Washington State law (RCW: 69.51A) allows physicians to recommend marijuana as medicine for patients who suffer from conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or other seizure disorders, spasticity disorders and intractable pain, which standard medical treatments failed to relieve. Other conditions include Glaucoma, Crohn's Disease, Hepatitis C, anorexia and any other condition resulting in nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, drastic weight loss, cramping, seizures and/or muscle spasms, resistant to conventional medical treatments.

A recommendation for the use of medical marijuana is not a prescription, but simply a doctor's medical opinion. In September of 2000, a federal judge ruled that the Department of Justice is permanently prohibited from revoking a doctor's license "...merely because the doctor recommends medical marijuana to a patient, based on a sincere medical judgment, and from initiating any investigation solely on that ground." (Conant, et. al vs. McCaffrey, C97-00139WHA1998)

Doctors are also protected under Washington State law: "Physicians shall also be excepted from liability and prosecution for the authorization of marijuana us to qualifying patients, for whom, in the physician's professional opinion, medical marijuana may prove beneficial."

Physicians are allowed to advise their patients about the risks and benefits of using medical marijuana, and may provide a qualifying patient with appropriate medical documentation.

However, doctors are not required to recommend marijuana. To communicate effectively, a qualifying patient must understand the WA State Law and science supporting the use of medical marijuana.

Know Your Illness

Some medical practices require more than just a qualified diagnosis to recommend marijuana. In some cases, medical institutions require a documented health risk, such as a measurable degree of weight loss, or patient's ability to demonstrate that standard treatments have failed, before medical marijuana can be recommended. A written journal of symptoms and the effects of cannabis treatments over time might help fulfill such requirements. But make your points short and simple. Physicians are very busy and appreciate patients who come prepared and save them time with well-organized communication.

Understand Your Using Pattern

In order for your doctor to understand the benefits of medical marijuana, you must have a good understanding of your illness and you must also know exactly how marijuana helps you. Physicians consider symptoms of an illness, and not just the illness itself, before recommending medical marijuana. Tell your doctor exactly how much marijuana you use, and how it alleviates your symptoms. Be honest about any positive ot negative effects of marijuana in your personal case. Your physician needs to know that you have a mature and realistic view of the risks and benefits of this controversial herbal medicine.

The Health Risk of Jail

Not only is marijuana one of the safest medicines in use today, it is also the only medicine that works for many people with terminal or debilitating conditions. However, decades of negative publicity generated by the US government may still affect the opinions of some doctors. Persuasive arguments can be crucial. One patient changed his doctor's mind by pointing out that marijuana was the only medicine that allowed him to keep down his other medicines, so he could not stop using it. But if he went to jail for using marijuana without a physician's recommendation, he would be locked up without access to any type of medicine at all! In that case, the doctor had to agree, the benefits outweighed the risks.

Valid Documentation

According to the Washington State Medical Use of Marijuana Act, "Valid documentation means a statement signed by a qualifying patient's physician, or a copy of the qualifying patient's medical records, which states that, in the physician's professional opinion, the potential benefits of the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for a particular qualifying patient; and Proof of Identity, such as a Washington state driver's license or identicard, as defined in RCW 46.20.035."

Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) has a standard medical marijuana recommendation form you need your doctor to fill out. And remember that personal medical information is not "valid documentation" under the law. Without valid documentation, you could end up in jail for possession.

Conclusion

Your doctor cares about your health. But even well-meaning physicians may not approve of medical marijuana for many different reasons. It may be that a physician would like to make a recommendation, but cannot. Doctors who are attached to major medical institutions are also attached to administrations that depend on federal funding – many of those well-established doctors have been ordered to refrain from recommending marijuana for medical use under any circumstances.

If there is no possibility of convincing your doctor that marijuana is a necessary part of your medical therapy, you might consider finding another physician whose practice is not so large and/or structured by a major medical institution. Dedicated physicians at small medical clinics are often more likely to put patient's health and medical rights ahead of institutional and financial concerns.

Still Having Difficulty?

If after following these suggestions you are still having a hard time finding a doctor who is open to recommending medical marijuana, you may be able to find further help from the Seattle-based Clinic, Compassion in Action/Green Cross, staffed with several prominent MDs. It is a reliable resource for locating a physician to recommend medical marijuana. Call 206-324-6602 for an appointment.

Last but not least, the new SB-5798 is now law, making it it easier for qualified patients to obtain a recommendation for medical marijuana.