This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on January 9, 2014.
You want to get your medical marijuana card but have no medical records documenting your pain, what do you do? Millions of Americans fall in this situation because they do not maintain health insurance or they simply fail to visit the doctor.
No one can tell my Uncle Frank that he does not have severe and chronic pain from his knees. He walks in constant pain, and while he has excellent health coverage, he does not see a doctor or get a knee replacement like he should. Assuming I could convince my uncle that marijuana could help his pain (he would never listen to me) he would not be able to supply medical records to a certifying physician, that is unless he creates a pain journal of his own (see article image).
The US Government considers a pain journal to be a relevant medical record and is often a major consideration when applying for social security benefits. In fact the American Medical Association and other medical organizations advocate that patients use a journal to better track treatment and efficacy of medicine.
Maintaining pain journal records after you get a card will make it easier for your certifying physician to assess the efficacy of medical marijuana against your condition.
It is advised to track about a month of your pain before seeing a doctor, however, as we mentioned in the beginning of this article you should see a doctor immediately if you require immediate medical attention.
Find a medical marijuana physician in your area by visiting pro.marijuanapatients.org.