With Tennessee recently passing HB0490, residents of the Volunteer state will soon be able to register as medical cannabis patients and purchase medicinal cannabis in Tennessee.
As of right now, Tennessee is currently implementing the infrastructure, rules, and regulations behind medical cannabis, which can take some time to get up and running successfully. Once Tennessee rolls out the official MMJ program, patients will be registering with the state and getting medical marijuana cards.
Many are wondering who will qualify for medical marijuana in Tennessee, and in this article we’ll cover everything you need to know about qualifying for medical cannabis in Tennessee!
Who Will Qualify for Medical Cannabis in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, patients will be required to register with the state as having been diagnosed with one of the following conditions:
· Alzheimer's disease
· Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
· Cancer, when such disease is diagnosed as end stage or the treatment produces related wasting illness, recalcitrant nausea and vomiting, or pain
· Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
· Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
· Multiple sclerosis
· Parkinson's disease
· Sickle cell disease
Patients suffering from one of these conditions will need to be diagnosed by a medical doctor with a special consideration for medical cannabis that will expire and can be renewed every 6 months. Once they are registered with the state, Tennessee patients will have access to low-THC oil with less than 0.9% THC.
While this is a small and somewhat restrictive list, it would not be surprising to see Tennessee add more conditions, as the creation of the medical cannabis commission alongside the MMJ program in Tennessee is designed to research and understand the intricacies of medical cannabis in order to implement them locally.
Tennessee Cannabis Commission – Providing Answers, or More Questions?
As local officials become more educated on medical cannabis, it is likely they will catch up to the widely accepted view of cannabis as a medicine that has been understood by the greater medical and scientific community for quite some time.
It is largely accepted that cannabis is an effective medicine with a long list of applications for many different health conditions, regardless of whether they are on Tennessee’s small list of conditions or not.
Taking a look at all of the approved medical conditions for cannabis in the United States alone, many states have far more ailments that qualify for access to medical marijuana, often including chronic or intractable pain, migraines, and sleeping disorders, all of which are problems that cannabis is known to help with.
While Tennessee is trying to land on the right side of history with medical cannabis, it’s important to keep patients in mind at every step of the legislative process, and often it’s critical to the implementation of a medical cannabis program.
Medical Cannabis Across the Country
For example, Arkansas patients have a longer list of conditions that are accepted, but they experience price gouging due to the monopoly on dispensaries and cultivators which are limited by the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission in the state.
In contrast, Oklahoma has nearly 2,200 more dispensaries than Arkansas, a longer list of conditions than Tennessee, a higher weekly allotment for possession, and their prices are some of the lowest in the south.
The Future of Tennessee Cannabis
There’s a right way to build a medical marijuana program and a wrong way. For Tennessee lawmakers, that means paying attention to what’s already been going on in the states around them and implementing rules that favor patients, not profits.
As we’ve seen with medical cannabis programs across the United States, creating a medical marijuana program that focuses on treating and managing illness is the single most important factor for states looking to legalize.
If the new Tennessee Marijuana Commission takes a compassionate approach towards people who are looking for a natural alternative to help improve the quality of their lives, residents of the Volunteer state will be able to proudly stand behind an impressive accomplishment in the history of cannabis legalization.
Become a Tennessee Cannabis Patient
Qualifying Tennessee patients will soon be able to meet with one of our certified physicians and get approved for medical cannabis treatment.
Reserve an appointment today and get $25 off when the state starts processing applications!
We’re dedicated to helping patients every step of the way, feel free to give us a call at 844-249-8714, and we can answer your questions about getting medical cannabis in Tennessee.
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