The following is information related to Cannabis Recommendation / Medical Marijuana Authorization:
1. Review the RCW listed to ensure you meet one of these conditions.
2. In the case you qualify with one of the terminal or debilitating medical conditions outlined, call your personal doctor and have them release your medical records to you or these are able to be request with a signed authorization when you arrive for your appointment. You will need these charts at your appointment. According to the new changes in July of 2011, it is stipulated "you must be a resident of Washington at the time you are diagnosed with a covered condition" so please keep this in mind when obtaining records. If you have not been seen in the State of Washington for your condition you are able to be set up in our office as primary care to full-fill this component.
3. Call 360-915-8847, email us directly for more information: info@southsoundmedicine.com or use the contact us form listed on our site for the first available appointment.
According to the RCW 69.51A.010, you must meet one of these conditions:
RCW 69.51A.010
“Terminal or debilitating medical condition” means:
A. Cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or other seizure disorder, or spasticity disorders; or
B. Intractable pain, limited for the purpose of this chapter to mean pain unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications; or
C. Glaucoma, either acute or chronic, limited for the purpose of this chapter to mean increased intraocular pressure unrelieved by standard treatments and medications; or
D. Crohn’s disease with debilitating symptoms unrelieved by standard treatments or medications; or
E. Hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain unrelieved by standard treatments or medications; or
F. Diseases, including anorexia, which result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms, or spasticity, when these symptoms are unrelieved by standard treatments or medications; or
G. Any other medical condition duly approved by the Washington state medical quality assurance commission in consultation with the board of osteopathic medicine and surgery as directed in this chapter.”
(a) Advising a patient about the risks and benefits of medical use of cannabis or that the patient may benefit from the medical use of cannabis; or
(b) Providing a patient meeting the criteria established under *RCW 69.51A.010(26) with valid documentation, based upon the health care professional's assessment of the patient's medical history and current medical condition, where such use is within a professional standard of care or in the individual health care professional's medical judgment.
(2)(a) A health care professional may only provide a patient with valid documentation authorizing the medical use of cannabis or register the patient with the registry established in **section 901 of this act if he or she has a newly initiated or existing documented relationship with the patient, as a primary care provider or a specialist, relating to the diagnosis and ongoing treatment or monitoring of the patient's terminal or debilitating medical condition, and only after:
(i) Completing a physical examination of the patient as appropriate, based on the patient's condition and age;
(ii) Documenting the terminal or debilitating medical condition of the patient in the patient's medical record and that the patient may benefit from treatment of this condition or its symptoms with medical use of cannabis;
(iii) Informing the patient of other options for treating the terminal or debilitating medical condition; and
(iv) Documenting other measures attempted to treat the terminal or debilitating medical condition that do not involve the medical use of cannabis.
(b) A health care professional shall not:
(i) Accept, solicit, or offer any form of pecuniary remuneration from or to a licensed dispenser, licensed producer, or licensed processor of cannabis products;
(ii) Offer a discount or any other thing of value to a qualifying patient who is a customer of, or agrees to be a customer of, a particular licensed dispenser, licensed producer, or licensed processor of cannabis products;
(iii) Examine or offer to examine a patient for purposes of diagnosing a terminal or debilitating medical condition at a location where cannabis is produced, processed, or dispensed;
(iv) Have a business or practice which consists solely of authorizing the medical use of cannabis;
(v) Include any statement or reference, visual or otherwise, on the medical use of cannabis in any advertisement for his or her business or practice; or
(vi) Hold an economic interest in an enterprise that produces, processes, or dispenses cannabis if the health care professional authorizes the medical use of cannabis.
With this entailed statement of abiding by this provision under the RCW 69.51A, NO physician, provider or any staff member has any cannabis at any of our facilities. We have no ability to examine or offer to examine a patient for the purposess of diagnosing a terminal or debilitating medical condition at a location where cannabis is produced, processed or dispensed; for an example- this includes collective gardens, safe access points, etc. with this being mentioned be aware of providers that engage in this illegal activity as per the RCW 69.51A the law as entailed in the above section which governs providers. We have no interest in collective gardens nor do we provide any information to patients from another medical facility since you aren't under our present care. We have no attorney or legal licensed professional at any of our facilities, we are able to provide additional referrals if you may need this service to our patient base only. Our physicians and our complete staff abide by Washington State Law advised by counsel along with Federal HIPAA laws which govern our operations.
A cannabis recommendation is not considered a prescription in order to have medication from a pharmacy. Cannabis is also known as street names such as herb, marijuana, mary jane, mota, pot, skunk, weed, however; the professionals at our office will refer to the proper medicinal use of cannabis, this is to be in compliance of the RCW and State Laws of Washington, along with our belief system of a plant intended to provide a balance in a ever changing world. Our community is not about getting high, passing a joint, sharing a bong, taking a hit, toking up; we are about being responsible and medicating within proper compliance of the law.
If the general public thinks we are anything less, maybe they should hear the living testimonials of a cancer patient going through chemotherapy or at a stage 3 or 4 when there is no western medicine to assist in the pain, the patient that has been hit by a drunk driver, someone facing crohn's attacks, wasting diseases that it is impossible to be able to keep down any liquids, migraines or suicidal headaches as a loved watches in a helpless feeling of not being able to help ease the pain, hepatitis C by being the ER Nurse that saved someone on the table with no regard to gloves while having an open cut on their hand and let all of these patients know along with the thousands through our doors that they shouldn't have access to medication to help ease the physical pain these medical conditions are causing, we welcome them to sit in our lobby to deny this face to face.
We face strong living humans on a daily basis that once was staring at death sitting in front of us and we are eternally grateful for every patient we are able to help.