Are you interested Maryland or Delaware medical marijuana telemedicine, but not sure how to go about the process of getting certified over the phone? Well, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission and the State of Delaware recently changed its guidelines to allow telehealth for medical cannabis patients.
At Green Relief Health we are committed to making your medical cannabis certification process as easy as possible and this includes Maryland or Delaware medical marijuana telemedicine services.
Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Allowing Telemedicine
Because of COVID-19, on April 7, 2020, Bulletin 2020-011 went into effect from the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission. This emergency order is temporarily allowing Maryland medical marijuana patients to complete the medical cannabis certification process through telemedicine. This means patients can be certified or re-certified by their medical marijuana doctor without having to leave home.
The emergency order is currently only good while the COVID-19 State of Emergency exists in Maryland. This does not mean that it would not be allowed to continue to happen in the future, but the declaration would either must be extended or current guidelines would need to be changed.
Delaware Medical Marijuana Telemedicine
On June 23, 2021, Delaware Governor John Carney signed the Telehealth Access Preservation and Modernization Act of 2021 into law. This legislation
allows the first-time encounter to establish the provider-patient relationship to occur via telehealth. This means that Delaware residents can access medical cannabis certifications via telemedicine.
How Does Maryland Or Delaware Medical Marijuana Telemedicine Work?
A medical cannabis certification or re-certification through telemedicine is going to be like an in-office certification in many ways. A certified provider will still need to see you to assess your ability to access medical marijuana, but they will not see you in person. Instead, they will see you right over the phone or through a computer using one of many different telemedicine apps like Zoom.
To be clear, Maryland and Delaware medical marijuana telemedicine does not include for health care services solely through audio only calls, e-mail messages, SMS or text messages, or facsimile transmissions. Basically, this means that even though you are not there in person your medical cannabis provider still needs to be able to see you virtually.
What Will You Need For A Maryland Or Delaware Medical Marijuana Certification?
Your medical marijuana doctor will need several things to successfully complete your medical cannabis certification or re-certification. The first thing you will need to do is establish that you are a resident of the state of Maryland or Delaware. There are several ways that you can do this, but the easiest way is to either have a Maryland or Delaware driver’s license or Maryland or Delaware state ID.
Medical Records
In addition to showing that you are a resident of the state of Maryland or Delaware, you will also need to be able to provide medical records to establish your qualifying condition to access medical cannabis. There are several conditions that qualify you for medical cannabis and they include the following:
- Cachexia
- Anorexia
- Wasting syndrome
- Severe pain
- Severe nausea
- Seizures
- Severe or persistent muscle spasms
- Glaucoma
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Chronic pain
Individuals may also qualify for a condition that is severe, for which other medical treatments have been ineffective, and if the symptoms “reasonably can be expected to be relieved” by the medical use of cannabis. And they are also eligible if their condition is a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that results in a patient being admitted into hospice or receiving palliative care.
Before your Maryland or Delaware medical marijuana telemedicine appointment your medical cannabis provider will need to review your medical records to confirm that you do in fact have a qualifying condition that meets the state’s criteria.
Doctor-Patient Relationship
Maryland and Delaware laws requires that you have a legitimate doctor-patient relationship with your medical marijuana certifying provider. This rule does not change whether you are visiting your provider in-person or through telemedicine. This means your provider needs to do a few things to establish this relationship. First, they need to complete an assessment of the patient’s medical history and current medical condition. This is done in part by you providing your medical records and it is also done by you completing a medical intake form for your provider.
Your provider also needs to create and maintain records of your condition in accord with medically accepted standards. Essentially, this means they need to document your condition and do this in a HIPPA compliant way. When a doctor’s office completes a Maryland or Delaware medical marijuana telemedicine evaluation in a HIPPA compliant way it means that they are ensuring that all your medical information is kept confidential.
Benefits of Telemedicine
Medical marijuana telemedicine is a solution designed specifically to cater to patients living in isolated and remote regions or medically underserved communities, as well as patients who are bed-ridden, or are too ill to travel. Telemedicine is also, the perfect platform for patients looking for the quickest, simplest, and most convenient way, to obtain a cannabis certification.
In addition, in the current COVID-19 environment telemedicine provides a safe and effective way for you to receive your medical cannabis certification right from home.
Final Thoughts
Maryland and Delaware medical marijuana telemedicine is a convenient and effective option for many to access the medical cannabis products they need. If done properly, it provides a highly confidential and secure way for doctors and patients to complete the medical cannabis certification process. Like anything else, though, you want to do your research before you just go to the first doctor’s office you see advertising telemedicine. You should verify that the person is a medical cannabis certifying provider and that they have training in cannabis to answer any questions you may have.
You also should ensure that they are doing telemedicine in a HIPPA compliant way. It is your medical records and information and you want to ensure that no one has access to this confidential information. And you want to make sure there are not any hidden fees or added costs to complete your certification through telemedicine. Unfortunately, there are providers that are charging extra fees for this service without some patients even realizing it. Any reputable medical cannabis certification practice should tell you what the costs are right up front, so you are not surprised by any charges you were not expecting.
Your medical cannabis card certification process is no different than any other healthcare decision you make. You want to ensure that your telemedicine experience is easy and done right. So, just like when you go see any other doctor for the first time do your research before you simply show up to any person with a medical cannabis certification office sign.
