Tulsa Business Busy With Medical Cannabis Exams

A Tulsa business is offering $200 Medical Cannabis Exams.

This is the first step in the process to get a medical marijuana license which Oklahomans can start applying for this weekend.

Oklahomans applying for a medical marijuana license will need several forms and one of them is a recommendation form from a doctor. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority said that form can be signed off by any doctor with a DO or MD alongside their name. 

8/23/2018 Related Story: Oklahoma Physicians Express Concerns About Medical Marijuana

Staff at the Restorative Wellness Center said since they’ve started offering Medical Cannabis Exams, the phones have been ringing off the hook. 

For many patients, they say the $200 exam is a small price to pay for the possibility of a future without pain or mental illness. 

I'm a single dad, I've got sole custody of my son ... I work every single day," said patient Dylan Morris. "I have very, very bad anxiety and depression like it's bad childhood type stuff."

Patients who want to start the process will fill out paperwork detailing their symptoms and medical background. 

From there, the patient will receive a mental and physical screening. 

“What is it that really they are trying to get treatment for," said Dr. Joshua Livingston with the Restorative Wellness Center. "It's important that they truly have a medical need for this."

Livingston said he tries to treat every patient as a person and not as a drug seeker or addict. 

"Giving an opportunity that may and hopefully does work for them that they haven't had before this point is really exciting," Livingston said. 

Records show the state board put Dr. Livingston on probation for 5 years for overprescribing opioids. His probation was terminated in March.
He believes cannabis can be an alternative to more addictive or ineffective treatments.

“Using cannabis for pain is a really good alternative that has no risk for overdose, a very low potential for addiction and a pretty high success rate in most patients," Livingston said.