As a patient does his or her own research, try to match one’s particular condition to the data being found to ensure its relevance. Gather the research and share it with your doctor, helping them to know your seriousness about trying cannabis as a therapy.

Engage in a conversation

If a doctor is reluctant to recommend or prescribe cannabis, understand his or her reasons to ensure you consider the points being made. For instance, what if cannabis or CBD isn’t suitable as a therapy for the condition in question? Sometimes a side effect can be more problematic than the condition being treated.

In the U.S., some jobs test for cannabis use and a positive test can lead to being fired. It’s important to understand all possible options, as well as all of the ramifications of those options on the table. Take care to avoid needlessly putting yourself or your job at risk.

Discuss what cannabis can treat specifically

While there appears to be a body of anecdotal evidence claiming that some conditions have been “cured” or gone into remission thanks to cannabis use, cannabis and CBD can also provide relief from symptoms. Inflammation, which is common in a great many conditions — ranging from a bad cough to autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis — is one such symptom that CBD has been shown to help alleviate.

Some research shows cannabis and CBD can not only offer therapeutic benefits on their own, it has been reported to also make drug therapies prescribed by a doctor more efficacious. So, the conversation with a doctor need not be about replacing current therapies with weed or CBD, but rather how the therapy regimen can be tweaked or augmented.

Trust your doctor

With all the hype around cannabis and CBD, some will claim that cannabis can “cure” a condition. This is great for receiving some hope, but it might be a false hope. Medical advice may be what’s in order. Some conditions respond better to cannabis-based therapies than others, and some cannabinoids have side effects, such as THC, which makes a person feel “high” and can impair his or her motor function and cognition.

Lastly, if a person chooses to experiment with CBD or cannabis on his or her own, let your physician know. In the U.S., CBD products can be purchased online or in a wide range of stores country-wide. A doctor doesn’t need to prescribe cannabis in legal states, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea in the dark about trying it.

Cannabis and CBD are medicines. While the safety profile of cannabis is very large, some therapies are “contraindicated” to cannabis, meaning that if a person is using one of these medicines or therapies, cannabis use could at best make that therapy less effective or, at worse, be dangerous to health.