So I have recently experiencing really bad anxiety attacks for the last 6-9 month to the point that I can't sleep most nights. I'm not the kind of guy that likes going to the doctor or hospital or any reason, and I hate taking pills. That's why it took me so long to finally go to my doctor and ask what my options were. I explained to him how I didn't want another pill, but I needed help with something, and he ask my view on medical marijuana. I'm no stranger to weed, never smoked myself, but most of my father's side of the family, and may of my friends have over the years. I know the medical benefits of it, and have never been opposed to it. My concern was by the time I was ever offered that I was looking for a job, or at a job with random drug screenings, and I always looked at it as getting high wasn't worth my job.
I told the doctor how I felt, and that I would have to talk to some people and we could go from there. The following day when I got to work I ask my boss what the company policy was on medical marijuana, and he just kind of had a small laugh and told me he believed that it still wasn't allowed even with a medical card, but told me to ask the guy who is in charge of a lot of our medical and safety policies. So I sat down with him to ask, and he sat there in silence for a second just looking at me kind of unsure of how to answer. Once he snapped out of it he tells me there really isn't a policy on it yet, but it had been briefly discussed before. He told me that given my position that he didn't think it would be a problem, and to go forward with continuing talking to the doctor, while he worked something out for everyone. so I made an appointment for the next week, and he told me a few days later that I would be fine if I got approved.
Now that I had brought this up to my employer it has had my anxiety even higher than normal, and I still had to wait over a week to find out if I would even be approved. I should also note that the doctor that I have to see isn't my PPC, I have to see a doctor that is certified to proscribe it. I was also worried that this doctor wouldn't approve me given that anxiety isn't a condition that the state allows it to be prescribed for. On top of all of this the appointment cost $200, and then another $50 to get your card. Also my girlfriend is looking to get her card as well for her chronic knee pain. By the time all is said and done we are looking at spending $500 on this, and we struggle as it is some weeks.
So the day of our appointment comes, and we go together, and as we are filling out our paperwork to be seen, they ask why you want to get medical marijuana, and as I said anxiety isn't an option that the state looks to approve it for, so I just left it blank and would see what he would say. We talked to him about what was going on, and he put me down for PTSD, and signed off on it. The funny thing I find about this is that they give you a free t-shirt with your visit, so I tell my girlfriend that those are the most expensive shits we own, and to not ruin them.
Now that I have been approved I had to go online and pay for the card, and have to wait for it to be mailed (We applied and paid for it 6/27/19). As of writing this we have not received our card, and are still waiting. Through my research I've heard it take people anywhere from 4 days - 4 weeks, but most people get them within the 5-7 business days. Without having our physical cards we still can't go to a dispensary and pick anything up, so we are patiently waiting for our cards to arrive.
Also now that I am approved, that brings a whole new wave of anxiety. You would think this would make me calm down, but now that I am approved my girlfriend and I feel we should talk to our mothers about it. We know my dad's not going to care, but our mothers have always had more strict look at the matter. My girlfriend called her mother right after our appointments , and her mother just went off on her and yelled at her for a good 15 min about how she didn't approve of this kind of treatment. She than continued to yell at her via text for the rest of the day, and we haven't really talked to her since. I told my girlfriend to she should have just talked to her in person next time we went to visit, but she insisted on calling. We have yet to tell my mother, and are still debating on telling her this weekend when she visits. You might wounder why we want to tell our mothers about this, and that just because our mothers are a huge part of our lives, and help us with so much that we fell we should talk to them about it. After my girlfriend's talk with her mother it makes me more nervous and has may anxiety sky high about talking to my mother.
I would love any advice anyone might have on the matter of talking to your parents on the matter, and would appreciate your input. Also something I would like your help with is your opinion on starting a podcast where I interview other medical marijuana patients on why they got there cards, and how medical marijuana helps them with what they are dealing with. If you could give me some incite on that, and maybe some ideas for a name on the podcast.
Thanks to everyone who has taken time to read this, and I apologize if I kind of seem all over the place. Not a big writer, but I plan on making several video on the topic so please stay tuned for that.