Affordable Medicinal
Cannabis

Introduction

Cannabis is a plant grown worldwide for its many uses and popularity as a recreational drug. Depending on its preparation method, it has many different kinds and names, such as pot, marijuana, kush, weed, hemp, hash, etc. There are many different strains or species of the plant, too, namely cannabis Indica, Sativa, and ruderalis. The most popular strains are Sativa and Indica.

Cannabis has been used for centuries in medicine and recreational use. It has also been an integral part of many religions. Evidence from civilizations such as Egypt, ancient Rome, India, and China shows the use of cannabis plants in treating conditions such as haemorrhoids, insomnia, and pain killers.

Cannabis and its beneficial effects, such as its use as a sedative, pain killer, anti-inflammatory, and anticonvulsant compound, were discovered in the western world in the early 1840s.

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Is Cannabis Safe?

One of the most extensive hurdles patients who have been prescribed cannabis for medicinal purposes face in transitioning from black market cannabis to safe, purified, and legal cannabis is the cost difference between the two options. This outrageous price gap between the two finished products causes many users to opt for the more readily available and cheaper option, the black market cannabis. It poses a few problems overall, the first being that, unlike medical grade cannabis, a supply obtained from the streets does not give the users a guarantee of it being purified.

The second problem is that cannabis found on the street is often tampered with, which can cause more harm than good for somebody with a preexisting health condition. The last and final issue a user can face is the availability of medical-grade cannabis. It is often harder to achieve from pharmacies and requires an extensive process with longer waiting times, which forces patients to buy the readily available black market cannabis. To combat these issues, the government and medicine industries must make cannabis more easily accessible and affordable so that the safety of sick individuals isn’t in danger.

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What Does High-Quality
Cannabis Mean?

Before we deem a weed strain as high quality, many crucial factors are considered. Some of these factors are the percentage of THC and CBD, microbiome count, microcannabinoids, and the terpene profiles of the plant. Although there are high-quality cannabis plants present even on the black market, it certainly does not reach the ultimate safety that medical-grade cannabis provides. The GMP standards and the regulatory checks medical grade cannabis undergo are simply impossible for black market cannabis. With this heavily monitoring, patients buying medical-grade cannabis know precisely what they’re buying. It would mean that quality comes at a specific price; however, it is simply not justified for prices to exceed 600 dollars an ounce for medical cannabis. The patient should make a well-informed decision after comparing prices.

Why Can Medical Cannabis
Be So Expensive?

Although it is easy to contribute the soaring costs of medical cannabis to corporate greed and capitalism, it is also advised to look into the field’s emergence. To make medical cannabis available to the public, it had to have crucial trailblazers. These groups had to fight an under-educated medical community in plant therapy and its benefits, an ignorant population and a fear-mongering media that made legalizing and giving the average citizen access to it very hard. However, these high prices seem to be changing as there are new home growers that create high-quality weed under 400 dollars an ounce. In countries like Australia, companies such as elevated extracts, grandiose and indeed all have pricing that often competes with the black market. In the wake of such safer options, users looking for high-grade cannabis will inevitably one day have access to a safe and purified supply of cannabis.

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Common Issues Faced

Resistance From The
Medical Community

The problem people face while obtaining medical marijuana is that most doctors do not support the prescription of unapproved cannabis-based drugs for chronic pains, anxiety, insomnia, depression, etc. Medical societies, in general, are often very reluctant to prescribe these medicines when there is a lack of evidence, safety, and efficacy. This resistance against cannabis-based drugs is even more heightened as new research shows possible drug interactions, liver injury, and risks to the patient with other psychoactive drugs. It almost makes it impossible for patients to be prescribed cannabis by their doctors, and with no prescription, they are forced to get their medicine from the streets.

Higher Costs

The other issue patients might face is that although results are inconclusive, the costs are daunting for many patients looking to relieve their chronic pain and other ailments. The access system to medical cannabis has, in a way, almost neglected the lesser wealthy population. These communities, at a greater risk of developing conditions such as cancer, depression, and anxiety, desperately need cannabis to relieve their symptoms. Even without adding all the fees required to obtain cannabis legally, medicinal pot is already almost twice the price of cannabis found on the street. In most countries, to require a medical cannabis permit, patients have to pay upwards of 200 dollars a year. Patients have to qualify for these registry cards, which are expensive and time-consuming and need multiple doctor visits.

Impurities In Most Strains

Unlike medical grade plants, unregulated cannabis that is often homegrown is not pure compounds. They contain an undisclosed and undefined concentration of not only CBD and THC but also a mix of other compounds like terpenes etc. Homegrown cannabis also has an added risk of being treated with pesticides that can cause adverse effects in already immunocompromised cancer patients.

Costs Of Cannabis Clinics

In countries like Australia, if a general practitioner fails to prescribe the required dosage of medicinal cannabis, there are specific clinics specialized in the field. This clinic helps to give patients CBD products like oils and oral sprays, but they are not affordable for most. They require virtual telehealth consultations that can cost up to 350 dollars for a single 15-minute call. Users are then to pay for the products that typically cost about an average of 0.14 dollars a milligram. With prescribed cannabis doses being almost 50 to 200 mg daily, these costs slim the chances of many patients getting safe and tested cannabis plants.

Nonsubsidized Rates

Despite cannabis now being legal for medical use in many states, it is still not subsidized by the government, which causes patients to carry the costs of their medical needs alone. It is harder for patients that not only have to pay hefty medical bills for their preexisting medical condition but now also have to pay yearly fees to get cannabis to relieve some of their symptoms. All these factors force people to obtain more unsafe and unregulated cannabis from the streets or the black market.

Different Methods Of
Administration & Their Cost

There are many different methods of medical marijuana available to administer it. There are efforts underway to legalize vaping, smoking & edibles for consumption, but they are not readily available.

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Vaping

Vaping is generally considered a much safer option than smoking. Vaping is a method that heats plant materials, oils, and waxes, and vapors are formed. Smoking has more side effects due to smoke from combustion and burning materials. Vaping doesn’t involve burning materials, so it is less harsh on the lungs. Although safer, it is one of the more expensive forms of administration. Vaporizer cartridges and coils keep dosing simple and consistent, but it needs a device that can get more expensive. It can cost anywhere from 200 dollars to 500 dollars. Desktop vaporizers used to vaporize cannabis flowers are sold in premeasured cups, making administration simple and consistent but more expensive.

A more affordable option is vape pens, which can cause as little as 25 to 100 dollars. It also requires cannabis oil cartridges that need to be refilled and changed but can vary in price depending on the size. Smaller cartridges that pack almost 250 mg cost around 35 to 45 dollars.

Syringes

Some patients looking to use cannabis can be alarmed by the thought of administering cannabis using syringes; it does not refer to anything injected into the vessels. Instead, syringes are plastic with plungers containing cannabis but do not come with needles. This method can be beneficial because it can make dosing very easy and patients can keep track of the dose administered. Tinctures are also syringes-like devices used to administer cannabis but are created using a small amount of alcohol and are more complex to make. Both syringes and tinctures are taken orally. 

Tinctures

Tinctures are taken sublingually or can be taken with food and drinks. Administering it sublingually can cause it to show effect earlier within half an hour but can have a bittersweet taste. Syringes are administered by swallowing them with food or beverages. Syringes are the most inexpensive way to administer cannabis and do not require a particular device. They are almost 30 dollars for a 375 mg bottle, while tinctures can be 45 dollars for a 300 mg bottle.

Capsules

Another inexpensive option is capsules filled with cannabis extracts. The capsules can be taken with water without tasting or odor. A 30 capsule bottle of 10 mg usually is for 35 dollars. The dose has to be prescribed by a doctor according to the patient’s requirements.

Lotions & Topicals

Topical lotions and creams are applied over certain areas for targeted pain relief. The amount is generally decided by the size of the area you are targeting. Although it is easier for patients of any age, it is slightly more expensive. A 2-ounce jar costs about 40 dollars. The onset of action requires a few hours to act.

Patches

Patches are also another topical way of administering medical marijuana that is released slowly into the system over a few hours. Patients can use around 1 or 2 patches daily, costing about 10 dollars.

Comparing Medical
Marijuana Prices

Patients can visit many medical marijuana treatment centres once they have a prescription for medical cannabis. These centres have varying price ranges, delivery costs, and discounts for veterans and new and old customers. The most efficient way to compare prices is to compare the costs per milligram.

Finding The
Right Strain

It is helpful to label cannabis plant strains in a way that would guide consumers in selecting the right strain for their needs. Although terms like India, hybrid, and Sativa are in everyday use nowadays, eventually, cannabis plants will be named more scientifically as chemovars. These profiles will better describe the plant’s THC, CBD, and various terpenes and their probable effect on the body. Finding the right strain is crucial for patients. A strain that fits your needs and fits into your lifestyle without having to break the bank but also not compromising on the quality is essential. One can discuss it with their doctor. Every patient has specific needs and results they hope to get from cannabis. To prescribe the right strain for every patient, many clinics such as neurology of cannabis have doctors at hand that can help navigate a new consumer to make the right choice at an affordable price.

Conslusion

Although medical cannabis at the moment can be out of the budget for many patients already paying medical bills for chronic diseases, the industry will undoubtedly have a breakthrough. With more home-based growers & affordable cannabis growing plants, the prices are slowly becoming affordable for the general public. These steps will ensure one day that all cannabis users for medical purposes will have access to safe and legal cannabis plants that have a distinct biological profile and effects.

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