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But retailers alone can effect limited <br />change in medical patient <br />registration rates in medical-only <br />states; actions taken by regulators, <br />public health officials, and physicians <br />could be far more influential: <br />A state’s list of qualifying medical <br />conditions must be inclusive of <br />common conditions and symptoms <br />which research affirms can be managed <br />or improved by cannabis. <br />Chronic pain and anxiety are some of the <br />most widely experienced medical conditions in <br />the country, and medical research has found <br />that symptoms can be managed effectively by <br />cannabis in many situations, yet not all states <br />recognize these as eligible conditions in their <br />medical programs. <br />Regulators must consider the cost—in <br />time and money—of becoming a <br />registered patient. <br />Requiring too many trips to the doctor, <br />specialist consultations, or excessive fees <br />severely limits which patients can have access <br />to cannabis as medicine (but not who can <br />access it on the illicit market). Many patients <br />who would benefit greatly from medical <br />cannabis—especially as a less expensive <br />alternative to other medication—are not able <br />to afford navigating the many steps required <br />of them to obtain a medical registration card. <br />States should also consider how long patient <br />registration is valid—for example only <br />requiring registrations to be renewed every <br />two or three years for chronic conditions <br />instead of annually. <br />Medical and nursing schools must <br />teach comprehensive, up-to-date <br />research and findings related to <br />medical cannabis. <br />While there is cannabis-related continuing <br />medical education (CME) available in many <br />states, it is not required and usually only <br />appeals to physicians already knowledgeable <br />or interested in medical cannabis. Despite <br />such widespread use—including medical use of <br />cannabis—many prospective doctors can still <br />complete medical school without studying <br />recent literature on cannabis. <br />CANNABIS CONSUMERS IN AMERICA 2023: PART 328 © New Frontier Data, All Rights Reserved. <br />Page 279 of 322