. Their profits are often dependent on patient approvals, with some offering money-back guarantees if customers are not approved for a card.
The post argued medical cannabis should be well-regulated for those with “legit medical needs.” But if lawmakers will not legalize marijuana, the group wrote, the medical program “should act as the Underground Railroad so that people have some legal protection against the brutality of the state.” Elevate Holistics, which offers to serve Pennsylvania patients, features online guidance titled “How to Get a Medical Card Without a Condition.” The same company’s website also refers to “good excuses for getting a medical card” and describes anxiety disorders as one of the “loopholes” on Pennsylvania’s list of qualifying conditions.
Spotlight PA’s analysis of the anonymized data found that in the program’s early years, chronic pain was the primary driver of certifications. Certifications for chronic pain continued to rise, but not as steeply as ones for anxiety. “Anxiety disorder is … just the easiest thing you can say,” Keith Humphreys, a psychiatry professor and addiction researcher at Stanford University, told Spotlight PA.
An estimated 31% of adults in the United States experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives, according to. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that occasional anxiety is normal, but when people have an anxiety disorder, “the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time.”
He said cannabis has allowed him to stop taking prescription medications, better manage his panic attacks, and rest at night. In February 2019, the state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board considered applications for several new conditions. With little discussion or debate, they approved an application for anxiety with a 5-3 vote.
In 2019, Pennsylvania health secretary Rachel Levine added anxiety disorders and Tourette syndrome to the list of qualifying conditions for Pennsylvania medical marijuana patients. “They’re not really being told about all the pros and cons of using cannabis,” Marina Goldman, a psychiatrist speaking on behalf of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society, told Spotlight PA.Widge, the psychiatrist at the University of Minnesota, said there’s great uncertainty over whether cannabis will do more harm than good for anxiety patients.
Some medical marijuana card companies try to attract customers who haven’t previously been diagnosed. Another medical card company, Elevate Holistics, says on a company webpage that patients should not “be afraid to say that you have not always had access to health care,” and offers advice on getting approved if they lack records of a diagnosis. Another page on the site, which refers to “good excuses for a medical card,” describes qualifying conditions in several states.
— but he would not elaborate on how doctors are paid. He said doctors follow state requirements and that patients fill out comprehensive health forms.