Frequently Asked Questions
Medical Marijuana in Palm Coast, Florida
1. Are you a dispensary? Do you sell products?
No, we are strictly a physician medical practice that does medical evaluations to certify that you indeed have a qualifying medical condition in alignment with state law. We have no direct or indirect involvement with dispensaries. There are no cannabis products on site or being sold from our office. We derive no financial or other gain from dispensaries.
2. What conditions qualify?
See our Contact Us page for a list of conditions that could potentially qualify.
3. Why do you ask for medical records to confirm my diagnosis?
The state program is set up for medicinal use, not yet for recreational use.
4. What medical records are needed?
Any medical records that state your diagnosis. This could be a letter from your doctor/provider, an office visit note, a problem list, a cancer pathology report, disability paperwork, etc., as long as your diagnosis is listed.
5. What are your fees?
Your certification visits will be with Dr. Bernard. The costs are $250 for a new patient initial certification visit or discounted to $150 if a US veteran or have a cancer diagnosis. Transfer new patient initial certification visits (already have a Florida medical marijuana ID card and switching doctors) are $169 or discounted to $150 if a US veteran or have a cancer diagnosis. Follow-up visits every 7 months are $169 or discounted to $139 for cancer/veteran patients as you must be re-certified as a qualified patient each time. The state will allow you to have 7 months to be able to visit a dispensary. You must separately pay the Florida Department of Health $75 each year to process your ID card application (see Question #11).
6. Why do you give a discount to cancer/veteran patients?
As on Oncologist, Dr. Bernard has witnessed first-hand the physical and financial devastation that cancer and cancer treatments cause for patients. As a fellow veteran, Dr. Bernard witnessed how difficult the toll of military service can be on those serving our country.
7. Why do I have to pay a non-refundable booking fee to schedule my appointment?
We do not double book patients or have a walk-in clinic, so there are no patients waiting to take your slot if you do not show for your appointment. You have an appointment slot confirmed for you and you only as we respect your time and your schedule. We do our best to stay on time. (The booking fee is credited to the certification visit fee due when you show for your appointment.)
8. Is telehealth available?
Not for patients new to a practice, but patients who have seen Dr. Bernard in person to be certified at least once before, can do a telephone call for follow-up visits.
9. Why must I have follow-up visits?
The state law requires patients to have continual re-certification.
10. How long am I able to purchase products from a dispensary?
The state will allow you to have 7 months to be able to visit a dispensary. You will be due for your 7 month follow-up re-certification visit with Dr. Bernard when this expires.
11. Do I have to have a state ID card?
Yes, you must have a state approved medical cannabis ID card from the Medical Marijuana Use Registry to purchase cannabis. Once initially certified as a patient with a qualifying condition, you get a Patient Registry ID# that allows you to complete the Florida medical cannabis ID card application. You must separately pay the Florida Department of Health $75 to process your ID card application, but you do not pay any Florida sales taxes when you purchase your cannabis. It is tax free. Most patients are approved by the state the same day.
12. How do I submit my state ID card application?
The Florida medical cannabis ID card application can be submitted electronically online if you have a working e-mail address and you can get into your e-mail account. Or it can be mailed to the Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Electronic submission processes faster than mailing.
13. How long does it take to get my state ID card after submitting my application?
Electronic submission of the application will process much faster than mailing the application. You will likely get approval immediately using electronic submission if your Florida driver license or Florida state ID is up to date with the DMV. So that means you can start purchasing from dispensaries the same day you have your visit! You will first get a temporary card e-mailed to you, then your physical card will come later by regular postal mail. If mailing the application, it could take several weeks to months to get your ID card.
14. How long is the state ID card good?
The ID card with the state expires after 1 year. Each year, you will have to pay the Florida Department of Health $75 to get a new ID card made and mailed to you.
15. What is the difference between CBD that I can buy without an ID card compared to CBD that the dispensaries have?
The CBD that you can buy online, in vape shops, in some doctor’s offices, in nutritional stores, in massage spas, etc. is derived from hemp. Hemp is versatile and is grown for many uses such as for food, fuel, clothing, plastic, paper, construction materials, among others. Hemp has essentially no THC and can lack many of the hundreds of other cannabinoids and terpenes that contribute to the “entourage effect” of medical cannabis. The dispensaries’ products come from the flowering part (bud) of the cannabis plant that contains all these ingredients, which working together, produce medicinal effects that treat a wide variety of conditions. Most patients will get superior relief of symptoms by the dispensaries’ products that are grown specifically for medicinal use. The dispensaries have low-THC cannabis (rich in CBD) for those seeking to avoid a high but desire the maximum medicinal effect.
16. Is high-THC cannabis available?
Yes, low-THC cannabis (does not cause a high, rich in CBD) and high-THC cannabis (medical marijuana) are both available from dispensaries.
17. Can my employer fire me if I have a card and a drug test finds THC?
Employers can set their own policies. Some employers understand that many patients benefit from the medical use of cannabis, and as long as the patient has a medical cannabis ID card and are not an occupational hazard, finding THC is not a cause for termination. Other employers have a zero-tolerance policy and will terminate if THC is found regardless of the patient having qualified for a medical cannabis ID card.
18. How do I schedule an appointment?
Appointments or referrals can be made on the Home page. Appointments can also be made on the Medical Services & Pricing page or by calling the office at 1-866-737-9333. Referrals and medical records can be faxed to 1-386-291-6756.
19. What do I need to transfer care from another marijuana doctor?
You will need to request that your physician deactivate from you in the registry. Alternatively, you can log into the “Your Profile” section of your Medical Marijuana Use Registry account and click the button that says “Leave Your Current Physician”, and you can deactivate yourself. We will still need medical records confirming your diagnosis. At your appointment, Dr. Bernard can then activate you under him.
20. How do I know if a medical practice is legitimate?
For sure they must be following Florida law. This includes seeing the physician, not a non-physician staff member, in person for at least the first visit. Telehealth can be used for follow-up visits thereafter as long as you have seen that physician doing telehealth in person to be certified at least once. In addition, only physicians, not non-physician staff members, are legally allowed to certify patients and put in cannabis others. Ask who puts in the cannabis orders. No other non-physician staff member should be accessing your Medical Marijuana Use Registry account to certify you or put in your cannabis orders. Some other common sense methods to determine if a practice is legitimate/reputable/ethical is to Google the practice. Do they have a website? Do they have reviews? Is the physician you will be seeing, along with their picture shown on the website? Do they have their prices and frequency of doctor’s visits listed on their website?
21. Will having a medical marijuana card affect my VA benefits?
According to the VA website “Veteran participation in state marijuana programs does not affect eligibility for VA care and services” https://www.publichealth.va.gov/marijuana.asp
22. Are you really open on the weekends?
Yes, we work some Saturdays as we know everyone cannot come in for a visit during the week due to work or other obligations. We are also open on select Sundays. Looking forward to seeing you soon. Dr. Bernard.