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A certifying physician is now able to recommend medical cannabis for any 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.
Becoming a certifying physician with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) is completely risk-free. According to federal constitutional law, consultations between certifying physicians and qualifying patients are protected from both federal and state prosecutions.
We will guide the physicians through the registration process with MMCC to become a certifying physician. There is absolutely no cost associated with the registration.
Providing medical cannabis consultation services to qualifying patients is a great opportunity for certifying physicians to generate additional revenue. Recommending medical cannabis will also help certifying physicians in expanding their business and increasing their patient volume.
As per federal constitutional law, doctor-patient consultations are absolutely protected from federal or state interference or punishment as a matter of the fundamental right to free speech.
We will provide full advertising services free of cost. Our advertising services will include building public relations to gain recognition, implementing effective social media strategies to maximize outreach, and promoting medical cannabis consultation services to increase patient flow.
We will guide patients through the registration process with MMCC to issue their 25-digit ID registration number. (Patients must have their 25-digit ID registration number prior to consulting a certifying physician.)
We will provide full marketing services free of cost. Our marketing services will include producing various marketing materials and digital content. The informational marketing materials will help to educate patients about the medical cannabis consultation services.
We will work with the physicians and their office staff to promptly coordinate appointments for qualifying patients to receive a medical cannabis consultation.
Yes. A federal appellate court, in a ruling left standing by the Supreme Court in 2002, enjoined the federal government from either revoking a physician's license to prescribe controlled substances or conducting an investigation of a physician that might lead to such revocation, where the basis for the government's action is solely the physician's professional recommendations of the use of medical marijuana. - Conant v. Walters, 309 F. 3d 629, 633-634 (9 Cir. 2002), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 946 (2003).
As per federal constitutional law, doctor-patient consultations are absolutely protected from federal or state interference or punishment as a matter of the fundamental right to free speech.
A physician's professional obligations to prospective medical cannabis patients are not different from those for any other patient. A physician is not required to qualify a patient for medical cannabis. The physician is expected to assess a patient's medical history and medical condition, and recommend treatment that they think is appropriate.
Physicians must register in the Physician's Registry on the Commission's website and renew every two years.Physicians who register are called "certifying physicians" because they can issue written certifications to their patients to obtain and use medical cannabis.You will need to specify the conditions or diseases that you plan to treat, and any criteria for including or excluding patients.
You and the patient must have a "bona fide physician-patient relationship." The patient's condition must be severe, other medical treatments have been ineffective, and the symptoms reasonably can be expected to be relieved by the medical use of cannabis.
Maryland law defines this term. Essentially it is a treatment or counseling relationship between a physician and patient in which the physician reviews the patient's relevant medical records, completes an in person assessment of the patient's medical history and current medical condition, creates and maintains medically standardized records, expects to monitor patient program and takes any medically indicated action to follow up.
Yes, if the patient has a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that results in being admitted into hospice or receiving palliative care.
If the patient has a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that causes (or is receiving treatment for a chronic or debilitating disease or medication condition that causes): cachexia, anorexia, wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe or persistent muscle spasms.
If the patient has glaucoma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Once you determine that your patient`s treatment, disease, or medical condition qualifies him or her for medical cannabis, you or your staff will go to the Commission website to issue your patient a "written certification."
Patient name, address, date of birth, physician's name, the date of patient qualification, and medical condition(s).
A Physician should direct a patient to follow-up as you think is medically appropriate.
At minimum, the physician must perform an in-person, evaluation once every 365 days, with additional evaluation to be performed at the discretion of the physician, to continue to issue a written certification to the patient.
Yes, a physician may amend or revoke a certification on any medical grounds or if the patient no longer meets the physician's inclusion criteria or the patient now meets the physician's exclusion criteria.
Two examples of exclusion criteria are that the physician suspects that the patient is abusing cannabis or the patient is diverting cannabis to others.
At this time, the Commission does not have plans to post a list of certifying physicians to the website.
Yes, the MMCC database system links the physician and patient registries through the written certifications. Each patient may only have one written certification and one certifying physician at a time. After 30 days, a patient may seek renewal of the written certification; the renewal certification supersedes the previous written certification. A certifying physician may terminate a written certification.
A physician must be registered as a certifying physician before providing a qualifying patient with a written certification. The process for a physician registering with MMCC as a certifying physician can be accomplished online in a matter of minutes. The physician will be asked to complete an online application with basic information, including name, social security number, business address, email address, telephone number, Maryland Board of Physician (MBP) license number, and controlled dangerous substance (CDS) permit number. The MMCC database system will immediately verify the information submitted and, if the application is complete and the data matches the MBP and CDS records, an email will be sent to the physician. Once the physician responds to the email, the registration process is complete.
Yes, the patient must submit an application to MMCC in order to register before a physician can provide a written certification for the patient. The application process to register with MMCC can be completed online. The patient must provide basic information, including name, address, date of birth, an image of a government ID, and a recent picture for ID purposes. MMCC staff will review the application and notify the patient of their unique 25-digit ID registration number
Thousands of doctors around the nation have been writing recommendations to their patients to use medical cannabis pursuant to state laws since 1996, and have not been prosecuted. Beginning in 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice directed federal prosecutors not to prosecute physicians and patients who were complying with state law. In addition, in December 2014, Congress specifically barred the Department of Justice from spending any funds that interfere in the implementation of various states medical cannabis programs, and specifically included Maryland. Finally, in the only ruling by a high-level federal court regarding physicians recommending medical use of cannabis, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed an injunction blocking the government from interfering with the First Amendment rights of doctors and patients to speak to each other about medical cannabis, and for a doctor to recommend medical cannabis to their patient.
One obvious reason that the physician may deny issuing a written certification is that the condition with which the patient presents is outside the field of practice and specialty of the physician. A reason that a physician may specify as an exclusion criterion, and terminate a written certification is that the physician has, in the course of his education and research, determined that the patient is not an appropriate patient for medical cannabis. A physician is free to define his or her exclusion criteria as narrowly or broadly as they think may be appropriate for their practice.
No, the MBOP cannot take any such action and is prohibited by law from doing so as long as the certifying physician is practicing with the parameters outlined under the State's Medical Cannabis Program.
