First Timer’s Package
California Medical Marijuana Recommendations
Call for your appointment (510) 550-7500
Or schedule on-line
What should I expect?
For patients who are seeking relief from symptoms, this package is designed for you. It includes: evaluation for a medical marijuana recommendation, personalized treatment plan, one -year internet verifiable medical marijuana recommendation, follow-up appointment in 4-8 weeks to assess progress and adjust plan accordingly, and free access to all Naturally Healing MD classes.
The First Timer’s Package is designed to address the challenges facing patients trying to treat medical problems with cannabis: lack of medical guidance – the REAL problem with medical marijuana. With over 50,000 products on the market and many geared towards getting high, how does a patient seeking symptoms relief from marijauna safely begin? Which product? What dose? How should adjustments be made over time?
Naturally Healing MD’s focus is on providing medical guidance. With more than 17 years of experience and 10,000 patient visits, Naturally Healing MD’s experienced physician provides a personalized treatment plan based on YOUR needs, designed to ensure a patient’s safe start and an efficient route to effective usage.
How should I schedule?
The package can be scheduled on-line. If you do not see an appointment that meets your needs, please call the office at (510) 550-7500. Physically disabled patients should call the office in advance of scheduling, so suitable arrangements can be made.
Naturally Healing MD typically serves only ten or so new patients a week, while continuing its work with the many many long-term patients it has had the pleasure of serving and learning from over the past 18 years!
What is the cost?
The First Timer’s Package is $199. Naturally Healing MD accepts cash, check, Paypal or Venmo. We do not accept debit or credit cards.
Can Marijuana help me?
Medical marijuana is one of the most versatile and effective drugs available today. The most common conditions among Naturally Healing MD patients are pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression. Marijuana is appropriate for a wide-range of patients – from individuals suffering from occasional bouts of pain (such as headaches or menstrual cramps), to patients with chronic problems (such as arthritis, back pain, depression, insomnia, and anxiety disorders), to patients with life threatening diseases (such as cancer, AIDs, and advanced neurological disease).
One of the primary goals of the First TImer’s Package is to provide evidence-based, scientifically grounded answers to patient’s questions about the likelihood that cannabis can help them.
How long will my appointment take?
Please arrive 15 minutes in advance of your scheduled appointment and allow 75 minutes for the entire process. This includes street parking, paperwork, physician appointment, medical marijuana recommendation, and follow-up appointment scheduling.
Naturally Healing MD strives to operate an on-time appointment schedule and by and large we succeed. But, sometimes we end up running 15 to 30 minutes behind. While rare,to minimize its consequences, we hope patients can schedule their appointments with a cushion of time to weather this unforeseeable hazard. If that is not the case, please alert us to your time constraint upon arrival at the office.
What should I bring?
Patients should bring to their appointment; your State’s identification document (state identification or driver’s license). If they are not available, please bring your Passport.
Medical records are not required. If accessible, bring them! They may be useful in helping the physician better understand your medical history.
How should I prepare for my appointment?
To get the most from your appointment, Naturally Healing MD BEGS you to PREPARE by:
Reading the New Patient’s Guide.
Deciding which symptom (if you have more than one) is most important to focus on for your initial treatment plan (while cannabis can be used for a variety of symptoms, to begin usage it is enormously useful to focus on one particular symptom).
To further enhance your understanding of Naturally Healing MD’s approach, you can watch the hour long on-line video of Dr. Vollen’s San Francisco library talk, which will introduce you to her, the science behind cannabis, and a few patients who share their medicinal cannabis experiences with viewers.
What will I get?
You will receive a medical marijuana recommendation, if your symptoms are likely to improve with cannabis use, a personalized treatment plan that includes mode of medicating, what product to use, how often, and a titration schedule to adjust your dosage in the first week’s of use. A follow-up, scheduled within 4-8 weeks of your initial visit, will review progress to date with cannabis and provide a follow-up treatment plan, incorporating any desired changes.
What about a Medical Marijuana Card?
Your package includes a doctor’s recommendation , which is your legal document necessary (along with a California ID) to purchase medical marijuana products from a medical cannabis dispensary.
Patients can also purchase a wallet-sized photo ID card to present to dispensaries (rather than a piece of paper), for an additional cost.