How To Get Medical Marijuana

Posts Tagged ‘Medical Marijuana’

If you’re a resident of the “All For Our Country” state – Nevada – and need to get medical marijuana, the Nevada Medical Marijuana Program has been in existence since 2001 and has helped thousands of patients control pain and other symptoms related to certain medical conditions like cancer or seizures.

Get Medical Marijuana in Nevada

In order to get medical marijuana in Nevada, a patient has to submit a request in writing for an application packet with a check for $50 payable to the Nevada State Health Division. The written request needs to include:

• The address where the applicant can be reached.
• A request for a caregiver packet if the patient has a caregiver.
• If a request is being made for someone else, the name and address of that person needs to be included with the request.
• If a request is being made for a minor, include a request for a minor release.

The packet also will include a Physician’s Statement which requires a physician licensed with the state to provide proof of medical necessity for marijuana use by the applicant.

Chronic or Debilitating Medical Condition

Like other legal medical marijuana programs, the Nevada Medical Marijuana Program has specific guidelines about the types of medical conditions a patient has to experience in order to qualify. To get medical marijuana, a patient has to suffer from one of the following as documented by a physician licensed by the state:

• AIDS
• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• Or “a medical condition or treatment for a medical condition that produces, for a specific patient, one or more of the following:” Cachexia, also known as “wasting syndrome” where the patient experiences physical wasting or malnutrition associated with a particular condition; persistent muscle spasms including those caused by multiple sclerosis; seizures, including those caused by epilepsy; severe nausea; severe pain; or any other chronic or debilitating condition classified as such by the state, or per applicable state laws.

General Facts About the Program

For patients who qualify for the program, he or she may be in possession at any one time of no more than one ounce of marijuana, or three mature plants or four immature plants that are being cultivated. An “Immature marijuana plant” is a marijuana plant with no observable flowers or buds, while a “Mature marijuana plant” has flowers or buds easily observable by “an unaided visual examination.”

• There are 3,430 Nevada residents who hold registration cards as of July 1, 2012.
• For the one year period (July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011), the department received 1,143 requests for new card applications.
• Most card holders reside in Clark County – 2,325, with the rest in Washoe County (479) and spread throughout the state (626).
• An “attending physician” is defined in the law as a state licensed MD or DO with responsibility for the care and treatment of a person diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating medical condition.
• A “designated primary caregiver” is defined as a person 18 years or older with responsibility for the care and wellbeing of a patient diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating medical condition.
• The Nevada Medical Marijuana Program cannot refer patients to a physician.
• The Nevada Medical Marijuana Program does not refer patients to sources where they can purchase seeds to cultivate marijuana, nor to places where seeds or paraphernalia can be purchased.

For patients who wish to get medical marijuana in Nevada, the best course of action is to visit the state website and educate themselves about the process.

Colorado was an early adopter of a legalized medical marijuana program, and in the last 10 plus years thousands of residents with qualifying conditions have been able to get medical marijuana identification cards to control their pain and suffering. According to the state, 180,925 residents have applied to the program, with 98,910 possessing valid registry cards as of May, 2012. But it’s not just medical marijuana garnering attention in the Rocky Mountain State – residents are getting ready to vote on Amendment 64, which would legalize marijuana and provide the same regulations as those for alcohol. The end result? A cool $60 million to $100 million in state coffers.

As is the case with in other states, a person in the state of Colorado needs to fill out several forms and submit them to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for consideration. All forms submitted must be original, not copies, and include signatures of all concerned parties if possible: the patient, caregiver, and physician.

In 2001, residents in Colorado approved Amendment 20, tasking the CDPHE with creating and managing the Medical Marijuana Registry program. The program has been strengthened over the years with other statutes and bills either passed or pending, including:

• 25-1.5-106 (Medical Marijuana Program, powers and duties of department)
• 18-18-406.3 (Medical use of marijuana by persons suffering from debilitating conditions)
• 0-4-287 – Article XVIII of the Colorado Constitution (providing more clarity about patients, conditions, and medical use)
• Senate Bill 10-109
• House Bill 10-1284
• House Bill 11-1043

Qualifying Conditions

In order to receive a medical marijuana identification card and get medical marijuana in Colorado, a patient must meet certain medical requirements. According to the Colorado Constitution, the patient must suffer from one or more of the following “debilitating medical conditions:”

• Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or treatment for such conditions, or
• The “patient has a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that produces one or more of the following and which, in the physician’s professional opinion, may be alleviated by the medical use of marijuana:” Cachexia, persistent muscle spasms, seizures, severe nausea, and severe pain

But Not These

However, in order to get medical marijuana in Colorado, understand that not all medical conditions qualify. The following have been deemed insufficient to receive an identification card: Asthma, Atherosclerosis, Bi-polar Disease, Chron’s Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, types 1 & 2, Diabetic Retinopathy, Hepatitis C, Hypertension, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Opiod Dependence, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Severe Anxiety and Clinical Depression, and Tourette’s Syndrome.

Tips for Success

• Schedule an appointment with a doctor in good standing with the Colorado Medical Board.
• Renewal patients should submit their applications 45-60 days before their card expires.
• Only use the most current forms and applications available online.
• Fill out the forms completely, and use good penmanship.
• If you make a mistake, throw that form away and start with a fresh form or application.
• Forms should be signed and dated in the presence of a Notary, who in turn signs and dates the forms.
• Pay any required fees. Check with the CDPHE for details.
• Include all required IDs.
• Complete all required forms.
• Submit all forms in the same envelope.
• Submit all forms within 60 days of a doctor’s signature and within 10 days of a notary’s signature.

Finally, never assume that you can get medical marijuana in Colorado with little or no effort. Educate yourself, and ask questions if necessary.

As if the good people of Alaska don’t have a hard enough time to begin with, what with the crazy weather, a depressed economy, and the ghost of Sarah Palin lurking around in search of new reality television show opportunities at every turn. An ailment of some sort can make your life a real pain, but a potential solution is out there. If you need to get medical marijuana in Alaska for a legitimate medical condition, it could be harder than you’d think – unless you have a valid Medical Marijuana Registry Card.

How to Obtain a Medical Marijuana Registry Card

If you need to get medical marijuana in Alaska, the first thing that’s required is to prove you’re a patient with a legitimate medical need. All of the information you need is available through the State of Alaska – Bureau of Vital Statistics website, where you can download the Marijuana Application Packet. The packet includes the “Application for Registry Identification Card for Medical Use of Marijuana” and very clearly specifies what’s needed in order to obtain the card and get medical marijuana.

The Devil’s in the Details

There are actually multiple applications in the packet that need to be filled out, including: Application for Registry Identification Card For Medical Use of Marijuana, Primary Caregiver Application For Medical Use of Marijuana Applicant, Alternate Caregiver Application For Medical Use of Marijuana Applicant, and Physician Statement.

If you are able to get medical marijuana in Alaska for medicinal purposes and can think clearly afterward, read through Alaska Statute 17.37.010 which spells specific details.

Here are the highlights of what’s needed to obtain a Medical Marijuana Registry Card:

1. The original completed application forms, including the applicant’s name, mailing address, physical address (if different from the mailing address or the mailing address is a P.O. Box), and date of birth; a photocopy of the applicant’s Alaska driver’s license or Alaska identification card; the applicant’s signature; the name, address, and telephone number of the patient’s physician; the name and address of the patient’s primary and secondary caregiver, if one is designated at the time of application; a photocopy of the primary or secondary caregivers (if applicable) Alaska driver’s license or Alaska identification card; and the primary and secondary caregivers signature.
2. If the applicant is a minor, the parent or guardian must present an original statement giving the minor permission to use marijuana for medical purposes, and agreement to serve as the minor’s primary caregiver.
3. The original signed physician’s statement which states the patient has a legitimate medical condition and the patient would benefit from the use of marijuana to control pain, symptoms, or other conditions related to the ailment.
4. A non-refundable application fee of $25. The renewal fee is $20 if the card has expired.

Eligible conditions that a patient can have include Cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS. A patient may also qualify if he or she has symptoms caused by a chronic or debilitating disease which manifest themselves in the form of cachexia, severe pain, nausea, seizures, or continual muscle spasms.

Oddly enough, the state of Alaska says that while a patient may qualify and receive a Medical Marijuana Registry Card, that person cannot legally purchase marijuana. Instead, the patient, primary caregiver, or alternate caregiver must grow and harvest the plant on their own. The state is more than willing to accept, review, and approve or deny a registry card application – not to mention the non-refundable application fee – but in order to get medical marijuana in Alaska, patients must find seed collectives in order to buy seeds.

We’ve all heard about the federal government’s crackdown on medicinal marijuana in California, and they have a particular issue with medicinal marijuana dispensaries that are close to schools.  Over the last few years the federal government has taken a particularly draconian approach to dispensaries within a mile or so of school buildings, making it impossible for a lot of medical marijuana businesses to continue in their present location.

The solution for many medical marijuana entrepreneurs is to abandon their physical locations and turn towards a delivery based service. As more of these delivery dispensaries pop up around the state it has become harder for patients to keep informed about new services in their area.

Doobons.com is a new website that lets medical marijuana users use advanced geotargeting technology to locate the medical marijuana delivery services in their area. The technology instantly pinpoints where the site visitor is surfing from, and graphically displays all local services on a map.

As well as helping dispensaries avoid the federal crackdown, providing a delivery service can have a lot of benefits for medical marijuana users.  Many of those who benefit from medical marijuana the most have illnesses that can either prevent them from leaving the house or make travelling to a dispensary very difficult. A mobile delivery service provides these users with a convenient way to receive their medicine.

There are also a growing number of people who wish to keep their medical marijuana consumption as private as possible. A delivery service provides an exceptionally discreet way to remain regularly medicated.

Doobons.com is designed to be exceptionally user friendly, with an intuitive interface that even those completely new to medicinal marijuana can navigate easily. While directories of dispensaries aren’t a new idea, Doobon.com’s intuitive geotargeting system makes it incredibly easy to navigate.

The technology works on both smartphones and fixed locations. Whether you are out and about or at home, you can find the delivery service that is closest to you.  The website finds your location using either your IP address or your smartphone’s GPS data, and displays the information on an easy to read map. At a glance you can see exactly where your nearest medical marijuana dispensary or delivery service is located.

You can also look at services further afield if you are planning a trip to another area and you want to investigate special deals or local strains.

Delivery services aren’t the only type of dispensaries covered; there are also plenty of opportunities to find traditional dispensaries in your local area.

The website also provides an excellent marketing opportunity for medicinal marijuana dispensaries. For a small monthly fee, dispensaries can enhance their visibility to users. They can also post special deals to the site to attract medical users.

Doobons.com provides a valuable service to medical marijuana users in California. If you are attempting to navigate the endless sea of dispensaries in the state, then Doobons.com should be your first port of call.

Jason Christ, the outspoken medical marijuana activist and entrepreneur has taken his battle for free access to the University of Montana’s Law Library all the way to the state’s supreme court.

Positioning his quest for free access to information as a constitutional matter, Christ stated that his petition “ represents matters of the most fundamental importance.”

Jason Christ gained public recognition though his quest to get as many people as possible a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana through his travelling “clinics”. These one-day assessments gave hundreds of people throughout the state the right to purchase medical marijuana.

In recent years, Christ has developed a taste for litigation, filing thirteen lawsuits in the Missoula Country District Court. Despite a lack of legal training, he has represented himself in court each time, and it is that lack of training that Christ is citing in his petition to the court.

Christ wrote, “In order to compensate for my lack of legal experience and training, my requirement to the law library is absolute and protected by the US constitution.”

As well as his own lawsuits (mostly against former business partners and his competitors in the medical marijuana industry) there is also a considerable amount of legal action being taken against him. Restraining orders have been filed, including a yearlong order that prohibits Christ from stepping foot on the campus of the University of Montana. It is this restraining order that Christ argues is impeding his right to effectively defend himself in court.

Christ originally filed a petition in the District Court for the order to be lifted, but has now turned towards the state’s highest court in an attempt to access the library.  The District Court recommended that Christ use the resources of the Office of Public Defender to research his cases, but Christ claims that the resources are inadequate for the comprehensive preparation of the lawsuits he is mounting, and his own defense from the legal action taken against him.

Christ’s most high profile lawsuit argues against a 2011 state law that prohibits people under state Corrections Department supervision from obtaining medical marijuana. Christ claims that thousands of worthy recipients of medical marijuana are stopped from obtaining the medicine that they require by this law.

If convicted of criminal felony intimidation, a charge that Christ faces for allegedly calling in a bomb threat to a Verizon cell phone store, then he will be among the recipients who are denied their medical marijuana. Considering he will also lose his livelihood as a medicinal marijuana distributer, it is a charge he has a vigorous interest in defending.

However, despite his extremely vested interest in beating the charge, Christ will be defending himself in that case too, albeit with public defender Katie Green on standby.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath has ordered the District Court to respond to Christ’s petition within 20 days. If the judgment is still not to his liking, then one assumes that he will ask the state Supreme Court to overrule the verdict.

Bakked Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats are one of the new medical marijuana products from BAKKED, a cannabis confectionary company from Colorado that has recently gained a license to run a medical marijuana business.

As a proud supporter of the medical marijuana movement, I was overjoyed at the new relaxation in the medical marijuana laws in Colorado, and I wanted to celebrate by devouring one of the state’s most lauded marijuana laced snacks. Bakked Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats have a heady reputation among medical marijuana users in Colorado, so I wanted to apply my own exacting standards against this medicinal treat.

Bakked make a ridiculously large selection of medical marijuana treats. From chocolates to lollypops to more savory treats like Wake and Bake Burritos. However it’s their Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats that are gaining such a great reputation around medical marijuana users all over the state of Colorado for their deliciousness and pain relieving properties, so I thought it wise that I review them first.

The first thing I noticed is that they look incredibly delicious even before I opened the package. They are absolutely densely packed with chocolate goodness, and I was looking forward to devouring them so much that I practically ripped open the package in anticipation.

The potency is definitely admirable, with 85mg of THC in each package. Hopefully they will turn out to have the epic pain relieving medical marijuana properties that such a high THC content promises.

I decided to start with half of the package, in order to gently ease myself into the medical marijuana effects. The chocolate wasn’t just delicious. It was also surprisingly rich. The crunch of the crispiness went very well with the soft, yielding chocolate. It truly was a delicious treat. While there was no strong smell of marijuana from the treat, there was a delicious taste of marijuana gently tingling on my tongue as I ate it. The taste really held no disappointments for me.

The medical marijuana effect was equally satisfying, with some truly profound pain relieving effects to go with the delicious crunch. Obviously when you buy a medical marijuana treat, the taste is really a secondary consideration to the great pain relieving qualities, and this treat really didn’t disappoint on any count. Make no mistake, the Bakked Chocolate Rice Crispy Treat is a potent pain reliever!

It seems like half the treat was good for around an hour and a half of blissful pain relief, and after it started to wear off I was more than ready to eat the other half. The medical marijuana pain relieving qualities continued for another two hours, and I slowly drifted into a wonderful reverie absolutely free of pain.

All in all, I think that the Bakked Chocolate Rice Crispy Treat is an undoubtedly an absolutely great medical marijuana treat, not only for pain relief but also for the delicious flavor.  The reputation is well deserved, and I would recommend it to any medical marijuana user who is also a fan of crunchy chocolate delights!

Guest Poster: COWeedMan

Colorado has recently relaxed their laws on medical marijuana significantly. By issuing state medical marijuana business licenses, they have effectively legalized medical marijuana entrepreneurialism, and opened the doors for many medical marijuana businesses to start operating without fear of federal action being taken against them.

Eleven licenses have been granted to medical marijuana businesses, including dispensaries and makers of medicinal marijuana products such as medicated brownies or chocolate bars. Seven other businesses have been told that they can expect to get a license before the year is out. There are another 467 medical marijuana related enterprises in the state, and they are beginning the first step towards approval, with state officials contacting local authorities to determine whether they object to cannabis related businesses operating in their area.

Medical marijuana is an incredibly contentious issue in Colorado, with many differing opinions between advocates and anti-medical marijuana activists. A petition by Colorado’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, a pro-marijuana pressure group, gathered 86,000 signatures on a legalize marijuana petition earlier this year.

Colorado’s moves towards decriminalization of the drug are in stark contrast to the stance being taken by California’s lawmakers. Once the most liberal state in the union towards medical marijuana, Californian authorities have taken the unprecedented step of telling medicinal dispensaries to stop selling marijuana within 45 days. Perhaps this is sign of the tide of the liberal view of medical marijuana turning towards the east.

Colorado officials are allowing decisions about dispensaries to be made at the local level. Not all localities are happy to allow medical marijuana to be sold in their neighborhood. Fort Collins, in Larimer County, already has a dispensary ban on the ballot, with the local Sheriff Justin Smith coming down hard on medical marijuana.  Fort Collins isn’t the only location where such a ban is being proposed. Many communities will be asked to decide whether they feel medical marijuana has a place in their back yard at the November 1^st elections.

Dan Hartman, the state’s Medical Marijuana Regulator, has already come under fire for appearing to encourage communities to vote against any ban at the local level. He has written an open letter explaining to communities that, due to the state’s constitution permitting patients obtaining medical marijuana from a registered caregiver, voting against regulated dispensaries in their neighborhood wouldn’t eradicate medical marijuana. Instead it would merely stop the State Medical Marijuana Enforcement division from ensuring that medical marijuana sales in their community are regulated, monitored, safe, secure and taxed.

Hartman came under a huge amount of pressure as a result of this letter, and state Attorney General John Suthers deemed the letter to be unethical. Stan Hilkey, Sheriff of Mesa County, said the letter was “highly inappropriate” and could appear to advocate against a ban.

Whatever way local communities choose to vote on the ban propositions that will be put before them on November 1^st, the law at the state level has been changed irrevocably. Colorado’s lawmakers have sent out a clear message of tolerance towards medical marijuana.