Florida doctors face new rules for medical marijuana (And how Arfinn Med can help)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – New rules laying out the do’s and don’ts physicians must follow when certifying patients to smoke medical marijuana took effect last week, but it’s not clear that doctors or patients are fully aware of them.
Patients certified or recertified to smoke medical marijuana must sign a new standardized consent form as of last Tuesday. That form for the first time includes information about the dangers of smoking near oxygen tanks and advises patients to check their marijuana supplies for mold contaminants.
Also, physicians must adhere to newly adopted practice standards that for the first time spell out what the doctors must do to certify patients and what information needs to be included in patients’ medical records.
Stories you may be interested in
Insomnia: A Silent Epidemic
The struggle to get a good night’s sleep is something many adults can relate to, but what if there was a natural alternative to keep those sheep jumping all night long? CBD, also known as cannabidiol, has been gaining popularity among patients to help treat pain, anxiety and so much more. Additionally, conditions such as…
Read More 
Senate bill could legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Medical marijuana is legal in 36 states. Now, the state General Assembly could make North Carolina the latest state to open up the market to cannabis. Medical cannabis advocates are trying to throw veterans a lifeline with Senate Bill 711. “The veteran suicide rate is twice the national average in North Carolina,…
Read More 
Three Key Voices in the Medical Marijuana Industry
As medical marijuana programs continue to expand throughout the United States, it is important to recognize some of the key voices throughout the industry that got us here. These individuals range from researches to physicians and even to patients who started their own advocacy group. Keep reading to learn about just three of the many…
Read More 
After 50 Years, U.S. Opens The Door To More Cannabis Crops For Scientists
After more than 50 years, the federal government is lifting a roadblock to cannabis research that scientists and advocates say has hindered rigorous studies of the plant and possible drug development. Since 1968, U.S. researchers have been allowed to use cannabis from only one domestic source: a facility based at the University of Mississippi, through a…
Read More 
Unstructured EHR data more useful for predictive analytics, study shows
A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association has shown that real-world data contained in unstructured narratives has big predictive value when it comes to clinical research. WHY IT MATTERSWhile structured clinical notes in the electronic health record have obvious value, the research in JAMIA suggests that real-world data captured in unstructured notes…
Read More 
Survey of oncologists finds knowledge gap on medical marijuana
As more states legalize medical marijuana, two key groups — researchers whose job is it to understand its benefits and drawbacks, and physicians charged with advising potential users — are struggling to catch up with policymakers. Ilana Braun, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of adult psychosocial…
Read More