NuggMD offers Conn. telehealth evaluations for medical pot

People seeking medical marijuana to treat health conditions now have a broader choice when it comes to finding someone to do telehealth evaluations.

New York City-based NuggMD launched specialized telehealth evaluations in Connecticut this week. With the addition of Connecticut, NuggMD now serves individuals in 11 states.

Overall, company officials say they have connected more than 700,000 patients to medical marijuana doctors since 2016.

NuggMD was able to enter the Connecticut market because state officials have revised medical marijuana policies due to COVID-19. A year ago, Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order allowing residents to receive medical marijuana evaluations via telemedicine during the duration of the pandemic.

The cost of a medical evaluation by one of NuggMD’s physicians for Connecticut residents is $149. Evaluations are available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, with no appointment necessary.

A Connecticut resident who wants a medical marijuana card, which is required for someone to purchase cannabis from a dispensary, needs an evaluation from a licensed physician.

Kam Babazade, NuggMD’s co-founder and chief operating officer, said the most at-risk cannabis patients “no longer have to brave public waiting rooms to get the relief they need.”

“This is a huge step in the right direction to help everyone stay healthy,” Babazade said in a statement.

Connecticut decriminalized small amounts of cannabis possession in 2011. The medical cannabis program was signed into law the following year.

To qualify for use of medical marijuana, Connecticut residents must have one of the more than three dozen qualifying conditions, which cancer and post traumatic stress disorder. The state also has 10 qualifying conditions for individuals under the age of 18.

Dr. Michael Urban, a senior lecturer at University of New Haven and the director for the school’s doctorate program of occupational therapy, said the effectiveness of using telehealth for medical marijuana assessments depends upon the type of condition being assessed.

“If it’s for a mental health condition like PTSD, it’s actually the preferred method,” he said. “For some people with PTSD, just going out in a public setting creates a lot of anxiety. It can overstimulate them.”

But if the assessment is being done for a musculoskeletal condition, Urban said the use of telehealth presents both pros and cons.

“You really need an in-person assessment, because you can’t do certain maneuvers, certain things you need to do in order to see if the individual is accurately portraying their condition,” Urban said.

Hearst Connecticut Media file photo Workers at Advanced Grow Labs of West Haven, one of several growers in Connecticut that supply medical marijuana, in 2018.