The Medical Marijuana Business is Blooming

By Glory Fagan C-O Reporter editor@mycameronnews.com

In recent months, Cameron has secured a place on the Northwest Missouri map as a cultivation and dispensary destination for all legalized forms of cannabis. Marijuana was sanctioned for medical use by Missouri residents in 2018, followed by approval for recreational use in 2023. Medically, marijuana is used to alleviate pain and nausea for chronic conditions ranging from cancer and epilepsy to glaucoma and migraines. These and other qualifying conditions enable those suffering from a plethora of illnesses to apply for a Medical Marijuana card to achieve an improved quality of life through a state-approved alternative means of treatment to traditional healthcare.

With a medical marijuana card, those seeking full THC cannabis can pull up to the drive up window at Bloom, located at 121 South Walnut in Cameron, for a number of forms, such as marijuana flowers, pre-rolls, oils, edibles, tinctures and vapes, offered to accommodate patients with various physical and mental health conditions.

However, as marijuana is only stateapproved and not federally legalized, many healthcare providers can or will not prescribe it. Since Cameron Regional Medical Center and its practitioners receive federal funds though Medicare and Medicaid, they will not prescribe medical marijuana and prohibit its use or possession in all of their facilities. Not only is medical marijuana not subject to federal reimbursement, most private insurance will not pay for it.

In addition to the issue of funding, without evidence-based studies and randomized and double-blind trials, hospital guidelines do not permit its authorization for patients. According to Dr. Laura Harbison, a CRMC doctor at the Walnut Medical Clinic, though there might be anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of medical marijuana for certain conditions, without FDA monitoring or approval, there is no standardized dosing. However, she said medical marijuana can be effective to combat nausea for cancer-related treatments and chemo toleration. It has been known to help those with epilepsy and for pain management. Dr. Harbison said of her patients who choose to procure medical marijuana somehow anyway, “Go right ahead. But please tell your healthcare provider in case there are any medical interactions.”

In November 2022, Missouri voters approved Constitutional Amendment No. 3, which revised existing constitutional provisions regarding medical marijuana and legalized recreational marijuana for adults ages 21 and older. The Missouri Hospital Association provides guidelines for hospitals, which in theory protect those who prescribe marijuana for medical use, but “until the state and federal government are on the same page and marijuana use is not in violation of DEA regulations, Cameron Regional and its providers will not be prescribing it,” said Dr. Harbison.

As marijuana is now legal in Missouri for recreational use, some seeking medicinal cannabis but without a prescription might choose to go that route. However limitations on possession amounts and a tax structure favors sanctioned medical use make this less than ideal. Another option for patients is to apply online for a medical marijuana card through agencies that connect patients with specialists who assist with the card-approval process.