Medical marijuana alternate treatment: Anu Doddapaneni

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Medical Marijuana is an alternative treatment for various conditions, Anu Doddapaneni, the Chief Operating Officer of NY Medical Marijuana Associates, said in an interview to Desi Talk.

“We want people to start using medical marijuana, to treat their illnesses, instead of opioids and narcotics, as those lead to major side effects including addiction,” Doddapaneni said.

Doddapaneni added that there is a certain type of stigma that is associated with marijuana as it is a drug, but medical marijuana is different.

“It is important to see marijuana as a whole. Medical marijuana, unlike the narcotic drug, does not get people ‘high.’ In fact, pharmacists tailor the medicine for each patient so they get the right dosage,” she added.

NY Medical Marijuana Associates was founded by Doddapaneni, along with Dr. Najeeb Hussaini and Christian Reyes, and it provides online medical marijuana certifications for patients residing in New York State, according to their website.

NY Medical Marijuana Associates also provides video consultations, which allows a patient to see a doctor when they are at home, with the same kind of privacy and confidentiality.

“Here at NY Medical Marijuana Associates we firmly believe in the benefits medical marijuana can bring to a broad spectrum of ailments. Our multilingual staff and doctors are fluent in English, Spanish, Hindi, Urdu and Telugu,” it states on their website.

To obtain a certification, a patient must be at least 18-years-old and have at least one of the following conditions:

• Chronic Pain
• Neuropathy/Radiculopathy
• Opioid Use
• Cancer
• PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Epilepsy
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Acute Pain Management
• HIV/AIDS
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Spinal Cord Injury With Spasticity
• Huntington’s Disease

Patients must also have one of the following associated or complicating conditions: cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe or persistent muscle spasms.

At NY Medical Marijuana Associates, a patient just has to follow three steps to obtain a certification: (1) proof of age as well as New York State residency, (2) pay for a review of your medical records at https://www.nymedimarijuana.com/medical-record-payment, to determine eligibility and (3) complete the Medical Intake Form and submit your medical records.

Once a patient receives their certification, they will be able to register online for a medical marijuana card with the Department of Health.

The certification will be given for one full year. However, it may vary by patient.