Puerto Rico Certifies its First Medical Cannabis Doctor
Dr. Michael Soler is the first medical doctor on the island of Puerto Rico to get licensed to prescribe patients medical cannabis.
In order to legally obtain medical cannabis, patients must have at least one of 14 qualifying conditions, which include Alzheimer’s, cancer, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, HIV, migraines, persistent muscle spasms, severe nausea, etc.
It was by coincidence Dr. Soler became the first doctor permitted to prescribe cannabis to patients. He stated in an interview that his involvement as a trailblazing cannabis doctor, “was a coincidence . . . I completed all my requirements and submitted all my documents in a timely manner and I became the first one. He also said that his good luck came because he was best prepared. At the time, applications had been submitted from about 40 doctors who were certified by Puerto Rico’s Department of Health. Dr. Soler is the only doctor who has been certified so far.
Dr. Soler also explained that while qualifying patients are already able to legally obtain their recommendations for cannabis, the actual cultivation of cannabis is just beginning, so patients will have to wait until November for cannabis to be available.
Although Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean Sea, it is a territory of the United States. Medical cannabis is very prevalent in the United States, and the federal government has backed down from prosecuting those operating within state and city guidelines regarding medical cannabis. For these reasons, it appears that Puerto Ricans who would like to get a medical recommendation for cannabis should have little legal repercussions to fear.
Like many other places around the world, this is a great first step toward legitimizing a life-saving plant.
