RECOMMENDING CANNABIS IN VERMONT

A medical professional who wishes to recommend medical cannabis must be licensed under chapter 23 or chapter 33 of Title 26, and licensed with authority to prescribe drugs under Title 26; an individual licensed as a naturopathic physician under 26 V.S.A. chapter 81, an individual certified as a physician's assistant under chapter 31 of Title 26, or an individual licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse under chapter 28 of Title 26. This definition includes individuals who are professionally licensed under substantially equivalent provisions in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, or New York.

The recommending health care provider must demonstrate a bona fide health care provider-patient relationship through a treating or consulting relationship of not less than three months duration, in the course of which a physician has completed a full assessment of the registered patient's medical history and current medical condition, including a personal physical examination.

Create a Healthcare Professional Provider Account here.

Medical Applications, Forms & Submission Information

Qualifying Medical Conditions:

• Cancer
• Multiple sclerosis
• HIV or AIDS
• Glaucoma
• Crohn's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (requires attestation that the patient is undergoing mental health therapy for their condition)
• Medical conditions that produce one or more of the following symptoms also may qualify: wasting syndrome, chronic pain, severe nausea, or seizures.

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the First Amendment. Established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that found doctors and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options.

More resources for medical professionals can be found here.