Colorado’s medical marijuana industry surpassed a $1 billion value last year. As a trailblazing state for legalizing marijuana, 84,197 Coloradans now use it medicinally.
The ever-growing medical marijuana market proves it’s a valuable alternative medicine. It helps those with chronic pain, from which 600,000 Americans suffer. Other conditions that benefit from medical marijuana include mental illness, sleep issues, cancer, and musculoskeletal disorders.
Medical Marijuana’s popularity makes it that much more important to know the Colorado medical marijuana laws. There are specific do’s and don’ts in place to ensure safe usage.
Here’s what to know about all things medical marijuana.
Colorado Medical Marijuana Laws
While it’s true marijuana’s legal in Colorado, it’s not without its own conditions. Before knowing which laws apply to you, consider whether you’ll be growing it or buying it. The laws vary depending.
Laws for Growing Medical Marijuana in Colorado
The basic rule for medical marijuana growers is that you can have up to six marijuana plants with up to three flowering at once. Depending on where you live in Colorado, local counties may have different regulations.
Check your county’s laws to see how Colorado medical marijuana laws change based on geography, as well as the number of people in your home.
All growers must be over the age of 21 with plants kept in enclosed spaces. Homegrown medical marijuana’s for personal use only.
Colorado Medical Marijuana Card Laws
Obtaining a medical card’s easy with a few simple steps. You’ll need to:
- Have proof of residency
- Undergo verification by law
- Provide social security number
- Have a primary caregiver’s referral
- Provide information about the qualifying condition
- Complete an application
- Submit proper documents
Like anything else, getting a medical card’s a process. It’s a great chance to learn about Colorado dispensaries and Colorado state medical marijuana laws.
Patients can have two ounces of medical marijuana at any given time. It’s a good idea to have local meal delivery services on hand to have food around while you’re using it.
Colorado Medical Marijuana Laws and Workers Compensation
Medical marijuana—though legal—gets tricky when it comes to the workplace. Marijuana violates federal law, which is why marijuana’s prohibited in the workplace. Though it’s been legal since 2000, it’s standard for employers to initiate drug testing.
Employees should communicate any concerns they have about medical marijuana laws and worker’s compensation to their employer.
If someone’s injured and has marijuana in their system during the incident, the worker’s compensation can be cut in half. It’s an ongoing point of contention, given that marijuana remains in the system for days beyond ingestion.
Marijuana’s Medicine
When tending to medical conditions, the last thing you want to worry about is breaking laws. The best thing you can do before using medical marijuana is learning Colorado medical marijuana laws. That way, you can kickstart your healing without a second thought.
Among your caregiver, Colorado dispensaries, and your own research, there’s no shortage of people ready to support you. The focus should be on healing. Take care of the logistics first and the rest will fall into place.
For more on choosing health to be your best self, check out our latest blog posts!