Is Medical Marijuana and Recreational Marijuana Really All that Different?

Medical marijuana and recreational marijuana are the most famous yet deeply misunderstood concepts of marijuana.

The line between the two is so blurry that even regular cannabis users get confused over which one is what.

The line between the two is so blurry that even regular cannabis users get confused about which one is what.

The fact that both are legal in many states while cannabis is illegal doesn’t help either.

This left people in confusion about which type of cannabis to approach. Should they use medical marijuana use or recreational marijuana? Is it medical marijuana or recreational marijuana?

Recreational marijuana

Also famous for adult-use cannabis is a law that allows buying cannabis for people above 21 years of age.

Currently, 19 states have legalized recreational marijuana, and these states let people get cannabis without a prescription from an MJ doctor.

Medical Marijuana

Medical cannabis is a growing field of using marijuana to deal with incurable diseases and their symptoms.

More than a million people use medical marijuana to treat conditions like chronic pain, nausea from chemotherapy, depression, etc.

And although recreational marijuana is treated somewhat like buying alcohol it is not the same as medical marijuana.

And since it is not entertained as a pharmaceutical medicine the FDA does not approve of any cannabis-related products at the medical cannabis dispensaries.

What makes them so confusing to distinguish?

So as you can see there is not much difference between the two both in terms of laws and use. Also, many Ohio medical cannabis card users buy medical marijuana through adult-use dispensaries.

How to make out a difference then?

You can easily understand the difference by looking at these factors:

Dosing

Medical Marijuana	Recreational marijuana
Since more amount of medical marijuana is needed to treat symptoms buyers can get higher amounts and doses of it.	There is a limit on the number of recreational marijuana users can get from a dispensary.
Currently, in Ohio, the patients have a limit of 8 ounces of flower over 90 days. Or 5.3 ounces of higher potency marijuana.	Currently, in Ohio, an adult over 21 years can purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis.

Taxes

Patients who use medical marijuana have to pay significantly lower taxes on cannabis than non-medical marijuana users.

On the one hand, some people use adult-use cannabis and have to pay 18-26% tax (depending on the state). In contrast, medicinal cannabis users only have to spend 8% of taxes everywhere.

It is a good point for patients who need medication for regular use and separates adult-use cannabis from the medical use of cannabis.

Buying limit

If you are an adult-use cannabis user, you might already know that you cannot buy more than a limited amount of edibles and concentrates, but that is not the case for medical users.

According to the needs of patients, they can buy almost twice the quality of cannabis a rec user can buy.

The intent of use

This one is quite obvious, recreational cannabis users take cannabis to unwind, get high or socialize better with their peers.

But patients do not have the liberty of using it just for fun, they take medical marijuana to treat the symptoms caused by incurable diseases and depression caused by terminal illnesses.

Is there any way to determine or check the quality of the cannabis you buy?

Yes, there is a way you can learn about the quality of any legal cannabis you buy. And the way to do that is by learning everything about the item you buy from your end.

Follow these two steps to determine the quality:

First, check the lab results.

Almost every state that allows buying legal cannabis mandates that the cannabis must pass through testing in private laboratories.

Tests are conducted to detect toxins, such as pesticides and heavy metals, in the cannabis plant and its products.

This makes it a perfect way to check the quality so you can start your search from there.

Search for the laboratory

This step is to make sure that the lab that tested your product is legit and reputable.

Many labs have been accused of manipulating test results, so you need to look for labs that have been fined or penalized for falsifying test results.

If you are sure that the results are not forged and the product is safe, pure, and labeled to be of the highest quality then you can rest assured.

Which one is better recreational or medical cannabis?

Having read so much about the differences between recreational and medical marijuana, it must be pretty clear where the benefits lie.

Correct, medical marijuana has the most benefits both in terms of quality and quantity.

Here are some of the reasons why medical is better than recreational:

Medical cannabis comes with its own set of benefits over the recreational one which includes

·        Low tax deductible expense

·        Less to no retail markup on medicinal cannabis

·        You can get insurance coverage for conditions eligible in your plan

·        Many veteran programs provide affordable services to patients who cannot afford it

·        You get access to products all the time, which means no need to worry about the product going out of stock

·        Access to a wide variety of products

·        Fast delivery of their products

·        No restriction on location-related use because patients can take their medication anywhere they want.

·        The higher limit for per-person possession of cannabis

·        Increase the growing limit as you can cultivate up to 25 plants

Final words

There are many ways in which recreational and medical cannabis differ and you can also discuss it with your Ohio medical cannabis card provider.

Doctors who specialize in this field are the most reliable sources to clarify your doubts and consume marijuana more safely and easily.

Also, it is important to take the advice of an expert before starting self-treatment because that is dangerous and you might end up harming yourself more than you would cure yourself.

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