Our Perspective on Safe Access

Safe Access
Any American can have safe access if they follow a few simple rules. Here’s how the Constitution, the Compassionate Use Act of California, and the Affordable Care Act work together to allow anyone to see a California doctor and get a California Medical Cannabis Card and recommendation.

The Constitution
Article IV, Section 1, of the US Constitution, better known as the Reciprocity Clause, says: “Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the Public Acts, Records, and Judicial Proceedings of every other State.  And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.”

Put simply; Article IV, Section 1, of the US Constitution ensures that each state honor and respect the laws and court orders of other states, even when their own laws are different.

The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (Prop 215)
The Compassionate Use Act of 1996, a California Law, allows patients with a valid recommendation from a California physician to use medical cannabis to treat various ailments and conditions. Just as many Americans chose to seek out-of-state medical specialists, Americans can choose to see a medical cannabis specialist.

The Affordable Care Act
Under a provision in the Affordable Care Act, patients can see their doctors through telemedicine services from the privacy of their homes. It allows health care professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients at a distance using telecommunication technology.  Internet based video conference calls enable their doctors to write prescriptions and make recommendations in a legal and accepted way, without leaving home.

California-based telemedicine physician services are available to everyone. For the doctor appointment, medical card, and recommendation, the costs can vary.  It involves a teleconference appointment with a CA doctor who will evaluate you, give you a treatment plan, a physical medical cannabis card, and a signed recommendation.  Legally, under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, this is the same thing as the patient traveling to CA to see the doctor in person.

In order to be in compliance with California state laws, every patient must obtain a doctor’s recommendation from a California licensed doctor. This legally makes you a California patient under the protection of the Compassionate Use Act.  Although you may live in another state, you become a California patient. After the recommendation from the physician is emailed to you, you can then join a collective, such as Higher.Health, and order your medicine. As a California patient, you are responsible for keeping your medical card up to date.  Renewal is once per year.

General Medicine Guidelines
As with all medicine, keep out of reach of children and pets, do not drive or operate heavy machinery, do not resale or distribute, and do not share.  Medicate Responsibly.

Delivery

Higher.Health uses Priority Mail to ship directly to patients in nondescript packaging, no labels indicating the contents or sender, protecting the privacy of each patient member. If you have questions you can email us directly at info@higher.health, use the Contact page, or click the envelope icon in the lower right corner of any page on our website.