Approval

©2022 Michael Raven

Well, that was, erm, less difficult than expected.

The quick rundown: I’ve been trying to find ways to manage my pain for the past twenty years. I’ve tried all the recommended traditional routes (well, not all, but enough to discount most classes of pain management tools). One method seems to have some promise for me, but is not easy to come by in Minnesota: Medical cannabis. I tried the non-hallucinogenic compound, CBD, and it seemed to have some impact, but the cost/relief trade-off wasn’t worth it. It just cost too much for the strength I was able to obtain at the time. When THC edibles became legal to purchase (very low concentrations, must be extracted from hemp, very costly), I gave it a whirl to see if it was effective. It showed more promise than CBD, but has two dings against it: manufacture is unregulated and uncontrolled, and my response was all over the place (hence, the concerns I had about quality control). Unfortunately, medical cannabis is under strict controls around here. And street options don’t give me the control to avoid the euphoric elements (I know, I’m strange in not wanting to get high as a kite).

I was previously put through the wringer when I had investigated medical cannabis as an option, treated like a street junkie and was disrespected in a large number of ways by this jerk that had the audacity to call himself a pain management “professional”. It was a total waste of both of our time, as he had decided I was ineligible before he even met me. He even told me he didn’t think I could afford the costs. Didn’t ask, just dismissed my ability to pay by looks alone.

I went to my medical cannabis evaluation today with trepidation, fully expecting to be rejected outright again. He asked me what brought me to the point where I wanted to consider medical cannabis as an option and gave my practiced spiel about wanting to microdose and have consistency and… He put up a hand after the first few sentences. “Congrats,” he said, “I’m approving you for medical cannabis.” Then he looked at me for a moment. “Now, let’s quit with the justifications and persuasion so we can discuss the important stuff. Just tell me in plain words what’s ailing you so I can make a record of your conditions.”

Like that, I am approved, he submitted my application to the State and made some recommendations about what to look for and options to discuss with the pharmacist.

Once the State approves his recommendation, I’m able to purchase from a dispensary.

And I was all set to be annoyed on my way to the visit…