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Step by step: This is how a medical cannabis license is issued
About 100,000 Israelis use medical cannabis to deal with various health problems, but quite a few people avoid this effective solution because of the tedious process of obtaining a license.
But that does not have to be the case - here's all you need to know to get a medical cannabis license
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Cannabis
Medical Cannabis
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health
Monday, 16 August 2021, 09:15
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Medical cannabis has been known for quite a few years as an effective solution to various medical problems, and yet many people refrain from using it due to the perception that it is almost impossible to get approval from the Ministry of Health.
True, the road to obtaining a medical cannabis license is not always short, and not everyone is eligible for the required permit, but there is a way to make it smarter and more effective.
Dr. Michael Dor - Administrative and General Practitioner at ecocann and former Chief Physician of the Medical Cannabis Unit (HQR) at the Ministry of Health - explains step by step everything you need to know about issuing a cannabis license.
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To the full article
Who is eligible for a medical cannabis license?
1. Oncology patients:
About 20 percent of medical cannabis patients are oncology patients.
Cannabis does not cure cancer (although there are studies that target the effect of cannabis even on cancerous diseases), but rather alleviates the side effects of the treatments and the disease.
2. Pain patients:
About 50 percent of medical cannabis patients are patients with chronic pain.
Cannabis does not cure much of the diseases it treats, but gives significant help in relieving the patient's suffering, and allows a return to a normal life.
Cannabis does not cure, but it greatly alleviates the suffering of patients and the side effects of various diseases and treatments.
Medical cannabis (Photo: Reuven Castro)
3. Rheumatic diseases:
Diseases in which the body attacks itself, such as arthritis.
Cannabis reduces the symptoms of the disease, relieves the person and allows function.
4. Neurological diseases:
such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, tort or epilepsy.
Here, too, it is important to make it clear that this is a relief of symptoms, not a treatment.
5. Post-trauma:
Post-trauma cannabis treatment also refers to family trauma and accidents.
6. Digestive patients:
Diseases such as Crohn's and colitis.
In these cases, cannabis improves the quality of life of patients - they eat better and gain weight.
There is no evidence of a cure, but the person feels much better.
7. Epilepsy in children:
A high percentage of children treated with cannabis suffer from constant cramps, which the cannabis soothes.
Cannabis does not cure, and on the day you do not receive the treatment, seizures may return.
8. Autism:
Giving cannabis improves conduct (only when giving treatment).
Which doctor should I go to for medical cannabis approval?
The position of the Ministry of Health is that the treatment should be given by a doctor who knows the patient and follows him, and not by a doctor whose job is only to distribute cannabis.
Therefore, you should contact the specialist doctor who treats you regularly, he will be the one to give the recommendation for approval of the treatment.
The pharmacist should explain to the patient how to use it.
Pharmacist supplies medical cannabis (Photo: Flash 90, Hadas Porush, Flash 90)
In everyday reality, not all doctors work with cannabis - so it's a little more complex.
Today, it is estimated that there are close to 10,000 doctors who use cannabis as part of their treatment of patients.
If your doctor recommends treatment, you can simply go to a doctor who has the authority to sign a cannabis license.
The full list of doctors appears on the website of the Ministry of Health.
Do you need special documents before going to the doctor to ask for cannabis?
When the patient goes to the specialist doctor who treats him, the doctor fills out a form found on the Ministry of Health website (application form / recommendation for cannabis treatment).
To this form, the patient should attach a summary of medical information from the family physician and a medication dispensing report for the past one-two years, to prove that there were previous treatments prior to the cannabis application.
In cases where there is a history of mental problems or mental illness, a psychiatric opinion that allows cannabis treatment must also be attached.
All of these, the patient or the clinic are sent to the LKR at the Ministry of Health, and at this stage they receive a license and a referral to a pharmacy.
Where do you buy medical cannabis and how much does it cost?
After receiving the permit - where do you buy medical cannabis?
After receiving approval, the patient goes to the pharmacy independently, and here the instruction for use is very important.
The pharmacist is supposed to explain to the patient how to use, and in many cases - nurses perform the instruction.
The purchase is made in pharmacies with special permission - the list of pharmacies can be found on the Ministry of Health website.
How much does it cost?
According to the government's decision, it was determined that the process would be carried out in public institutions only, and the committee set a tariff of NIS 287.
Over the years, due to problems in the process, many licensed doctors have started working privately and charging higher amounts, and unfortunately this is not monitored.
And if the doctor does not approve?
If there is a recommendation from a doctor and the Ministry of Health has not approved - the patient has the right to appeal.
The appeal is being made in the KKR.
One of the parameters that the doctor prescribes is through the administration of cannabis - smoking, oil or evaporation.
Medical cannabis (Photo: Reuven Castro)
Are there different types of licenses for medical cannabis?
The nature of the license is determined on the basis of a number of parameters, determined by the attending physician:
1. Combination of THC and CBD - When the physician recommends the use of cannabis he indicates the percentages of THC and CBD that the patient desires
2. Through waiting (smoking, oil, evaporation)
3. Monthly quantity
4. For how many months the prescription is valid - the maximum is for year
5. Upon receipt of the license, "delivery orders" will be provided, which are equivalent to a prescription with a monthly validity.
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Who can I consult about side effects or concerns about use?
At the beginning of medical cannabis use there are quite a few questions, and as with any health issue, it is best to consult professionals.
On the social network EcoCaNN you can consult anonymously with professionals who specialize in the field, and get an answer to any question.
You can also consult with people who are in a situation similar to yours, and use their knowledge.
To download the iPhone application, click here and
Android - here
How long is the certificate valid?
Between half a year and a year, on the recommendation of the attending physician
who can renew the prescription?
Only the doctor who recommended, after examining the effects of treatment on the patient.
Is this license also valid abroad?
No. The Israeli license is not valid abroad and therefore it is forbidden to fly abroad with medical cannabis.
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