For loved ones of someone that’s ill, usually most of the care for that patient falls on those people. So a caregiver in a patient’s life is usually a person that has to go get groceries, deal with all the basic day to day functions of life. For a caregiver who is treating someone who needs cannabis it’s really important what state they live in.

So, if you are a caregiver to someone with cancer, MS, or chronic pain in one of the 17 states where medical cannabis is legal then you are actually able to get an identification card and, again depending on the state law, are able to go and purchase cannabis for that patient, or even grow cannabis depending on what the regulations look like.

If you’re in a non medical cannabis state that doesn’t mean that someone that you’re looking after wouldn’t benefit from medical cannabis. If that’s the case, and the doctor and the patient have decided that they want to try this treatment, I would just urge you to be extremely careful. The illicit market isn’t some big, scary, horrible place for marijuana, but it’s not the easiest way to get this medication.

This is why there is a huge movement around the country trying to pass laws to make this legal so that if you are in a situation where someone you love is going through a situation where they need medical cannabis you can simply get an identification card, and go to a store, and purchase it instead of driving down random alleys looking for a medication that is going to help your loved one be more comfortable and possibly even save their life.

Again, as a caregiver it’s important for you to know the laws just as well as a patient does. Depending on what state you’re in you’re going to have more or less rights to help that patient with their medical cannabis use.

All of this information, as far as the legality and steps you can take to help procure medical cannabis for a patient you’re taking care of, is on our website americansforsafeaccess.org.