Back in November 2018, the good people of Missouri voted to legalize medical marijuana. Applications began to be accepted July 4th 2019.

Here’s some information about getting those paws on a medical marijuana card.

Qualifying Conditions

Qualifying conditions include seizures, terminal illnesses, chronic migraines, and glaucoma.

The Missouri amendment even describes “a chronic medical condition that is normally treated with prescription medications that could lead to physical or psychological dependence…” basically, when a doctor thinks that medical marijuana would be safer than the usual prescribed medicine.

You can literally apply online

Right here ya’ll https://health.mo.gov/safety/medical-marijuana/how-to-apply-pi.php

To apply, you have to get a an active Missouri-licensed physician to complete the Physician Certification Form, which can be downloaded from the health.mo.gov website. This will have to be uploaded to the application.

You will need to provide your government-issued ID, as well as a photo of your face taken within the last 3 months.

To apply for yourself, you must be over the age of 18. A parent or guardian can apply for candidates under 18.

The online application does also require a $25 fee.

Applying in-person

There are many physicians in the St. Louis area who believe in medical marijuana. Depending on the location, for a fee they will help you with the application process.

The Missouri Marijuana Card is one of several clinics who are eager to provide help and education. Their website has loads of helpful information. Visit that website here.

Be on the lookout at your favorite head shops. Stores like Peace of Mind will host a day when qualifying patients can come fill out applications and receive guidance from an active physician.

As always, be safe with your marijuana consumption, whatever the use may be.

If you’re anything like I was in my first few years of college, you turn to a smoke sesh to reduce stress and anxiety.

However, self-medicating in this way is difficult to measure how much you’re taking in. Especially if you’re getting your green the old-fashioned way, you may not know the exact strain, or how much CBD vs. THC is in your plant. It may be comforting to smoke a bowl before a big presentation, but it may result in increased paranoia.

In this post, I will discuss how cannabis can help or hurt anxiety disorders.

Everybody’s got anxiety.

Anxiety itself is a 100% natural emotion for all animals. Without a healthy amount of anxiety, conducting everyday tasks would be so much more difficult. If you weren’t worried about paying the bills, would you get up for work?

Yeah yeah, blahdy blah, a fair amount of anxiety is good. But I’m sure you readers have gotten to a point when stress becomes too much. An excessiveness of worry, fear, and apprehension leads to anxiety disorders.

If your nerves are affecting you physically, or if they are discouraging instead of motivating, there is a problem there.

Cannabis may be a solution to the problem.

First of all, let’s remember the two main cannabinoids in cannabis–CBD and THC. THC is what produces that high, “stoned” feeling. CBD though, it’s non-psychotropic–it doesn’t do the same screwy brain stuff that THC can lead to.

As for which one is better, there isn’t a perfect answer. It depends on your personal symptoms and needs. Research has shown a connection between the use of cannabis and panic attacks. Other research has shown that cannabis could alleviate the affects of stress.

“THC in cannabis has been shown to be more anxiety-inducing, while CBD has shown to be more anxiety-reducing.”

https://www.anxiety.org/is-cannabis-an-effective-treatment-for-anxiety-what-research-shows

In an interview on greatist.com, cannabis educator Emma Chasen recommends “a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of THC to CBD” to be the most effective for stimulating euphoria, while keeping anxiety at bay.

An additional factor are the physical flavors and smells of individual cannabis plants, called terpenes. If you’re familiar with essential oils, the effects are pretty much the same; lemon and lavender flavors and smells are naturally calming and relaxing to the body.

The big three terpenes for anxiety reduction are limonene, linalool, and beta-caryophyllene. Leafly is a great website (and app!) that can name terpenes in individual strains.

My personal recommendation is to take your doses slowly and at a controlled rate. Figure out what amount works for you.

For very high anxiety, like the overwhelming, debilitating kind, get your medical card and talk to an expert. These people are INCREDIBLY smart, they know what strains are best for specific anxiety disorders.

As a quick conclusion, small sample sizes limit the results of the research about cannabis and anxiety. So far, it looks like CBD is more a friend of anxiety, while THC is a paranoid enemy.

As always, be safe with your cannabis consumption in whatever form it may be.

I can’t lie, I love talking about myself. And cannabis.

Hey ya’ll. My friends call me Bre. I’m a 21 year old college student in the St. Louis area. I am a regular consumer of different forms of cannabis, and I have a little experience in the expanding cannabis industry.

An Informal Mission Statement

What I want for this blog to attempt to change the stigma on marijuana. Weed is funny, the topic is silly, the Cheech and Chong image in everyone’s mind paints a comical picture.

However, there are serious, historical, and scientific aspects to cannabis that aren’t taught unless you’re looking for it.

I hope to explain complicated things in simple ways, and keep things updated and fun. “Roll up a joint…or don’t” (Kacey Musgraves), and let’s toke about it.