Medical marijuana, or medicinal marijuana, is medical cannabis and certain cannabinoids which are approved by doctors for certain patients. The active ingredient in medical marijuana is THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, a psychoactive substance found in cannabis. The use of medical marijuana dates back to the 1960s and has been legalized in many US states such as California and Colorado. The federal government considers marijuana an illegal drug and the use of medical marijuana are strictly prohibited -Click to read more.

There are basically two types of medical marijuana states – the ones that allow doctors to prescribe it for people with certain ailments and those that don’t. In Washington State, medical marijuana is not allowed under any circumstance except for patients who are in need of serious pain and have nothing else to relieve themselves of. Even then, a patient needs to apply for a marijuana card, called a MMJ card, from the dispensary in which they receive their medical marijuana from. The dispensary is also responsible for tracking and recording patient usage, although some counties, such as Washoe, have laws that allow pharmacies to sell medical cannabis cards to anyone who applies.

Patients can apply to a dispensary either by filling out an online form asking for a recommendation, or by visiting a local marijuana store or compassion center and requesting a card. When they are accepted, they will usually be sent a card, which allows them to legally purchase medical cannabis from the Store, without having to go through a process of becoming licensed or registering with a state board. To be eligible for a free marijuana card, patients need to be diagnosed with one of the qualifying conditions set by the Store; include chronic or life-threatening diseases; suffer from cancer or glaucoma; or have AIDS or any other condition that the dispensary believes will help them treat their condition.