Low-THC Cannabis vs. Medical Cannabis

Jul 04, 2016 Doctors, Patients

Low-THC Cannabis: Patients with cancer or a condition that causes chronic seizures or muscle spasms may qualify to receive low-THC cannabis. Low-THC cannabis has very low amounts of the psychoactive ingredient THC and does not usually produce the “high” commonly associated with cannabis.

1. Schedule a face-to-face consultation with a qualified physician who has undergone the training required to order cannabis for patients. You can find a complete list of qualified physicians HERE. Physicians may only order low-THC cannabis for a patient if he or she has treated that patient during the immediate preceding three months.
2. The physician must determine that the risks of ordering low-THC cannabis are reasonable in light of the potential benefit for that patient. If a patient is younger than 18 years of age, a second physician must concur with this determination, and such determination must be documented in the patient’s medical record.
3. The physician must obtain voluntary, informed consent in writing from the patient, or the patient’s legal guardian, to treatment with low-THC cannabis after su iciently explaining the current state of knowledge in the medical community of the e ectiveness of treatment of the patient’s condition with low-THC cannabis, the medically acceptable alternatives, and the potential risks and side e ects.
4. An ordering physician must enter an order of low-THC cannabis for the named patient into the Compassionate Use Registry, and update the registry to reflect the contents of the order. The physician must deactivate the patient’s registration when treatment is discontinued.
5. The ordering physician must maintain a patient treatment plan that includes the dose, route of administration, planned duration, and monitoring of the patient’s symptoms and other indicators of tolerance or reaction to the order for low-THC cannabis. The physician submits the patient treatment plan quarterly to the University of Florida, College Of Pharmacy, for research on the safety and e icacy of low-THC cannabis on patients.
6. Finally, a patient may fill their order at a qualified dispensing organization. The dispensing organization will verify the identity of the patient or legal representative, as well as the existence of an order in the Compassionate Use Registry. A dispensing organization may not dispense more than a 45-day supply of low-THC cannabis.
7. The medical use of low-THC cannabis does NOT include the following:

• The possession, use or administration of low-THC cannabis by smoking.
• The transfer of low-THC cannabis to a person other than the qualified patient for whom it was ordered.
• The use of low-THC cannabis on any form of public transportation, in any public place, in a qualified patient’s place of employment, if restricted by his or her employer, in a state correctional institution, on the grounds of a preschool, primary school, or secondary school or any school bus or vehicle.

Medical Cannabis: If a patient is suffering from a condition that has been determined to be terminal by two physicians, he or she may qualify for medical cannabis. This product can contain sufficient levels of the psychoactive ingredient THC to produce the “high” commonly associated with cannabis.

1. First, patients must schedule a face-to-face consultation with a qualified physician who has undergone the training required to order cannabis for patients. You can find a complete list of qualified physicians here. Physicians may only order cannabis for a patient if he or she has treated them for the immediately preceding three months.
2. To qualify for medical cannabis, a patient must be diagnosed with a terminal condition that is attested to by his or her physician. That diagnosis must be confirmed by a second independent evaluation from a board-certified physician in an appropriate specialty for that condition. Finally, patients must have considered all other treatment options for the terminal condition currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
3. The physician must obtain written informed consent of the patient or the patient’s legal guardian to treat with medical cannabis that includes:
   1. An explanation of the currently approved products and treatments for the patient’s terminal condition.
   2. An attestation that the patient concurs with his or her physician in believing that all currently approved products and treatments are unlikely to prolong the patient’s life.
   3. Identification of the specific investigational drug, biological product, or device that the patient is seeking to use.
   4. A realistic description of the most likely outcomes of using the investigational drug, biological product, or device. The description shall include the possibility that new, unanticipated, di erent, or worse symptoms might result and death could be hastened by the proposed treatment. The description shall be based on the physician’s knowledge of the proposed treatment for the patient’s terminal condition.
   5. A statement that the patient’s health plan or third-party administrator and physician are not obligated to pay for care or treatment consequent to the use of the investigational drug, biological product, or device unless required to do so by law or contract.
   6. A statement that the patient’s eligibility for hospice care may be withdrawn if the patient begins treatment with the investigational drug, biological product, or device and that hospice care may be reinstated if the treatment ends and the patient meets hospice eligibility requirements.
   7. A statement that the patient understands he or she is liable for all expenses consequent to the use of the investigational drug, biological product, or device and that liability extends to the patient’s estate, unless a contract between the patient and the manufacturer of the investigational drug, biological product, or device states otherwise.
4. The physician enters the order of medical cannabis for the named patient in the Compassionate Use Registry and updates the registry to reflect the contents of the order. The physician must deactivate the patient’s registration when treatment is discontinued.
5. The physician maintains a patient treatment plan that includes the dose, route of administration, planned duration, and monitoring of the patient’s symptoms and other indicators of tolerance or reaction to the medical cannabis. The physician submits the patient treatment plan quarterly to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy for research on the safety and e icacy of medical cannabis on patients.
6. Finally, a patient may fill their order at a qualified dispensing organization. The dispensing organization will verify the identity of the patient or legal representative, as well as the order in the Compassionate Use Registry. A dispensing organization may not dispense more than a 45 day supply.
7. The use of medical cannabis does NOT include the following:

• The possession, use or administration of medical cannabis by smoking.
• The transfer of medical cannabis to a person other than the qualified patient for whom it was ordered.
• The use of medical cannabis on any form of public transportation, in any public place, in a qualified patient’s place of employment, if restricted by his or her employer, in a state correctional institution, on the grounds of a preschool, primary school, or secondary school or any school bus or vehicle.