Can You Get a Medical Card for Anxiety in Your State?

Photo by energepic.com

In Which States Can You Get a Medical Card for Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States. 19.1% of the population (40 million people) are inflicted with some form of anxiety. Many may be reluctant to receive treatment or are concerned about potentially getting prescribed addictive medications. Could cannabis be the answer?

Given the common complaint of paranoia with some new to cannabis you may not be rushing to give it a try, but cannabis has been able to help many people with anxiety symptoms. Could the solution to your social anxiety, insomnia and other anxiety issues be alleviated by getting a medical marijuana prescription?

This post will brief you on which states allow you to get your medical marijuana card for anxiety, some of the benefits, and some options if it’s not available in your state.

What are the Benefits of Medical Marijuana for Anxiety?

Some of the compounds in cannabis can be invaluable for your anxiety. CBD has been found to decrease anxiety at all doses that have been tested. THC has also been found to help decrease anxiety at lower levels and it can also help in socializing for people with social anxiety. Certain sativa strains of cannabis can help you feel more outgoing and energized in social situations.

Additionally, cannabis contains terpenes like linalool which can also help with relaxation and alleviate anxiety symptoms like insomnia. All of these compounds can help you better manage your anxiety symptoms.

There is some conflicting information about the connection between cannabis use and anxiety because excess THC use can potentially induce anxiety. Additionally, if you ever consume too much THC, you’ll likely also have anxiety symptoms like an increased heart rate and paranoid thoughts.

One study has found that while cannabis use is often common as a form of self medicating for people with anxiety it does not increase one’s chances of developing anxiety.

It’s important to keep an eye on your cannabis use but that’s why medical marijuana may be the answer. In conjunction with talk therapy it can help you address your symptoms and also help with socializing, boosting your mood, and get more restful sleep all which can help you better battle your anxiety.

Photo by Nathan Cowley

Where Can You Get a Medical Marijuana Card for Anxiety?

Now, cannabis can be beneficial for anxiety. Not all states have outright approved medical cannabis prescriptions for anxiety. This can be because of a lack of adequate testing or outdated views on cannabis causing paranoia. Here are your options in various states for getting your medical marijuana card for anxiety.

The following states explicitly list anxiety as a qualifying condition for a medical marijuana recommendation:

• New Jersey
• Utah
• Pennsylvania,
• Puerto Rico
• North Dakota
• New Mexico

The following states have post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) listed as qualifying conditions. Your doctor may decide the cause of your anxiety disorder or symptoms is PTSD. Given the similarity of the these diagnoses you may be able to get your script for anxiety by way of PTSD in states like:

• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• Florida
• Michigan
• Missouri lists any debilitating mental disorder
• Ohio
• Connecticut
• Minnesota
• Illinois
• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Kentucky
• Mississippi
• Oregon
• Rhode Island

In the following states, there are no qualifying conditions and/or its at the doctor’s discretion if you are eligible for a cannabis recommendation:

• Oklahoma
• Virginia
• California
• New York
• Massachusetts
• Washington D.C.
• Hawaii

Photo by Christina Winter

How to Get a Medical Card for Anxiety in Your State?

While that is a hefty list, there are still chances you may not be able to get a medical card for anxiety in your state. Your best first step is to reach out to Green Health Docs.

You can find a doctor in your state that is fully aware of the laws and committed to helping make the process seamless. Even if your anxiety does not qualify in your state, they may be able to help point you in the right direction and help you find the right cannabis based-treatment for your anxiety or help you find an alternate condition to qualify for medical cannabis.

Additionally, you can seek out legal CBD as CBD might be the best first step to see if cannabis can help with your anxiety. After all, it’s been scientifically proven to help with relaxation and to reduce other anxious symptoms.

There’s also other legal options like delta-8, delta-10 and other cannabis or hemp-derived compounds.

Additionally, even if your state does not additionally approve anxiety that does not mean that it cannot be changed. Many states’ official medical marijuana program websites have steps for submitting potential conditions and seeking them to be added to the program. Again, some states are still so new to medical marijuana that they are still advancing to find a system that works for their constituents.

Final Thoughts

Anxiety is a serious issue affecting people and one of the most common mental disorders of our time. Cannabis is also quickly finding its way into the treatment plan for many conditions including anxiety. If you’re curious about trying the holistic benefits of cannabis for your anxiety, reach out to Green Health Docs for helping you find a way to get legal access to medical marijuana.