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Medical Marijuana Specialist

Premier Medical Care

Primary Care & Internal Medicine located in Spring Hill, FL

Medical marijuana is available to patients in Florida who have qualifying conditions, but you need to see a certified physician before you can get a prescription. Board-certified internist and lifestyle medicine expert Ramnik Banwatt, MD, of Premier Medical Care in Spring Hill, Florida, is licensed to prescribe medical marijuana to eligible patients. If you think you might benefit from this treatment, call Premier Medical Care today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.

Medical Marijuana Q & A

What is medical marijuana?

Medical marijuana can be a valuable treatment option for people who have certain medical problems that aren’t responding to other therapies. Conditions that have been shown to improve with the use of medical marijuana include:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
  • Chronic nonmalignant pain
  • Anxiety
  • Cancer
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Crohn's disease
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Epilepsy or seizures
  • Glaucoma
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Severe muscle spasms
  • Chemotherapy side effects
  • Terminal illnesses
  • Tourette syndrome

You can take medical marijuana as a pill or in an oil prepared with extracts from the marijuana or cannabis plant.

Is medical marijuana legal?

Marijuana is illegal in the United States, classified as a Schedule 1 drug under federal law, which means that the federal government has defined it as having no accepted medical value but having a high potential for abuse. Many US states, however, have put their own legislation in place to permit licensed medical professionals to prescribe marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Florida has this legislation. It runs a permitted use plan that enables doctors to prescribe marijuana as long as you’re a Florida state resident. Your condition must be one of those listed above. You must also have tried other treatments and not found relief from your symptoms.

If you live in Florida and have one of the qualifying conditions, Dr. Banwatt might be able to prescribe medical marijuana for you. The first stage is to visit Premier Medical Care so Dr. Banwatt can assess your case and see if medical marijuana is likely to help.

If you’re a good candidate for medical marijuana treatment, Dr. Banwatt gives you a written consent form to sign. He then enters your order onto the Florida State Medical Marijuana Use Registry.

You need to apply for a Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification Card. When your card arrives, you can visit any state-approved medical marijuana dispensary to fill your prescription.

Is medical marijuana safe?

An increasing amount of research shows that medical marijuana is safe when used appropriately. However, there haven’t been enough good-quality clinical trials to be sure of medical marijuana’s safety.

Like any type of medication, using medical marijuana does come with some risks. You need to think carefully about whether the potential benefits outweigh any possible side effects. Some of the risk factors Dr. Banwatt can talk to you about include:

  • Possible addiction
  • Dizziness
  • Poor concentration
  • Poor memory
  • Increased heart rate
  • Emotional problems
  • Negative drug interactions
  • Slower reaction times
  • Withdrawal symptoms

Marijuana use can also increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you smoke marijuana, you also risk the same kinds of problems that affect other smokers. These include breathing problems, heart disease, and cancer.

If you’d like to find out more about medical marijuana and how it could help you, call Premier Medical Care today or book an appointment with Dr. Banwatt online.