Colorado MMJ Laws to See Big Change in November 2019
Some exciting changes in Colorado MMJ laws are right around the corner for the medical marijuana patient living in Colorado. Beginning November 14, 2019, laws which were passed earlier in the year and officially approved by the Board of Health on September 18 will go into effect, marking major changes in the state’s cannabis industry. As noted in a previous blog, the year 2017 saw 3.7 million opioid prescriptions written in Colorado, with 1,635 prescription opioid-related deaths between 2013 and 2017. Colorado averaged a drug overdose death every 9 hours in 2017, with more than half attributed to opioid use. However, Colorado counties with MMJ dispensaries experienced 6-8% fewer opioid overdose deaths and 10% fewer heroin overdose deaths between 2009 and 2015. New Colorado Medical Marijuana Laws take a step toward fighting the opioid crisis by allowing medical providers with prescribing power to prescribe medical marijuana for any condition that warrants prescribing of opioids. Doctors will now be able to treat their patients with either MMJ, opioids, or a mix of the two at their discretion. These new medical marijuana cards (for opioid-related conditions) will be valid for up to 60 days rather than the standard one year that medical marijuana patients with other conditions currently enjoy.
In a law passed on World Autism Day, families can now turn to medical marijuana to treat symptoms of autism, as Autism Spectrum Disorder is now on the list of approved conditions. Families who have reported complications from Autism medications which led to liver and kidney problems now have MMJ as an alternative treatment. Another challenge some autism sufferers deal with includes sensory overload, which can lead to episodes of self-harm and aggression. The hope is that medical marijuana can help reduce these episodes, without the harmful effects brought on by the use of some addictive pharmaceuticals.
Medical professionals with “prescribing power and a valid license to practice within his or her scope of practice” can now recommend medical marijuana for more debilitating medical conditions, which opens the door for easier access to MMJ for a wider variety of patients. These new Colorado MMJ laws are helping drive the cannabis industry forward, and expanding the number of people who can now turn away from prescription pharmaceuticals and take advantage of the natural healing power of medical marijuana.
Call us at Medical Alternatives Clinic in Colorado Springs today at (719) 246-0393, or email us at hello@medicalalternativesclinics.com with your questions or to request an appointment with our MMJ doctors in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. We are here to help you discover the best possible treatment option for your situation and offer our recommendations on which medical marijuana treatment may work for you. We want to assist you in any way we can to achieve relief from your symptoms and we are happy to provide you with a copy of any paperwork you need for your records.
