Patients with qualifying conditions can apply for a medical marijuana card in West Virginia, which offers legal access to cannabis as an alternative natural medicine.
Since West Virginia’s medical cannabis program is still in its infancy, many patients will be purchasing cannabis for the first time and shopping at dispensaries with high expectations and lots of questions.
While there’s no real “average” medical marijuana patient, there are usually a few different types of patients that shop at the dispensary.
Medical marijuana can offer relief for a variety of symptoms and conditions, and in this article, we’ll look at a few different types of patients that shop at dispensaries and what they may typically purchase.
Different Types of Medical Marijuana Patients & What They Buy at the Dispensary
The Beginner Medical Marijuana Patient
The beginner medical marijuana patient likely has not tried cannabis recently, or perhaps at all.
Often, a beginner patient can be somewhat overwhelmed by the terminology, environment and product variety in a dispensary, and as a result it can prove to be challenging to find the right products.
Beginner patients are encouraged to talk to their budtender at length about their needs and goals, and a good relationship with a dispensary employee will go a long way.
The budtender can help walk you through every type of product in the dispensary, how they work, and what to expect when you take them, so be sure to ask plenty of questions!
Typically, the best products for new patients are low-dose cannabis products, such as a small amount of low-THC cannabis flower or tinctures.
Medical Marijuana Patient at the Dispensary: Chronic Pain
Patients experiencing chronic pain will have their choice of a multitude of dispensary products that can help improve their symptoms.
Depending on the severity, duration, and frequency of the pain, patients will be shopping for different products and different amounts, though there are some commonalities for the chronic pain patients as far as products purchased.
Patients experiencing chronic pain often lean toward an indica-dominant cannabis product due to their physical effects and notoriously strong pain relief.
Patients with infrequent chronic pain may choose products like cannabis flower or tinctures, while patients experiencing frequent or intense chronic pain often look to high-THC products like concentrates or Rick Simpson Oil.
Concentrates are one of the common categories favored by patients who experience severe chronic pain because of their powerful pain-relieving effects, which can be achieved instantly and last for long durations with products such as wax, shatter, sugar, or live resin.
PTSD: Patients Looking for Mental Relief
Symptoms from conditions like PTSD, depression, or anxiety can be wildly variable from person to person, with some experiencing random and low-level severity while others may experience more frequent and severe symptoms.
Patients with a need for mental relief often seek out sativa and hybrid cannabis strains, which offer the most effective mental stimulation, though there is a caveat here.
Some patients who experience anxiety or heightened discomfort when using medical marijuana may prefer to avoid sativas due to their increased mental effects, and instead prefer to use indicas. Patients with hyperactive minds or an increased rate of thought may want to stay away from sativas because they can be overwhelming. Hybrids or indicas are the best choice if this sounds like you.
Each patient is different, though, and many medical marijuana patients enjoy the mental stimulation from sativas, which are typically noted for offering unique mental states, increased positivity and compassionate thoughts, and a more creative perspective.
Cannabis flower, concentrates, and tinctures are all products commonly used by PTSD patients.
How Patients With Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders Use Medical Marijuana
Patients suffering from seizures or epilepsy often require frequent and consistent doses of cannabis.
Most commonly, CBD oil, Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), and tinctures are the most commonly purchased products by patients with seizure disorders due to their ability to consistently apply a precise and effective dosage of cannabis that can take effect almost immediately.
Cannabis flower and edibles are not commonly used as a reliant medication by patients with seizure disorders because cannabis flower doesn’t offer as precise of a dosage and edibles can take a while for the effects to kick in.
Though many patients with seizure disorders enjoy using cannabis flower or edibles as an in-between product, concentrates like RSO and tinctures are usually the go-to.
Cancer & HIV/AIDS
Patients with severe conditions such as cancer or HIV/AIDS often medicate in similar ways, typically preferring dried cannabis flower, concentrates, and edibles.
Patients in this category are often looking for the highest level of pain relief and most potent effects from cannabis, making products like high-THC cannabis flower, concentrates, and high-dose edibles the favorable products for these patients.
Smoked cannabis flower typically offers an immediate dosage that can last long enough for patients to properly manage their symptoms, and concentrates can offer an even more impactful dosage. Edibles can be taken in between doses to maintain the pain-relieving effects, and tinctures can be substituted if edibles don’t provide an effective dose for a patient.
Patients in this category typically medicate at a fairly high rate, making concentrates a very common choice.
Rick Simpson Oil and high-THC concentrates offer potent relief that can last up to several hours, requiring only a small dose compared to cannabis flower.
Cannabis flower is also enjoyed thoroughly by patients in this category, and in fact, HIV/AIDS patients practically pioneered cannabis flower as a legitimate source of modern pain relief for severe symptoms.
Parkinson’s, Intractable Spasticity, & Crohn’s Disease
Patients with muscle problems or bouts of muscle seizures are often placed in a similar category to that of epileptic patients, though patients in this category typically look for more THC-based products such as cannabis flower and Rick Simpson Oil.
Cannabis flower is also enjoyed among these patients, as a smaller dose of higher concentrations of THC can provide an effective dosage to help calm muscle contractions or seizures.
Patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease are sometimes beholden to the frequency of their symptoms too, and because of this many patients choose to stay medicated on a consistent basis for effective relief.
Nearly every type of cannabis product can be used to help keep a patient consistently medicated, and patients who are experiencing a steady onslaught of symptoms will look to a variety of cannabis products to achieve persistent pain relief.
Get Your Medical Marijuana Certification in
West Virginia
West Virginia’s medical marijuana program offers cannabis as a legal medicine for patients with qualifying conditions. With a medical marijuana card, you can shop at any of the State’s approved dispensaries and use cannabis as an alternative medicine.
As a qualifying patient with a medical marijuana card, you can legally possess up to a 30-day supply of cannabis without fear of legal repercussions.
You can even get your medical marijuana card online from the comfort of your own home with West Virginia Marijuana Card!
To get your medical marijuana card online in West Virginia, simply schedule your medical marijuana evaluation appointment today and get access to legal marijuana products available at dispensaries!
Being a West Virginia medical marijuana patient allows you the freedom to take your medication the right way for you. We’re dedicated to helping patients every step of the way! Feel free to give us a call at 877-303-8424 and we can answer your questions about getting a medical marijuana card in West Virginia.
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
West Virginia Marijuana Card’s mission is to help everyone achieve
wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana.
Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for
our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at 877-303-8424, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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