When I visit marijuana dispensaries, can I bring my friend who doesn't have a recommendation? Or does he have to wait outside? (Cali)?
This is a state specific question. Answer will vary by jurisdiction. It depends on the SOP's of the company. You can't purchase medicine without a card. CA dispensaries, to prevent any confusion, won't even let you up to the counter without one. Same in CO, even though they have visitor protocols. However, in CA, you can list another person as your caregiver. If you place this person on your recommendation as the one who is legally allowed to purchase for you, then he can join you to assist with your purchase, or even purchase for you if you are not there due to said illness. In theory, your caregiver would never consume your meds, just like when your grandma asks you to grab her prescription from Walgreens, you're not entitled to two pills from each bottle before dropping them off. This isn't a system to abuse, but if you have a friend who you are with constantly and can trust, make them your caregiver. You can call also ahead to some dispensaries and let them know you have a skeptical friend who has an ailment that Cannabis could treat, and you'd like to ask permission for him to join you as an official visitor to speak with staff and show them the benefits. I had calls like this often in CA, and agreed on a case by case basis.
What is the age limit of medical marijuana in California?
If you live in California or you'll be visiting there soon, you may be wondering how old you have to be to smoke weed in the Golden State. In November of 2016, California residents voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis for adults, so as of this writing, anyone in the state (resident and visitor alike) who is at least 21 years old can buy retail cannabis products for his or her own use.Even though the passage of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64) allows any adult at least 21 years of age to smoke weed (and consume cannabis in other ways) within the state's borders, it's still illegal for those in the 18-21 age group. These adults can only use medicinal cannabis, so they can't smoke weed for recreation, and they must rely on a primary caregiver to get their medical marijuana products.California residents and tourists who are at least 21 years old can buy up to one ounce of flowers or eight grams of cannabis concentrates per transaction, and adults who register with the state as medical marijuana patients can have as much of the herb as they want to at home. Just remember that you can't transport the herb across state lines in any way, as that would break federal law, but you can fly with cannabis in your possession to several (though not all at this time) airports within California's boundaries.However, just because you're 21 years old doesn't mean you can smoke weed anywhere you want. The state of California restricts where you can consume marijuana, and a good rule of thumb to follow is that if you can't smoke a cigarette in an area or establishment, you can't smoke weed there either. Until the state makes clear when and where it's acceptable for adults to smoke weed in public, the privacy of one's home or a cannabis-friendly establishment, like “weed-friendly” hotels and members-only clubs, are the best places to consume the herb.For more questions, any help or something other about Medical Marijuana, you just can contact us here with a comment or in our website - MarijuanadoctorsfloridaMore helpful to: How Old Do You Have to Be to Smoke Weed in California?
Should I ask my primary care doctor for a medical marijuana perscription?
If you're at all worried about making things awkward with your "normal" doctor, here's an alternative: Ask your doctor for a letter documenting your condition and recommending treatment, then take that to a doctor who regularly recommends marijuana.In my case, my dentist had noticed damage to my teeth from grinding, a habit I picked up while recovering from surgery on my jaw. I called his office and asked for a letter documenting my bruxism and recommending treatment, and he wrote it (2 sentences on official letterhead) without asking any questions.I found a local doctor on MediCann's website who regularly recommends marijuana and I made an appointment (each of which is only 10 minutes, so the doctor won't even have time to scrutinize your condition carefully.) I showed the doctor my dentist's letter, along with x-rays of my jaw post surgery, demonstrating how extensive the surgery had been.This was enough for the doctor, who noted aloud that I'd had this condition for 10 months and that was "good". Judging by this and from things I've read online, doctors who recommend marijuana want to make sure you've had the condition for some extended amount of time, at least six months.She told me that to renew my card in a year, I would need documentation that I've sought some kind of conventional treatment. She also explicitly mentioned that I don't have to bring up the issue of marijuana in order to obtain this documentation -- something like a dated x-ray would be adequate.If you're at all worried about making things awkward with your "normal" doctor, asking your normal doctor for documentation without explaining why could be more effective and less awkward.
Should I use Kaiser Permanente or Blue Shield for health insurance? Besides cost, what else should I consider?
Kaiser mostly offeres HMOs, so I’m assuming you are comparing Kaiser HMO and Blue Shield PPO. Most of the points below are still valid if your Kaiser option is a PPO.I live in Northern California and was on Blue Shield PPO last year before switching to Kaiser HMO this year, so I can only speak to my personal experience. Additionally, I am generally healthy, so besides the yearly routine checkups, I go to the doctors around once a year.I strongly recommend Kaiser HMO over Blue Shield PPO.Before I talk about why I choose Kaiser, I’ll first go over some downsides of Kaiser:You need a referral to see a specialist, so you can’t just pick a doctor on ZocDoc and waltz in to a heart surgeon’s office. I haven’t found this to be an issue yet since my primary care doctor is pretty competent.Cost wise for the plans I have, Kaiser has a slightly higher copay for non-routine visits (routine checkups are free), but honestly for me it’s the difference of $20 vs $30, so not a big factor.With that out of the way, here’s why I like Kaiser:Centralized, online medical record system (they even have a mobile app!). You can email your doctors to ask them questions, manage all your prescriptions and renew them online, see all your test results with your doctor’s comments, schedule appointments online either for an in person visit or video conferencing or just a call, see your vaccination history, etc. This is literally my dream come true.You can pick up whatever meds they prescribe you in the pharmacy IN THE SAME BUILDING instead of sending your prescription to CVS or Wallgreens, physically driving 10 minutes there and hoping they are open, giving them your insurance information, waiting however long, and realizing that you’ve spent a good chunk of your day picking up prescriptions.There are lots of Kaiser locations in the Bay Area.If you urgently need to see a doctor and your primary care is booked, you can just call Kaiser and they'll schedule you an appointment ASAP with a different doctor.I like my Kaiser doctors a lot more than my previous doctors that i find on ZocDoc.In the past, I’ve had issues with doctors billing me incorrectly because they weren’t able to look up my insurance information, eventually causing me to have to deal with a debt collection agency. When your medical provider and health insurance provider are the same, life is just much easier.
Will I get in trouble for harboring a runaway?
Get a note from the mother, saying it's okay with her for the girl to live in her sister's home. That's all you need to deal with any hint of a "kidnapping" investigation. Also, it will be important that your sister be named the girl's temporary guardian, and that she be given the right to make educational and medical decisions for the girl. (Those are seperate findings from the guardianship issue... have to be stated on the record seperately. That's the only way the girl will be able to enroll in school or get medical care, as needed. Also, make sure you get a birth certificate and social security card as soon as possible. Those documents will help you get her enrolled in school, etc. There should be someone in your local County courts... someone with a title like, "Family Court Facilitator"... who specializes in family court issues and can help you with the temporary guardianship and whatever else might be needed or helpful in Washington State to make this something workable for all of you. Finally, your roommate may be entitled to receive Federal Aid for Dependent Children funding. Check with Health and Human Services in your area, to find out. I know it all sounds like a pain.. and it will be, at first. but in the long run, you'll be glad you have the legal right and that things are in place, so that if she needs medical care your roommate can sign for it. HHS can also probably provide a lot of referrals for counseling, etc... whatever might be necessary, given the damage that's probably been done to this young girl. Good luck to you!