Photo by Harrison Faux
The state of Oregon legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Almost thirty years earlier, the state had become the first in the country to decriminalize the possession of marijuana when voters approved a measure that had marijuana possession relisted as a minor traffic offense. In 2014, Oregon voters made recreational marijuana legal, which included legalizing growing and selling marijuana in the state.
Oregon has always been at the forefront of cannabis rights in the United States, but can you get a medical card for ADHD in Oregon? If you or a loved one lives with ADHD and you’re wondering how marijuana could help manage the symptoms, keep reading for what you need to know about obtaining a medical marijuana card in Oregon for ADHD.
Qualifying Conditions for Medical Marijuana in Oregon
In Oregon, you may be eligible for a medical marijuana card if you have one of several qualifying medical conditions. Ballot Measure 67, which made it legal to use cannabis medicinally in 1998, lists the following conditions as suitable for medical marijuana:
- PTSD
- Severe Pain
- Nausea
- Muscle Spasms
- Seizures
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Cachexia
The ballot measure leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation when it comes to conditions that qualify for medical marijuana use. This is because “severe pain,” “nausea,” and “muscle spasms” aren’t conditions as much as they are symptoms. If a person suffers from an illness, disease, or condition that features severe pain, nausea, or muscle spasms as symptoms, they could qualify for a medical marijuana card even if their condition isn’t listed on its own.
That said, the state does list dozens of conditions as sub-entries along with those three symptoms, which may qualify a person for a medical marijuana card. A small sample of those symptoms include:
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chronic Back Pain
- Vertigo
- Peptic Ulcers
- Lumbago
- Severe Joint Pain
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So Can You Get a Medical Card for ADHD in Oregon?
Although Oregon law is relatively lenient when it comes to medical conditions that may qualify a person for a medical marijuana card, ADHD is not one of the conditions the state deems acceptable. Therefore, you cannot get a medical card for ADHD in Oregon.
However, if you have a different medical condition that’s on the state’s approved list or one that causes nausea, severe pain, or muscle spasms, you may be able to get a medical marijuana card to treat it.
How Cannabis Interacts With ADHD
Even though you can’t get a medical card for marijuana in Oregon, you may be wondering how cannabis might influence your ADHD symptoms.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common neurodevelopment that usually manifests in childhood. It can cause a range of behavioral symptoms that affect a person’s daily life, including:
- Forgetfulness
- Daydreaming
- Fidgeting
- Carelessness
- Risk-taking
- Talkativeness
Although it often starts in childhood, the condition generally progresses to adulthood. Adults can develop symptoms of ADHD as well. Those symptoms may overlap with the ones children develop and can cause issues at home, at work, and in their personal relationships.
How marijuana affects ADHD symptoms hasn’t been conclusively determined. In fact, there is some contradictory information between studies, with the results of some showing a positive connection between medical cannabis and ADHD and others showing less optimistic signs. Some studies suggest that marijuana could be responsible for temporarily alleviating some ADHD symptoms. However, any improvement that people with ADHD might experience is believed to be short-lived.
According to other studies, cannabis could be responsible for making the symptoms of ADHD, like the inability to pay attention or remember things, worse. There’s also reason to believe that cannabis could interact dangerously with certain medications that are used to treat ADHD, which could jeopardize a person’s overall health. A smaller sampling of studies indicates that cannabis might not have an effect at all on ADHD symptoms.
Schedule an Appointment with a Medical Marijuana Doctor in Oregon Today!
Cannabis has not been approved to treat ADHD in Oregon, but if you have another qualifying condition and you’re interested in seeing how medical marijuana could help you better manage your symptoms and live a happier, more enjoyable life, you should meet with a medical marijuana doctor to discuss your options.
Green Health Docs believes in the power of marijuana to restore health and help people healthier. We’re committed to helping patients connect with resources for medical marijuana, obtaining medical cards, and finding medical marijuana dispensaries where they live. If you’re interested in learning more about how medical marijuana can help you, schedule an appointment with us today.
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Anand Dugar, an anesthesiologist, pain medicine physician and the founder of Green Health Docs. Graduating from medical school in 2004 and residency in 2008, Dr. Dugar has been a licensed physician for almost 20 years and has been leading the push for medical cannabis nationwide.