Anxiety may be a normal reaction when you find yourself in a stressful situation. However, it could also be a sign of an underlying disease when it becomes so excessive that it gets in the way of your daily activities.
If you find yourself in this situation, getting the best way to deal with your condition is usually on your mind. As a resident of Florida, you have probably searched online countless times: “Can you get a medical card for anxiety in Florida?” “Does anxiety qualify for medical marijuana?” Well, we have all the answers and more for you. Just keep on reading.
First Off, Is Weed Legal in Florida?
Whether or not weed is legal in Florida depends on what you need: medical marijuana or adult-use cannabis. Let’s elaborate…
Medical Marijuana
Medical marijuana is absolutely legal in the Sunshine State for those with qualifying medical conditions.
The Sunshine State legalized medical cannabis back in 2016, allowing patients who qualify access to MMJ treatments. It’s been awesome to see the medical benefits of marijuana playing out and helping thousands of Floridians since then. Even more exciting is that further decriminalization efforts are seeking to expand medical marijuana availability and regulations within the state.
To purchase medical marijuana in Florida, you’re going to need a medical marijuana card. (Don’t worry: that’s where Elevate Holistics comes in.)
Recreational Marijuana
For recreational purposes, the sale, possession, or use of marijuana is illegal in Florida.
More so, possession of 20 grams of cannabis or less is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one-year imprisonment and a fine of $1,000. On the other hand, possession or sale of over 20 grams of marijuana is a felony that can attract up to 30 years imprisonment and a fine of $50,000. Just don’t do it unless you’re a medical patient.
Because there are so many things you need to know about using weed in Florida, and we have a detailed blog post that you can check out here.
What is an Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent and excessive worry or fear of everyday situations. Symptoms include:
- restlessness
- fatigue
- difficulty concentrating
- irritability
- sleep problems
- increased heart rate
People with an anxiety disorder may also experience physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid breathing, muscle tension, headaches and stomachaches.
How Can Marijuana Help With Anxiety?
Medical marijuana can be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders due to its ability to reduce stress levels and provide relief from symptoms associated with anxiety disorders like panic attacks and insomnia.
The active ingredients in cannabis, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been shown to reduce the intensity of physical symptoms associated with anxiety disorders by stimulating serotonin receptors in the brain. This helps regulate moods and emotions.
Additionally, the Terpenes found in medical marijuana are known for their anti-anxiety effects that can help in reducing feelings of fear or dread caused by anxiety disorders.
In addition to providing symptomatic relief from the physical symptoms associated with anxiety disorders, medical marijuana has been shown to improve the quality of life in people with these disorders as it helps them break out of a cycle of rumination or negative thoughts they might be stuck in as a result of their condition.
It also helps reduce levels of stress hormones like cortisol, which can cause further distress if left unchecked. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that long-term use of medical marijuana can help patients learn better-coping skills, which could aid them in managing their anxiety on their own over time.
What Qualifies For Medical Marijuana in FL?
Does having anxiety qualify for medical marijuana? Technically, Florida doesn’t recognize anxiety as a qualifying condition for MMJ in the Sunshine State. However, this doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. We’ll explain.
To be eligible for a medical marijuana card in Florida, a qualifying physician must diagnose you with any of the following conditions:
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Seizures
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Terminal illness or chronic malignant pain caused by a qualifying condition
- Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to others listed
As you can see, anxiety is not one of the qualifying medical conditions for an MMJ card in Florida. So, the question remains: Can you get a medical card for anxiety in Florida? Currently, you cannot. Even though several states in the USA have anxiety on their list of medical conditions for MMJ cards, Florida does not.
However, there are ways our MMJ doctors can fit you into the existing conditions. For instance, your anxiety may cause you to have chronic malignant pain. It can also cause some people to have seizures. No matter what, there are ways our doctors can help.
While finding a helpful cannabis doctor may have been difficult in the past, it isn’t anymore. Elevate Holistics’ savvy medical marijuana doctors can show that a medical condition of the same kind or class as or comparable with what currently is on the list caused your anxiety. Our whole responsibility is to make sure you get the help you need — it’s as simple as that.
How to Get a Medical Card For Anxiety in Florida
In answering the question, can you get medical marijuana for anxiety in Florida? We need to first talk about the requirements that qualify you for a medical card in the state. According to Senate Bill 8A, “a qualified patient refers to a resident of this state who has been added to the medical marijuana use registry by a qualified physician to receive marijuana or a marijuana delivery device for medical use.”
From this provision, we see that the qualifications for an MMJ card in Florida include:
- Meeting with a certified physician and obtaining a medical recommendation for MMJ
- Being at least 18 years old
- Being a Florida resident
- To qualify, you must provide your proof of Florida residency. You are either a permanent resident or a seasonal resident. To establish that you are a permanent resident of Florida, you need to submit your photo ID and proper documentation
- Copy of a house deed or lease agreement
- State ID or Driver’s license
- Passport
- Utility bill (no more than two months old)
Senate Bill 8A also allows individuals who are seasonal residents to qualify.
According to the law, seasonal resident refers to “any person who temporarily resides in Florida for at least 31 consecutive days in each calendar year, maintains a temporary residence in this state, returns to the state or jurisdiction of his residence at least one time during each calendar year, and is registered to vote or pays income tax in another state or jurisdiction.”
If you fall under this category, then you may qualify for an MMJ card in Florida.
How Do I Get a Medical Card in Florida?
At Elevate Holistics, our goal is to make getting a medical card more accessible than ever. Here are the three simple steps you must take to get your MMJ card:
- Be diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition by a qualified physician: The physician must certify that you have any qualifying medical conditions. Later in this post, we talk about some of these qualifying medical conditions.
- Be entered into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry.
- Obtain your Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification Card
Please also note that for you to qualify for an MMJ card in Florida, you need to be 18 years of age or older. However, if you are under 18, you can apply with your parent or guardian as your designated caregiver who purchases your medical marijuana when you need it.
Click here for step-by-step instructions about getting your MMJ card in Florida.
How to Use Cannabis for Anxiety
Almost any form of dosage can work well for anxiety; the best choice mainly depends on what you prefer. The key difference lies in how quickly they start working and how long the effects last. Inhaled cannabis acts quickly but has a shorter duration, whereas ingested forms, like edibles, take longer to kick in—around 30 minutes to an hour—but their effects can last between 4 to 6 hours.
What If I’m Not Sure I Qualify for a Medical Card in Florida?
There is no need to panic if you are unsure if you qualify for a medical card in Florida. Elevate Holistics is here for you! We have a team of well-trained, board-certified MMJ doctors who are going to walk you through all the processes of getting your medical marijuana card from start to finish. Once we start operating in Florida in the coming months, you can be sure of accessing all our premium services.
Ready to Get a Florida MMJ Card? Elevate Is Coming to Florida Soon!
Can you get your medical card in Florida for anxiety? With Elevate Holistics, the answer is yes. We have a long list of satisfied clients who we helped access medical marijuana in the easiest way possible.
Soon, we will open our doors to Florida patients, and we want you to come on board. Subscribe to our mailing list to get updates on servicing our Florida patients and other juicy updates. (We promise not to send you unnecessary emails, either.)
Want to know more about medical marijuana in Florida? Read our MMJ FAQs here. We answer all your questions!
Curious about Florida’s medical marijuana card regulations? We’ve got a whole blog post about them.
Can’t wait until we start FL operations? We get it. Book an appointment through our partners at Heally instead. Just click here.
