Allowing patients to use medical marijuana in hospitals has always carried a significant risk since cannabis remains illegal on a federal level, and is not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But, BayCare, Florida’s leading not-for-profit health care system is paving the way for integration of medical cannabis into their hospital policy with their new Medical Cannabis Release and Waiver of Liability.
Currently, the Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) reports that there are now over 700,000 medical marijuana cardholders in the Sunshine state. This means more than a half a million Florida residents have been medically diagnosed with a condition that allows them to legally purchase and use medical marijuana products as a way to treat and alleviate their symptoms. Many of these patients suffer from debilitating and terminal illnesses which require frequent visits to the hospital, so it only makes sense that hospitals begin to allow legal medical marijuana patients to take cannabis products during hospitalization.
BayCare’s Medical Cannabis Release and Waiver of Liability allows legal Florida medical marijuana patients to take medical cannabis products during hospitalization. However, there are some specifications to take into consideration. Signing of this waiver does not permit any physician, nurse, or other medical staff to provide or administer medical cannabis to a patient. When a patient signs the waiver, they agree to take full responsibility for both providing and administering the product(s) to themselves. The patient must also agree to properly secure and store any cannabis products and remove them from the premises immediately following discharge.
A DocMJ patient was recently hospitalized for COPD and viral pneumonia and shared with us his personal experience as a medical cannabis patient.
“On admission, I offered that I was a Medical Cannabis patient, taking 75mg CBD RSO every morning and 50mg THC RSO every night. (RSO is Rick Simpson Oil, a very popular concentrate, which is consumed orally. RSO is a valuable medicine because it contains ALL of the health-giving cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc. that G-d put in the Marijuana plant.) Thus, Rick Simpson deserves his own abbreviation (RSO).
The staff assured me that I could take my own Medical Cannabis, and that I just needed to let the nurse know, and consume it in her presence. My admitting physician had to give his approval and I was then allowed to hold onto my own Cannabis medicine. There was a short waiver of liability form to be signed, as well. The nurses were mostly supportive, and receptive to short discussions on the topic.
I do not know whether vaping or smoking would have been allowed (probably not for me, anyway, due to my pulmonary diagnosis). I was allowed to keep my Medical Cannabis medicine with me. This all seems rational and reasonable. We need to educate some of the religious-oriented hospital systems, remind them that Marijuana is G-d’s plant.”
As medical marijuana use becomes more and more popular, we can only expect to see laws and regulations change and evolve. If you are interested in getting your Florida medical marijuana card, schedule your risk-free appointment with one of our compassionate medical marijuana doctors today! You can book your appointment online at gtcwebdev9.com/. Once your appointment is booked you will meet with your DocMJ doctor for your required in-person exam. If you qualify, your physician will enter your information into the Florida Medical Marijuana Registry and you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to apply for your medical marijuana card. It’s that simple! Be sure to check out our patient testimonials to hear how medical marijuana has improved the lives of so many.
Aaron Bloom, an experienced healthcare attorney, serves as the CEO of DocMJ and Medwell Health and Wellness Centers, where he has overseen the organizations’ mission and growth since 2016. In addition to his leadership roles, Aaron serves on the Board of Directors for Waterfall Bank, bringing his expertise in healthcare, compliance, and strategic growth to the financial services sector.
Aaron’s passion for improving patients’ lives stems from more than 20 years of owning, operating, and representing traditional healthcare organizations. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to finding better ways to relieve suffering and expand access to innovative, patient-centered care. As CEO, Aaron works each day to help patients achieve better health and wellness through the therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis and other evidence-based alternative medicines.