How Medical Cannabis Therapy Helps
Medical Cannabis offers a wide array of healing compounds that help a variety of health conditions.
In addition to being an excellent mood stabilizer, cannabis can also help prevent seizures and manic episodes, relieve chronic pain, migraine headaches, and possess anti-inflammatory properties that can treat issues like depression and anxiety.
The human body creates its version of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, called endocannabinoids. There are cannabinoid receptors in various parts of your body that are part of the endocannabinoid system. This system is involved in multiple processes like mood, memory, pain, sensory, and appetite.
By introducing cannabis to the system, THC will bind to these receptors, activating neurons in your brain and throughout the body, helping regulate things from mood to pain to appetite.
Cannabis Certification Process
Before engaging with us for Medical Cannabis therapy, our patients must first go through a certification process to ensure they are eligible for our services.
1. Eligibility Confirmation
First, we discuss your qualifying health condition and symptoms to determine if medical cannabis is the best treatment course for your needs. Please note, insurance companies do not participate in the process of medical cannabis certification, therefore to certify for use, our practice requires an out-of-pocket expense for your eligibility confirmation.
If you do not qualify for medical cannabis use, we will waive this fee.
2. Evaluation
Our board-certified psychiatrists review your medical history and medications to ensure your prescribed treatment does not conflict with cannabis use. As a comprehensive clinic, we offer follow-up support (qualifies for insurance coverage), including personalized dosage guidance and a review of how cannabinoids interact with your overall care.
3. Registration
Once considered medically eligible, you can create an account with the Hawaii State Department of Health as part of their Medical Cannabis Registry Program. They will issue your 329 Registration Card for use at a state-licensed dispensary.