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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Kentuckians suffering from chronic pain and other serious health conditions are now able to get a medical marijuana card — but the new option comes with hurdles.
To qualify for a medical marijuana card, patients must have a qualifying condition.
Those are:
CancerChronic or severe painEpilepsy or other intractable seizure disorderMultiple sclerosis, muscle spasms, or spasticityChronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndromePost-traumatic stress disorder
For Christy Fuller, who has dealt with chronic pain for seven years, finding relief was a long journey.
“I simply woke up one day, and I was in a lot of pain,” Fuller said. “I couldn’t move my neck.”
She spent years undergoing scans, X-rays, and doctors’ visits without answers. While doctors prescribed opioids, Fuller sought an alternative. As a last resort, she turned to medical marijuana.
“I’m a person of faith,” Fuller said. “I had a lot of hesitation. What will my friends think? What will my neighbors think?”
Licensed practitioners in Kentucky began certifying patients for medical marijuana cards on Dec. 1. Marlena O’Neil, owner of Heartland Medical Cannabis in Elizabethtown, has seen more than 200 patients since then.
“All genders, all ages, all needs,” O’Neil said.
O’Neil screens patients for potential misuse and certain heart conditions, because she says some cannabis strains can cause heart palpitations. If she determines marijuana is a good fit, she customizes treatment plans.
“Two types of strains of cannabis — sativa and indica,” O’Neil said. “Every treatment plan should be customized based on that individual’s needs.”
After certification from a healthcare provider, patients can apply for a medical marijuana card through the state for $25 a year. However, with marijuana still illegal federally, insurance usually doesn’t cover appointments.
Additionally, medical marijuana is not yet available for sale in Kentucky. Cultivators need time to build facilities and pass inspections before cannabis can be grown and distributed.
In the meantime, Fuller travels to Illinois to purchase cannabis edibles under Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive order, which allows Kentuckians to bring marijuana from legal states. She says cannabis has significantly reduced her pain.
“It’s been life-changing,” she said, noting her pain level dropped from a seven out of 10 to as low as zero.
O’Neil hopes Kentucky expands the list of qualifying conditions to include opioid addiction.
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