We understand the excitement of being a new patient taking part in the Florida Medical Marijuana program and walking into the dispensary for the first time. We’ve been there. For many of us, having access to such a wide variety of cannabis products is energizing, overwhelming, and exhilarating. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and newness of it all and make some mistakes that we’d probably rather avoid. After over four years of cannabis medicine in Florida, we’re rounding up some of the top mistakes we hear from patients new to the program.
Skip CBD
Here at Florida Medical Cannabis Clinic, we spend a lot of time educating our patients about the benefits of cannabis and how to use it as a medicine, especially the importance of CBD. It can be helpful for addressing pain, inflammation, mental health, and even controlling seizures.
Unfortunately, all too often, we hear something like this:
“I’ve tried CBD before. It doesn’t work for me. I bought it over the counter. It sucks. I didn’t feel it all.”
Edible CBD Gummy Bears
This is the unfortunate outcome for many who experiment with hemp-based CBD products before trying medical cannabis. Multiple factors can influence the experience - poor quality CBD, mislabelling, lack of entourage effect (lack of other cannabinoids), or not using a high enough dose for a long enough time period. Some people are so accustomed to the euphoria associated with THC, that they don’t think CBD is working when they don’t feel the same.
We encourage patients not to use these prior experiences as a baseline and try CBD again, using a proper dose for multiple weeks before jumping to any conclusions. While CBD can provide some immediate relief, for most of our patients - it takes time to work, building up subtle effects over 4-6 weeks. More often than not, we see patients who use both CBD and medical cannabis (THC) products together in part of a greater routine, achieve far better results than those using CBD or THC alone. CBD has a critical role in a medical marijuana treatment plan and should not be overlooked.
Prioritize THC Percentages
We live in a ‘more is better’ society. It’s natural to assume that the more THC in a product, the better the results. Unfortunately, many patients forget that the cannabis plant has more than one cannabinoid and THC is not the whole story.
Focusing only on the THC percentage may leave you missing out on many of the beneficial, medicinal properties of cannabis treatment. Truth is, I’ve been there. I’ve looked at the label, more times than I care to admit, thinking to myself “is it really worth it for only 14% THC?”
A lot of time, it very much is worth it.
Cannabis is made up of more than just THC. There are other cannabinoids, terpenes, and plant compounds that contribute to the medicinal effect, all working together as an ‘entourage.’ We can predict some effects based on the cannabinoid and terpene profile, however, effects can vary uniquely by the individual. This due to differences in each of our endocannabinoid systems and the influence of things like set and setting.
Growing cannabis is also inconsistent. Differences in light, temperature, and humidity can make all the difference in the output of the plant. Meaning, that one batch of a specific strain may have more, or less, THC than another batch. Relying solely on THC percentage may cause you to pass up batches that would work really well for you, even though it doesn’t mean the effect will always be noticeably different.
If a patient only focuses on whatever product has the highest THC percentage, they’re not going to be using the same products regularly, which means constantly changing effects and psychoactive profiles. It can also lead to tolerance or adverse effects of too much THC. Cannabis is biphasic, meaning that more is only better until a certain point, at which the same medicine you are using to address symptoms, can actually make those symptoms worse when taken in too high of an amount. Including CBD as part of your medical cannabis routine can help reduce THC intake and provide for a more balanced effect.
Choose the Wrong Physician
Doctor attending to patients bedside
There a lot of factors to consider when choosing a cannabis physician and not all of them are apparent until after you’ve lived through the program for a while. We personally believe that cannabis education is one of the most important parts of cannabis medicine and unfortunately it’s often passed off and overlooked. Many patients don’t even realize the importance - they’ve been using cannabis for years and ‘know the way’ only to deal with crappy doctors who don’t understand the program and can’t guide them on medicinal use. Other’s are brand new to cannabis and are left to fend for themselves, often listening to the advice of a salesperson at a dispensary, rather than a medical professional that has access to their conditions, symptoms, and history.
Fortunately, there are also many physicians that understand how the cannabis plant and the endocannabinoid system work in your body. Finding a physician that prioritizes education, takes time with their patients, and can meet the unique needs of each patient can is greatly beneficial to your cannabis treatment. It can even help you save money - avoiding a lot of the unnecessary trial and error that patients who are left to fend for themselves experience. Before jumping into medical cannabis, take the time to research and find a well-qualified cannabis physician like Dr. Scott Gebhardt here at FMCC. Your health is much more than just a card.
Hold on to Expectations from Prior Cannabis Use
As is often the story with CBD, patients come into the medical marijuana program with the expectation that it’s largely similar to whatever they came from before. Many patients have been using black market cannabis for years before becoming a legal patient. Others might have experience in another State’s Medical or Adult-Use program.
Cannabis pipe, also known as a bowl
This prior experience with cannabis and the preconceived expectations that come with it, often sway patients into decisions when purchasing from dispensaries. Legal cannabis is far different than the black market and programs vary wildly from State to State. Relying solely on these other experience often lead patients to try products that are either just a waste or avoid products that could actually help them. For example, many experienced cannabis users have heard to avoid ‘sativa’ strains if they have anxiety as it could worsen. The truth is, sativa and indica mean little and paying attention to terpenes could help them get much more out of their medicine than avoiding sativas. In fact, there could be strains labeled ‘sativa’ that work very well for them. Keep an open mind, learn as much as you can about cannabis, and ask your recommending physician for information on different products and delivery methods that are best for your conditions, as there may be products you haven’t thought to try.
Ignore the Cost of Convenience
We often talk to patients who shop only at the dispensary nearest to them. They are comfortable and enjoy the convenience of close to home. Unfortunately, they also might be missing out on not only quality medicines elsewhere that may be helpful for them, but bulk discounts, daily deals, and a myriad of other ways to save money. Many dispensaries even deliver! Because of the structure of the market in Florida, each dispensary company (MMTC) has their own product lines only sold in its stores. Limiting yourself to shopping at one dispensary, also limits what’s available to you. Branching out to other MMTC companies can help you both save money and get the most out of your medical cannabis routine. Check out this link for a rundown of dispensaries, delivery offering, and standard discounts.
POST WRITTEN BY: JOSH KERRIGAN, PATIENT EDUCATOR AND KRISTINA RISOLA, MA, CRC, NBC-HWC
