Alzheimer's Disease and the Georgia Medical Cannabis Card

“Alzheimer's disease”

Proof of a qualifying diagnosis is required. Certification is a clinical decision by the physician, and no outcome is promised. Certification is not a prescription.

Neurology, geriatrics or memory clinic notes, cognitive testing scores, and brain imaging reports.

• Alzheimer's disease is documented through neurology, geriatrics or memory clinic records. The diagnostic file usually contains cognitive testing such as a MoCA or MMSE score, a neuropsychological evaluation, and brain imaging — CT or MRI, and in some cases amyloid PET or cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers — used to support the diagnosis and exclude other causes.
• For certification purposes the clearest record is a note from the neurologist, geriatrician or memory disorders clinic that states the diagnosis and the date it was made. Primary care notes that document an established Alzheimer's diagnosis and ongoing management, including prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors or memantine, also evidence the diagnosis.

The process is the same for every qualifying diagnosis: you book and pay on the telehealth platform, complete your intake forms, and upload your diagnosis documentation and identification. Once that is complete your appointment is confirmed. You join by video, Dr. Shri Parimi verifies your identification and reviews your documentation and history with you, and makes a clinical decision. After a successful visit the State of Georgia emails you, you pay the state fee, and the card is mailed to you. See the six steps in detail or review the two separate fees.

Many patients do not have their documentation in hand, and that is workable. You can ask Dr. Shri Parimi to request records from your treating physician with your written permission, or bring what you already have — a discharge summary, a portal printout, a laboratory result — and discuss the rest at the visit. Proof of a qualifying diagnosis is required before any certification can be made, so the earlier you start gathering records, the smoother the visit.

• ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Cancer
• Epidermolysis Bullosa
• Hospice Care
• HIV, Stage III

See all 18 qualifying conditions