Recommending Cannabis in Colorado

Medical professionals recommending medical cannabis must be an MD or DO in good standing with an active Colorado medical license. Physicians with conditions or restrictions on their licenses, or out-of-state licenses, are not accepted. Physicians must have an active DEA certification. For purposes of recommending medical marijuana, in good standing means:

1. The physician holds a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from an accredited medical school;
2. The physician holds a valid license to practice medicine in Colorado that does not contain a restriction or condition that prohibits the recommendation of medical marijuana or for a license issued prior to July 1, 2011, a valid, unrestricted and unconditioned; and
3. The physician has a valid and unrestricted United States Department of Justice federal drug enforcement administration controlled substances registration

Based on Board of Health regulations, only physicians who have a bona fide physician-patient relationship with a particular patient may “certify to the state health department that the patient has a debilitating medical condition and that the patient may benefit from the use of medical marijuana.” A bona fide relationship means:

1. A physician and a patient have a treatment or counseling relationship, in the course of which the physician has completed a full assessment of the patient's medical history and current medical condition, including an appropriate personal physical examination;
2. The physician has consulted with the patient with respect to the patient's debilitating medical condition before the patient applies for a registry identification card; and
3. The physician is available to or offers to provide follow-up care and treatment to the patient, including but not limited to patient examinations, to determine the efficacy of the use of medical marijuana as a treatment of the patient's debilitating medical condition.

For questions or more information contact CO DPHE 303-692-2184 or medical.marijuana@state.co.us. 

Qualify Conditions include: Cancer, Glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, or the patient has a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that produces one or more of the following and which, in the physician’s professional opinion, may be alleviated by the medical use of marijuana including Cachexia, Persistent muscle spasms, Seizures, Severe nausea and Severe pain. The Department of Public Health and Environment can authorize more conditions. Patients who have had a diagnosis of a debilitation medical condition in the past but do not have an active disease and are not undergoing treatment for such condition, are not suffering from a qualifying conditions for which medial use of marijuana is authorized. Since the Medical Marijuana Registry Program began in 2001, no new conditions have been added.

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