GeneFo has created a free state-by-state guide for fibromyalgia patients with detailed and relevant information on how to use and to apply for medical cannabis.
Updated to March 2018, the guide was designed to provide patients and caregivers with a single platform where they can find all the information they may need to gain access to medical cannabis.
It includes legal information, patient’s rights, lists and links of online applications, forms to download, and important tips, all according with each state established laws.
The guide also gives fibromyalgia patients important tips on how they should prepare for a doctor’s visit on this matter, and lists of medical cannabis doctors nearby.
Full access and detailed information for GeneFo’s guide to medical cannabis is available here.
“The growing number of states that qualify fibromyalgia or its symptoms for the medical use of cannabis is great news for patients,” Neer Ziskind, CEO of GeneFo, said in a press release. “We trust that this free resource will help more fibromyalgia patients secure an additional therapeutic avenue and improve their daily living.”
Growing evidence suggests that medical cannabis has the potential to treat fibromyalgia-associated chronic pain.
An online survey conducted in 2014 by the National Pain Foundation, which included 1,339 fibromyalgia patients, revealed that 62 percent of the respondents found cannabis “very effective” in treating their symptoms. They reported that it was far more effective that any legally approved drugs.
Results of clinical trials have also demonstrated that medical cannabis is safe and can have a beneficial affect on pain management. These studies also showed that cannabis can improve other fibromyalgia symptoms, including sleep and mood, potentially contributing to a better quality of life for patients.
However, the lack of robust clinical data prevents doctors from recommending medical cannabis because its effects on patients is not fully understood.
This alternative therapeutic option remains federally illegal in the United States. Still, in recent years, many states have legalized cannabis for valid medical purposes.
As of March 2018, four states — and a fifth pending approval — have listed fibromyalgia as a qualified medical condition, and 23 states consider chronic pain as a qualifying symptom.
“However, the process of getting a card approval is not smooth in most states, and requires gathering information and documents, clinical certifications, and administrative forms,” Ziskind said.
In most states, patients must give proof of their diagnosis or qualified condition provided by a primary care doctor. They also have to register in that state’s Medical Marijuana Program to obtain a medical marijuana card or authorization to visit dispensaries and purchase medical marijuana products.