Medical Marijuana

If you’re looking for alternative remedies to help manage conditions that result in chronic pain, medical marijuana could offer relief. At Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Adam Shestack, MD, and Cy Blanco, MD, help patients learn how medical marijuana can help provide relief from various pain conditions. To see if you could be a good candidate for medical marijuana, call the office or schedule an appointment today.

What is medical marijuana?

Medical marijuana describes the process of using plant-based extracts or the whole, unprocessed cannabis plant to treat a variety of conditions, illnesses, and symptoms. Also known as medical cannabis, this therapy uses two marijuana chemicals: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

While the recreational use of marijuana remains illegal in Florida, you can obtain a card from a certifying medical center, like Florida Pain Management Institute, to use for medical purposes.

The marijuana chemical THC creates sensations of euphoria, while CBD helps your body use its endocannabinoids more effectively. This system of your body, known as the ECS, works to regulate bodily functions like pain, sleep, and your immune system.

Medical marijuana is different from recreational marijuana, which has higher levels of THC. So, instead of experiencing the same high you would expect from recreational marijuana, medical cannabis works to desensitize your pain receptors and improve your quality of life.

What conditions can medical marijuana help treat?

Medical marijuana helps with a wide range of conditions, including:

• Chronic pain
• Depression and anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Cancer
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Crohn’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkin’s disease
• Pain from terminal conditions

Insurance companies or Medicare/Medicaid don't cover medical marijuana. To receive certification for medicinal marijuana use, you have to go through a medical consultation with a marijuana-licensed physician like Dr. Shestack and Dr. Blanco. Then you register with the state of Florida and complete an application issued by the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use. 

Registering as a medical marijuana patient requires a $75 registration fee. 

What can I expect during my medical marijuana consultation?

During your initial consultation, your pain management specialist discusses your symptoms and reviews your personal and medical history. 

If you’re a good candidate, your doctor works closely with you to identify the best form of medical marijuana to provide relief. You can take medical marijuana in several ways, including:

• Pills taken orally
• Extracts for inhaling or vaporizing
• Liquids or tinctures ingested by mouth
• Topical gels, creams, and ointments put on your skin
• Patches applied to your body

To see if medical marijuana can help manage your condition or symptoms, call Florida Pain Management Institute, or schedule an appointment online today.