Are you curious about how to get a medical marijuana card in QLD? What about in NSW? Or VIC?
A medical marijuana card is a concept borrowed from places like the United States. In Australia, an official medical marijuana card doesn’t exist however clinics like alternaleaf offer you a medical marijuana patient card.
The alternaleaf patient card confirms you are an approved and legal medical cannabis patient.
How Do I Get a Medical Marijuana Patient Card?
The first step to get a medical cannabis card in NSW, QLD, VIC or wherever you live, is to see if you are eligible for medical cannabis and set up a consultation with a medical cannabis doctor.
In this guide, you’ll learn what happens from start to finish during the consultation process for online cannabis clinics like alternaleaf. We offer quick, easy, and virtual guidance on your journey towards medical cannabis in QLD and elsewhere in Australia.
What Happens During a Patient Consultation?
The first step in the medical cannabis consultation process is a pre-screening questionnaire consisting mostly of yes or no questions. This will quickly ensure your overall eligibility.
If you are considered suitable, you will then have the opportunity to schedule an appointment with the Patient Care Team at alternaleaf. You’ll complete an online form covering your medical history. If you have concerns, don’t worry, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss with our team.
After that, you’ll have a 20-minute pre-consultation with a registered nurse, who will ask you about your medical history and why you want to get a medical marijuana card in QLD, NSW, VIC or anywhere in between.
The goal is to get a holistic picture of your needs, so they’ll ask about different aspects of your life and gather information about your medical history.
Finally, you’ll have a consultation with the prescribing doctor, who will review your background and ask any follow-up questions. The doctor ensures cannabis is a good fit for your needs and then develops your personalised medical cannabis prescription. You can be open in your consultations, the doctors are here to help.
How Is My Eligibility Confirmed?
While medical cannabis is legal in Australia, the TGA requires patients to meet a set of specific criteria.
During your consultation, we’ll ask several questions to help determine your eligibility.
Do you have a chronic medical condition, and have you experienced symptoms for three or more months?
What other (if any) treatments have you tried for this medical condition?
Have these treatments provided relief of symptoms?
Of course, these aren’t just yes and no questions. During the call, we go into a bit more detail on your history with the condition in question as well as all previous treatments.
Many people assume that they have to exhaust all other treatment options before exploring medical cannabis. But, while the TGA does require that patients have tried other treatments, you don’t necessarily have to exhaust every single one of them.
We will talk to you about past treatments (pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical) and why your experience has made you feel they weren’t a good fit.
What If I Already Have Experience With Cannabis?
It’s no secret that cannabis has been available on the streets in Australia for a long time. However, you may find your experience with illegal marijuana is entirely different from legal medical marijuana.
Legal medical cannabis is produced with medicinal characteristics as the driving mandate. That means a focus on specific cannabinoid and terpenes profiles and the development of formats that work for every patient.
For example, not everyone wants to inhale their medicine. Many patients prefer legally produced capsules, oils, and other ingestible products instead of traditional flower.
What’s more, legal, medical cannabis prescriptions go through rigorous testing to confirm every flower, every capsule, and every container is free from contamination, mould, or lingering solvent residues. Not to mention that you’ll know precisely what every prescription contains, with specific amounts of THC and CBD.
Since street weed is not tested or controlled, you never know what could be found within it.
What Can I Expect in a Follow-up Consultation?
At alternaleaf, your treatment doesn’t end with the initial consultation. Usually, we like to schedule a follow-up consultation about six to eight weeks after you receive your medical cannabis prescription.
The goal of the follow-up is to see how cannabis has helped you manage your symptoms. Your practitioner may ask which products are working the best for you and, if needed, make a change in the products you’re prescribed.
Because the goal of treatment with medical cannabis is holistic, you may again be asked about sleeping habits, mood changes, overall health and wellness, and symptom relief. Our Patient Care Team is available should you have questions about your experience with cannabis or need to work out a new dose or product.
How To Get a Medical Marijuana Card in QLD, NSW, or VIC
If you’ve determined that getting a medical marijuana patient card is something you are curious about, the next step is to get in touch with alternaleaf.
Book a consultation today, and we will be happy to answer any questions and connect you with a medical cannabis doctor.