Michigan Medical Marijuana Laws

Michigan — Proposition 1, a ballot initiative, passed with 63% of the vote in 2008. In late 2012, the Michigan Legislature made some additions and modifications to the act. Michigan’s medical marijuana act is codified at MCL § 333.26421 et seq. Rules are at Rule 333.101 et seq.

Qualifying for the Program: To qualify for an ID card, a patient must have a qualifying condition and a statement from a physician that the patient has a bona fide relationship with that physician and that the patient is "likely to receive therapeutic or palliative benefit" from the medical use of marijuana.



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Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Laws

Massachusetts — Question 3, a ballot initiative, passed with 63% of the vote in 2012. The citation for the law is Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 94C § 1-2 to 1-17. Rules are available at 105 CMR 725.000.

Qualifying for the Program: To qualify for protection from arrest, a patient generally must have a registry identification card issued by the health department. To obtain a card, a patient must have a qualifying condition and a statement from a physician with whom the patient has a bona fide relationship.



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Maryland Medical Marijuana Laws

Maryland — Twin bills HB 881 and SB 923 were passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Martin O’Malley in April 2014. The law is codified in the Annotated Code of Maryland at Section 13-3301 et seq. The 2014 law expands and renders effective a medical marijuana program first established in 2013, which relied upon academic medical centers to implement the law and distribute the medical marijuana.

Qualifying for the Program: In Maryland, physicians must apply to the Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Marijuana Commission before certifying patients. 



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Maine Medical Marijuana Laws

Maine — Question 2, a ballot initiative, passed with 61% of the vote in 1999. It was modified in 2002 by S.B. 611 and in 2009 by Question 5, an initiative that passed with 59% of the vote. Several modifications have been made since then. The law’s citation is Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit 22 § 2421 et seq. Rules are available at 10-144 C.M.R, Chapter 122.

Qualifying for the Program: Registry identification cards are voluntary for patients and for caregivers who are members of their patients’ families or households. They are mandatory for other caregivers.



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Topic: Fibromyalgia Blood Test Gets Insurance Coverage

Fibromyalgia Blood Test Gets Insurance Coverage

The founder of a bioresearch company that offers a controversial blood test for fibromyalgia says the test is now covered by Medicare and some private insurers. But questions remain about the viability of the test.

“Insurance has really been the big issue for us. That was the hump we really needed to get over,” said Bruce Gillis, MD, the founder and CEO of EpicGenetics in Santa Monica, CA. “We are a Medicare approved laboratory. It covers 100% of the test. We are getting private insurance companies that are reimbursing for the test. And we have gotten most Blue Cross Blue Shield agencies to pay for the test.”

EpicGenetics introduced the FM/a test in 2013, calling it the first definitive blood test for fibromyalgia, a poorly understood disorder that is characterized by deep tissue pain, fatigue, depression and insomnia. The test costs $775 and results are usually available in about a week.



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Illinois Medical Marijuana

Illinois: Gov. Patrick Quinn signed HB 1 into law on August 1, 2013, after it was approved by the General Assembly. The new law went into effect on January 1, 2014. In 2014, the law was expanded by SB 2636 to include seizure conditions and to allow minors to qualify. Medical cannabis rules were approved in July 2014.

Qualifying for the Program: To qualify for an ID card, a patient must have a qualifying medical condition and a statement from an Illinois-licensed MD or DO who is caring for the patient's condition.



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Hawaii Medical Marijuana Laws

Hawaii — S.B. 862 was passed by the Hawaii Legislature in 2000. It was the first medical marijuana bill to be passed legislatively. Its citation is Haw. Rev. Stat. § 329-121 et seq. The rules are at HAR Chapter 23-202.

Qualifying for the Program: To qualify for an ID card, a patient must have a qualifying condition and a statement from a Hawaii physician that the "potential benefits of the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the qualifying patient."



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Topic: Why Doctors Are Slow to Embrace Medical Marijuana

Why Doctors Are Slow to Embrace Medical Marijuana?

Public attitudes toward marijuana have changed considerably in recent years. Voters and legislators in 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, and nationwide polls show that most Americans now support legalization.

But the nation’s medical organizations – while intrigued about the potential for marijuana to treat conditions like chronic pain – have been slow to embrace cannabis. And most doctors still refuse to prescribe it, even in states where marijuana is legal.

Those conflicting attitudes were on display last week at the annual meeting of the American Pain Society (APS) in Palm Springs, California – a conference focused on pain research. Although the APS has no stated policy on marijuana, the organization chose as its keynote speaker one of the most prominent medical marijuana researchers in the world, Dr. Mark Ware.

“I’ve done presentations and sessions, and it always surprises people how much interest there is,” said Ware, who is a family physician and associate professor in Family Medicine and Anesthesia at McGill University in Montreal.

 “Cannabis gives people a window to come and learn, and while they’re learning about medical cannabis they can be learning about pain management and other things. It’s a very useful magnet to get people interested in a topic that’s obviously of enormous public importance.”



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Delaware Medical Marijuana Laws

Delaware — Gov. Jack Markell signed SB 17 on May 13, 2011. The bill is codified at Title 16, Chapter 49A of the Delaware Code. Following a February 2012 letter from the U.S. attorney for Delaware, Gov. Markell placed the dispensary portion of the bill on hold. Gov. Markell announced on August 15, 2013 that he would restart the program, but he did so in a much more restrictive manner than provided for in the law. The state will allow a single pilot dispensary, which could possess only up to 150 plants and have up to 1,500 ounces of marijuana.

Qualifying for the Program: To qualify for an ID card, a patient must have a qualifying condition and a physician’s statement that the patient is “likely to receive therapeutic or palliative benefit” from the medical use of marijuana. 



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Connecticut Medical Marijuana Laws

Connecticut — The Connecticut Legislature passed and Gov. Dannel Malloy signed HB 5389 in 2012. The law is available at Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-408 to 21a-408o. The effective date for part of the law — including for patients’ temporary registry ID cards — was October 1, 2012. The Department of Consumer Protection regulations are available at Sec. 21a-408-1 to 21a-408-70 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

Qualifying for the Program: To qualify for an ID card, a patient is required to have a qualifying condition and a physician's written certification stating that the potential benefits of the palliative use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks. 



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Colorado Medical Marijuana Laws

Colorado — Amendment 20, a constitutional amendment ballot initiative, passed with 54% of the vote in 2000. In 2010, two bills were enacted to amend the medical marijuana law, H.B. 1284 and S.B. 109. More minor revisions have been subsequently approved by the legislature. The citations of the statutes are Colo. Rev. Stat. § 12-43.3-101, 18-18-406.3, and 25-1.5-106 et seq. The constitutional amendment is Article XVIII, Section 14. Department of Health Rules on medical marijuana are available at 5 CCR 1006-2. The Medical Marijuana Enforcement Group rules are available online. The rule on residency is available at 1 CCR 212-1.

Qualifying for the Program: To qualify for an ID card, a patient must reside in Colorado and submit a fee and written documentation from a physician in good standing in Colorado certifying that the patient "might benefit from the medical use of marijuana" in connection with a specified qualifying medical condition.



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California Medical Marijuana Laws

California — Proposition 215, a ballot initiative, passed with 56% of the vote in 1996, and the legislature added protections by passing SB 420 in 2003. Some relatively minor changes have been made since then, such as a 2010 measure to add a buffer zone between dispensaries and schools. In California, the legislature cannot amend a voter-initiative, so SB 420 and other statutes enacted by the legislature are only supplementary. The laws are codified at Cal. Health and Safety Code §11362.5 and 11362.7 et seq.

Qualifying for the Program: California’s law is the only one to allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana for any condition. Medical marijuana can be recommended for “cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.” Patients may get a registry identification card from their county health departments, but cards are not mandatory and the vast majority of patients rely on a written recommendation from a physician.



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Alaska Medical Marijuana Laws

Alaska — Measure 8, a ballot initiative, passed with 58% of the vote in 1998, and was modified by S.B. 94 in 1999. The law’s citation is Alaska Stat. § 17.37.010 et seq.

Qualifying for the Program: To qualify for an ID card, a patient must have a qualifying condition and a statement from an Alaska-licensed physician who has personally examined the patient stating that “the physician has considered other approved … treatments that might provide relief … and that the physician has concluded that the patient might benefit from the medical use of marijuana.” A minor patient only qualifies with the consent of his or her parent or guardian and if the adult controls the dosage, acquisition, and frequency of use of the marijuana.



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Arizona Medical Marijuana Laws

Arizona — Proposition 203, a ballot initiative, passed with 50.1% of the vote on November 2, 2010. It went into effect when the election results were certified on December 14, 2010. The law is codified at Ariz. Rev. Stat. Chapter 36-28.1. The Department of Health Services issued rules on March 28, 2011. In 2011, the legislature passed two laws to undermine Prop. 203 — H.B. 2585, which adds the medical marijuana registry to the prescription drug monitoring registry, and H.B. 2541, which relates to employment law. In 2012, the legislature passed another law to undermine Prop. 203 — HB 2349 — which prohibited medical marijuana on college campuses. The next year, in 2013, the legislature passed SB 1443 to clarify that federally approved medical marijuana research could still be conducted at universities.



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The Twenty-Three States and One Federal District With Effective Medical Marijuana Laws

Twenty-three U.S. states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws that remove criminal sanctions for the medical use of marijuana, define eligibility for such use, and allow some means of access — either through dispensaries, home cultivation, or both. In addition, several states have laws that recognize the medical benefits of medical marijuana — or at least certain strains — but that do not actually provide access to medical marijuana due to federal law or policies. 

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Topic: 10 Important Lifestyle Changes for Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

10 Important Lifestyle Changes for Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

When you have fibromyalgia (FMS) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS), you hear a lot about the need for lifestyle changes.That's a pretty broad term, and the very thought can be overwhelming. What do you need to change? How much do you need to change? Where should you start?


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Topic: Brain Fog/Fibro Fog in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome What Causes It & What to Do About It

Brain Fog/Fibro Fog in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome What Causes It & What to Do About It

Brain fog (also called fibro fog or cognitive dysfunction) is one of the most common complaints of people with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS). For many, it can be severe and can have just as big an impact on their lives as pain or fatigue. In fact, some people say brain fog is more of a disability than their physical symptoms.

What Causes Brain Fog?



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Topic: Pacing 101: Knowing Your Body To be successful at pacing, you have to pay attention to your body and know your limits

Pacing 101: Knowing Your Body

To be successful at pacing, you have to pay attention to your body and know your limits



It can help to keep a journal or symptom log. Your goal is to answer these questions:

How much physical activity can I handle in a day or at a time?

How much mental exertion can I handle in a day or at a time?

What activities impact me most?

At what time of day do I have the most energy?

What symptoms are "early warning signs" that I've neared my limit?

Once you know these answers, you're ready to apply pacing techniques to your life.



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Topic: Pacing Yourself with Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Pacing Yourself with Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

When living with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, pacing is key to managing your symptoms. That's easier said than done with the busy lives most of us lead, but with some effort, you can learn to pace yourself.

Why is Pacing Important with Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) can really sap your energy. When your energy is low, each activity takes a greater percentage of the whole. As you've probably learned the hard way, when you overdo it, you pay a steep price.

I used to really push myself on good days, trying to catch up on everything. In one day, I'd try to do multiple loads of laundry, clean the kitchen, weed the garden and go to the grocery store. When my symptoms would start, I'd push myself harder, feeling like I had to get everything done before I felt so bad I couldn't do anything.

It wasn't long before I realized that only caused setbacks: one productive day would lead to three on the couch. Then I asked, How can I get everything done without making myself crash?

The answer is pacing. It takes practice, but after awhile, it gets to be second nature.



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Topic: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome

Important

It is possible that the main title of the report Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report. 

Synonyms

Algodystrophy

Algoneurodystrophy

Causalgia Syndrome (Major)

Reflex Neurovascular Dystrophy

RSDS

Sudeck's Atrophy

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Disorder Subdivisions

None



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