is especially helpful for people who are seeking treatment that is not fully understood by the medical community at large. It allows specialist doctors to reach patients who really need help, so log on to a site like MMJRecs and meet a doctor who can help you change your life!

You may be unfamiliar with the concept of telemedicine, but it is changing the lives of patients the world over. With the advent of new and emerging technology, we are all carrying our lives in our pockets via our smartphones. They cover everything from banking, to contacts, to diaries. They are everything in a small device – and they now cover health care too. While you would traditionally visit a doctor in a clinic or a hospital, it is now easier than ever to access health care via the internet from the comfort of your own home through the medium of telemedicine.

What is telemedicine? Simply put, it is the delivery of medical advice and diagnoses to a patient via the means of telecommunications. It may seem a bit unorthodox, but the truth is that telemedicine is revolutionizing health care for all kinds of patients. Women can access a prescription to a contraceptive pill without leaving the house. Parents can get advice on how to treat their sick kids, knowing that they’re doing the right thing, and medical marijuana patients can easily access advice and treatment without fear of judgment.

It can be difficult for people who need medical marijuana to be able to access treatment. While 29 states in the USA have legalized the use of medical marijuana, each state has its own rules for eligibility and there is still considerable stigma surrounding the use of medical marijuana to legitimately treat various conditions, including multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and depression. It can be very difficult and intimidating for a patient to go into a doctor’s office and seek treatment with medical marijuana. Telemedicine can be a much easier and safer route for patients to get the treatment that they need.

MMJ patients have benefited in so many ways from the advent of telemedicine.

So how do you use telemedicine to access medical marijuana treatment? The good news is that it’s a really easy process. There are many medical professionals operating online who can offer you confidential medical advice and give you your medical marijuana card so that you can access the correct treatment. You simply log on to a registered and professional website like MMJ Recs, wait for a doctor to become available, and speak to them about your condition. If they think that you’re suitable for treatment, they will write a recommendation for you to get medical marijuana. The letter will be mailed to you, officially signed and stamped, and then you’ll be able to get the medication that you need.

Many patients who require access to medical marijuana have difficulty leaving the house due to a number of reasons. This could be agoraphobia and anxiety related to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or physical reasons relating to the severity of a condition such as Parkinson’s disease or ataxia. Patients like this may not always have access to a doctor who can provide home visits. In addition, home doctor’s visits are often more expensive than traditional clinic visits, so it can be problematic for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Telemedicine doctor’s appointments are usually even cheaper than going to visit a doctor in person, so are very suitable for people who may not have a lot of money but who need to visit a doctor frequently.

Now that telemedicine has come into play, it’s a much less stressful experience to consult with a doctor and obtain a medical marijuana card.

Depending on your state laws, there may be restrictions on the kind of medical marijuana that you can take. The best thing about telemedicine is that you’re not being rushed out of an office by a hassled doctor with a waiting room full of patients. You may have to pay a bit more for extra time, but a doctor who is working via telemedicine will not feel as pressured to rush you out and will be able to dedicate a little more time to answering any questions that you might have. They can guide you in relation to dispensaries if you are not familiar with the best way to purchase medical marijuana, and they can also tell you what strain of medical marijuana and which form to take it in is the best for you.

As marijuana is still illegal at a federal level, you will not get a medical marijuana prescription, but rather a recommendation. This is what you can bring to a dispensary in order to get your medical marijuana. Telemedicine is making medical marijuana patients’ lives far easier and has empowered them to be able to seek their own treatment that is the most appropriate for their illness. Telemedicine is easy and convenient, both for patients and medical professionals. There’s nothing better than knowing you’re carrying the best medical advice possible in your pocket and that you’re able to seek help whenever you need it.

Over the last decade or so, both telemedicine and medical cannabis have exploded in popularity and viability. To the average layperson, “telemedicine” and “medical marijuana” were relatively unknown terms until well into the noughties, but both are now buzzwords, firmly established in the lexicon and synonymous with forward-thinking, cutting-edge health care.

Telemedicine is the catch-all term for any patient/health care professional consultations done remotely using modern communications technology. Telemedicine has been made not only possible, but easy, by the advent of super-fast broadband and powerful smartphone and mobile device technology. Thanks to telemedicine, it is now possible to consult with a health care professional anywhere in the world in seconds from the comfort of your own home.

Medical cannabis has become the treatment du jour for many medical conditions. Its meteoric rise over the last decade has roughly (and coincidentally?) paralleled the rise of telemedicine over the last few years. Medical marijuana is now legal in almost half of US states. It is used to treat a wide range of conditions and symptoms, from chronic pain to insomnia to anxiety.

Telemedicine has made access to MMJ so much easier for so many patients.

The rise of telemedicine has obvious and massive advantages for medical cannabis patients. And the rise of medical marijuana has surely helped to facilitate and fuel the rise of telemedicine. In telemedicine and MMJ, we can witness two glorious (and initially separate) revolutions melding together and merging into one, big, beautiful “new world order.” Hallelujah!

Here are six ways that telemedicine has made medical marijuana patients’ lives a lot easier.

Telemedicine Does Away With the Need to Queue in the Doctor’s Waiting Room

Many people end up ill (or double-ill) as a result of the time they have to spend waiting in a germ-filled doctor’s waiting room. For many cannabis card-holding patients whose medical conditions may be chronic or psychological (and who may otherwise be totally healthy), catching a flu or stomach bug is hugely inconvenient, but thanks to telemedicine, it’s now also totally unnecessary. Doing your MMJ consultations via telemedicine means you can stay out of the doctor’s waiting room and away from the contagious germs of other people.

Telemedicine Allows Much Greater Choice of Which Doctor to Consult With

Not all physicians have cottoned on to the benefits of medical marijuana card usage. Some conservative “dinosaur doctors” still believe cannabis is for stoners and would rather prescribe liver-dissolving, depression-inducing, libido-sapping synthetic drugs to their patients instead of natural, healthy medical herb. If your local doctors are mostly of this ilk, telemedicine allows you to bypass them and connect with more forward-thinking physicians in cyberspace.

Telemedicine Provides Ease of Access For Patients Who Struggle With Mobility

For medical cannabis card holders who have conditions that involve chronic pain, stiffness, or a lack of mobility, or for patients who require the use of very strong, indica-dominant MMJ strains that result in “couch-lock,” getting to the doctor’s office can be very difficult. So for people in this situation, being able to consult with a doctor using telemedicine from the comfort of their own home is a godsend.

If you’re a medical marijuana patient, you’ll experience a whole range of benefits due to the rise of telemedicine.

Telemedicine Means Massive Time Savings

Many medical marijuana card holders lead hectic and busy lives, juggling young families with high-octane careers that require a ton of time, energy, and dedication. For these folks, time is an extremely rare and valuable resource. Wherever they can save time they will, and telemedicine allows them to do this in a big way by avoiding the hour-munching chore of driving to the doctor’s office, twiddling their thumbs in the waiting room queue, and then making small talk with their dithering old family doctor – and all of this before finally getting down to business! A telemedicine consultation is much faster than a conventional, in-person consultation, and so it can save a patient with a hectic schedule valuable time.

Telemedicine is Best For Emergency Prescriptions

There is nothing worse than running out of MMJ at an inopportune time (over the holidays, for example). If you need an MMJ prescription in a hurry, or at a time when the local doctor’s office is closed, then the best way to do this is to use telemedicine. Using telemedicine, you can consult with a physician at any time of the day or night and get that valuable prescription you need. Unfortunately this does not guarantee that the local dispensary will be open, but at least you’re halfway there!

Telemedicine is Ideal For Patients Who Live in a Remote Location

For cannabis card patients who live in the wilderness, far from any doctor’s office, telemedicine makes life a heck of a lot easier. Consulting with a physician via smartphone from the comfort of your own Appalachian log cabin is so much easier than jumping into your jeep (or two-seater seaplane) and making the long trek to the nearest urban settlement to consult with a doc face to face!

Twenty years after California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana, a further vote was passed that permits the recreational use of marijuana in the state for any adult over the age of 21. Proposition 64 comes into effect from January 2018.

People currently in possession of a cannabis card are genuinely concerned that their own particular needs might now be overlooked and that the recreational use of marijuana will give it a bad name, thereby making it more difficult for patients to access and consume. They wonder how their rights will be affected and if, indeed, they will still need a California medical marijuana card. There is still a lot of uncertainty as to how this new law will play out – especially as each locality has the right to set its own rules.

We firmly believe that medical marijuana is here to stay and that it’s vital that you hang on to your cannabis card and renew it annually as required. With your card, you will always have access to the marijuana that helps your own particular condition, and access also to help and advice. Recreational use of the drug is something entirely different.

Even with recreational marijuana legalized in California, medical marijuana is here to stay.

Another reason why we believe it’s essential for you to hold onto your card, or to apply for a medical marijuana card online if you don’t already have one, is that recreational use will not be allowed in public. Card-carrying medical marijuana patients, however, are currently permitted and will continue to be permitted to smoke medical marijuana in most places where tobacco smoking is allowed. Furthermore, recreational users will be limited to growing just six marijuana plants at a time on their property, whereas cannabis card holders will still be able to cultivate up to 100 square feet of the plant.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, if you’re a card holder, you will always have access to medical experts to discuss the best dosage and strain for you and to contact for advice.

This is where telemedicine really comes into its own for medical marijuana patients. You may not realize that you’re actually using telemedicine in your lives at the moment! A short chat with your doctor or specialist on the phone, or your X-rays or scans being transmitted from the hospital to your doctor, are just two examples of how telemedicine is being used today.

If you are already in possession of a medical marijuana card, then one way that advances in telemedicine could work for you is that you could arrange a Skype call with your doctor rather than seeing him or her in person. You might not feel like leaving the house, or maybe the thought of sitting in a waiting room with a lot of people freaks you out – so to be able to speak to your doctor privately, but still face-to-face, without leaving your home has got to be attractive. If your doctor is flexible, he/she can schedule this call at a time to suit you.

Another obvious way you could use telemedicine is simply by phoning in your medical marijuana order to your local registered dispensary and arranging to pick it up at your convenience. It will be ready for you, so there’ll be no hanging around or waiting in line.

Telemedicine can help you procure a medical marijuana card stress-free.

If you don’t already possess a cannabis card and feel that you would qualify for one, then the best way to acquire one is to apply for a medical marijuana card online, via MMJ Recs. Application is made easy, thanks to telemedicine! You simply have to complete a standard medical form online and upload your relevant medical documents. You will then be contacted by a medical marijuana specialist, who will carry out an evaluation – either over the phone or via Skype. The physician will ask you questions about your condition and medical history and will also want to know why you think taking medical marijuana will help you. You will be advised as to the best strain and the appropriate amount for your condition and all benefits and associated risks will be made clear to you. You will also have the opportunity to ask any questions you wish. This private, one-to-one consultation is very reassuring and non-threatening. Once approved, your medical marijuana card will be sent to you in the mail. No doubt, in the not-too-distant future, such will be the advances in telemedicine that a card will be dispatched to you electronically!

It’s clear to the relevant experts that medical marijuana is definitely here to stay, despite the new legislation. It is to your advantage to have and to hold onto your cannabis card. Telemedicine plays a vital role in the application mechanism, streamlining the process and making it easier for you to deal with if you can’t face leaving the house or being in a public area with other people. Once you have your card, you can still access the various professionals via phone or Skype for advice or to place an order.

The rapid and on-going advances in telemedicine are only going to help medical marijuana card holders further, as they enable more and more things to be done remotely rather than in a person-to-person situation. Watch this space!