Have you ever seen an ad for medical marijuana in the back of your local weekly newspaper?  Usually these ads are found near the back and for some reason either have a sexy women saying how great their service is. When I see ads like this I wonder if I go there if the doctor will be a 5.10 blond with a bikini on and then I wonder what sort of doctor they really are.  If you are really looking for a medical marijuana doctor because of an illness or old injury, these ads really dont help build your confidence on the help you need  What does the woman in the bikini have to do with chronic pain? I mean i know how but who in a medical sense.

Here are some things to consider when selecting your medical cannabis evaluator.

How long have they been in open? Many medical marijuana doctors are here today and gone tomorrow.  When doctors offer lower cost evaluations, they often are unable to sustain the infrastructure of a real practice. This in turns means that when you get verified at a local pharmacy you might not get approved.

Are you being seen in a group? Group visits are often offered to help cut the costs for most offices.  A doctor offers a group of patients a speech in regarding the general practices of medical marijuana.  This type of visit lacks adequate attention to YOU.  A good medical marijuana doctor is able to find out the details of your individual condition.  For example, if you have lower back pain and are looking to reducing your prescribed pharmaceutical medication, a responsible medical marijuana doctor will educate you on the varied modes of delivery and what may best be applied to your pain.

Does the physician have hidden additional charges? Sometimes a medical cannabis clinic may advertise one cost, and ask for additional money when you get to your appointment.   Be sure that the price of the visit includes a complete service.  Paying for partial services may cause hassles with law enforcement when you truly need to verify your recommendation.

Does the physician verify your recommendation? There are many medical cannabis evaluators that offer low cost services and don’t verify their recommendation.  Regular use of medical cannabis requires consistent verification.  It’s best to use a service to offers verification 24 hours per day, 7 days per week

Is your medical cannabis clinic physician-owned? A professional business, as opposed to a standard business, is responsible for upholding the ethics of the profession.  A medical cannabis evaluator service not run by physicians may not be responsible to the ethics of the profession.  This may translate into poor or unverifiable services.  Be sure your medical cannabis evaluator is a professional business.

Does the physician require medical documents? The California Medical Association requires a doctor recommending medical marijuana to communicate with the patient’s primary care provider.  Some medical marijuana doctors advertise that they don’t require medical documents.  Your recommendation would be jeopardized without some documentation from the health provider that is helping you with your condition.  If you aren’t using anyone, some medical cannabis evaluators may provide primary care services.  The California Medical Association wants to make sure that patients aren’t avoiding addressing their medical conditions.

Choose the right physician for you! Choosing the right physician can be a difficult task.