Why you Should Tell your Doctor About your Marijuana Use

We are lucky to be living in Colorado for so many reasons. One of which of course is the legal use of marijuana. So why are you hesitant to talk to your doctor about your marijuana use?

Need a couple of reasons why you should talk to your doctor about marijuana? Read on.

1.       The whole picture

Discussing your marijuana use with your doctor can allow him or her to have the whole picture of your health. This in turn allows you to have the same picture. You trust your doctor with your health already, why not be honest so that you can receive care from a provider that has all of the facts? Being honest about your habits from exercise, sleeping to marijuana use can help you get the best care possible. And at the end of the day, who doesn’t want to receive the best care possible? This goes back to the old saying that all we have is our health.

2.       Education

Your doctor may not be the most knowledgeable person in the world about marijuana use. Until recently, medical school programs haven’t offered education about the use of marijuana in a medical application. If you consume marijuana for medical purposes and like the results, this may be worth sharing with your doctor so he or she is aware of your results. While this may not be considered scientific research, sharing your own personal experiences with your doctor can’t hurt. Share what you like or don’t like about your medical marijuana use so they can arm themselves with that anecdotal knowledge.  You may even find your doctor taking an interest in your personal experience with marijuana and is wanting to learn more.

3.       Minimize the Stigma

It may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but talking with your doctor about your marijuana use helps break down one more brick out of the wall of stigma so many of us still face. Starting the conversation may seem difficult, but once flowing, you may find yourself sighing with relief that you’ve ripped that Band-Aid off. Your open conversations with your doctor will get better and more comfortable at each visit. The more comfortable you both are, the better care you will receive which as discussed before is the whole point.

If you are concerned about your privacy and having marijuana use listed in your medical records, start your conversation by letting your doc know you would like this off the record and not written down anywhere in your charts.  Make it clear that you would like to have a confidential conversation about your lifestyle choices.