[Bowb Aandweeve]

Those "California style" MMJ licenses are going to be frowned on heavily by Mass State law enforcement and are exactly what the state itself is attempting to legislate against. Massachusetts lawmakers are absolutely committed to making the process as strict and as tightly regimented as humanly possible. This is not going to be a "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" state.

It's entirely possible that this was a huge mistake, if only for the reason it forced the state government to make a much more politically charged statement then it wanted to at this point in time. Cannabis remains against federal law and the will of the people has forced the feet of clay crowd to reluctantly make a federal offense legal on the state level, so they will accede to the will of the people while making it as difficult as possible to actually put the MMJ providers in the loop. It will also, in most likelihood crease the penalties for non-compliant users and providers.

[Highlighter]

From the Boston Globe:

Several groups vying to open dispensaries that sell marijuana for medical use are urging Massachusetts regulators to require prospective purveyors to provide substantial proof, including sworn affidavits, that they have raised the mandated $500,000 application fee.

More than 70 people packed a state Department of Public Health hearing Tuesday, with several offering suggestions about how regulators can improve the licensing process.

A ballot initiative approved by voters last fall legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes and charged the department with crafting rules to implement the law. Department officials have said they will take applications starting this summer, but have not yet announced a date.

“Having been through the process in Arizona, we saw major problems in that system,” said Kris Krane, managing partner of 4Front Advisors, an Arizona-based consultant that has helped businesses open marijuana dispensaries in other states.

Krane told regulators that at least one Arizona applicant borrowed that state’s required $150,000 application fee, then submitted paperwork showing the company had the funds, but in reality it was heavily in debt.

The company was awarded a license, he said, because the state didn’t adequately check applicant’s finances. Arizona has a lottery system to award licenses.

The Massachusetts system will be merit-based, but regulators have not detailed precisely what factors they will consider to award the licenses. They said that Tuesday’s hearing would help them decide.

Some groups at the hearing suggested the state consider applicants’ ability to create jobs and other opportunities in the communities where they want to open their store.

“We want to be scored on what we can give back to our community,” said Dawn Blake Souza, a retired New Bedford elementary school principal who hopes to open a dispensary in New Bedford.

She said her dispensary aims to donate some of its revenue to local education and community groups that serve children and military veterans.

Souza said the dispensary board would include her husband, who is a retired military psychologist, and Alice Fernandes, a retired MBTA recording secretary who worked on contracts at the transportation system.

State regulators said they will accept written suggestions about the application process until June 28 at 5 p.m.

Suggestions can be e-mailed to medicalmarijuana@state.ma.us.

They can be mailed to Medical Use of Marijuana Program, Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 2nd floor, Boston, MA, 02108.

Big Business, Baby!

[Otto Flour]

https://www.mikecann.net/2013/07/pati...h-medical.html

"Mike Cann, The King of Pot and Other Medical Marijuana Patients Will Protest on Thursday, August 1st from 2-4pm we picket with signs on the sidewalk out front of DPH headquarters. Join us!

250 Washington St., Boston, MA 02108"

[D. B. Doober]

so what's the deal? From what I've gathered I can have all my records sent to Integr8mass and get a recommendation from them, but it doesn't say how many visits you need to mke and how much they are a pop. Then there's something with the doctor registering you for the online mmj system and then you have to go online also and order a card as well. Anyone?

[D. B. Doober]

I'll be going to Casco Bay, will report back

[D. B. Doober]

Originally Posted by Highlighter

It's all within the regulations listed in the link. Of course, that's another fee to register for a Hardship Cultivation.
Anyone willing to comply?

725.035: Hardship Cultivation Registration
(A)
A qualifying patient registered with the Department pursuant 105 CMR 725.015
may apply for a hardship cultivation registration if such patient can demonstrate that his or heraccess to a RMD is limited by:
(1)
Verified financial hardship; or
(2)
Physical incapacity to access reasonable transportation,
as demonstrated by an inability to use public transportation or
drive oneself, lack of a personal caregiver with a reliable source of transportation, and lack of a RMD that will deliver marijuana to the patient’s or personal caregiver’s primary address; or
(3)
Lack of a RMD within a reasonable distance of the patient’s residence and lack of a RMD that will deliver marijuana to
the patient’s or personal caregiver’s
primary address.

To obtain a hardship cultivation registration, a registered
qualifying patient shall, in a form and manner determined by the Department, submit the following:
(1)
A non-refundable registration fee,
unless waived pursuant to 105 CMR
725.015(A)(7);
(2)
Information supporting a claim that access is
limited due to one or more of the
circumstances listed in 105 CMR 725.035(A);
(3)
An explanation including lack of feasible alternatives to mitigate the limitation claimed under 105 CMR 725.035(A);
(4)
A description and address of the single location that
shall be used for the cultivation of marijuana, which shall be either the registered qualifying patient’s or one personal caregiver’s primary residence;
(5)
A written explanation of how the qualifying patient will cultivate marijuana inaccordance with the requirements of 105 CMR 725.035;
(6)
A description of the device or system thatwill be used to ensure security and prevent diversion of the marijuana plants being cultivated;
(7)
Written acknowledgement of the limitations on his or her authorization to cultivate, possess, and use marijuana for medical purposes in the Commonwealth; and
(8)
Any other information required by the Department.
(C)
The Department shall review and approve or deny an application for a hardship cultivation registration within 30 calendar days of receipt of a completed application.
(D)
A registered qualifying patient with a hardship cultivation
registration, or his or her personal caregiver(s), may cult ivate only at the location specified in the application approved by the Department.
(E)
At any given location, cultivation may occur pursuant to only one hardship cultivation registration, absent proof that more than one
registered qualifying patient resides at the location.
(F)
A hardship cultivation registration will be valid for one year from the date of issue, and may be renewed, in a form and manner
determined by the Department, on an annual basisby meeting the requirements in 105 CMR 725.035(B).
(G)
A hardship cultivation registration shall allow the registered qualifying patient or his orher personal caregiver(s) to cultivate a limitednumber of plants sufficient to maintain a
60-day supply of marijuana solely for that patient’s use, or
as further specified by theDepartment.
(H)
Cultivation and storage of marijuana shall be in
an enclosed, locked area accessible onlyto the registered qualifying patient or his or her personal caregiver(s),
subject to 105 CMR 725.650.
Marijuana shall not be visible from the street or other public areas.

(I)
A registered qualifying patientor his or her personal caregiver(s) cultivating marijuana pursuant to a hardship cultivation registration shall adhere to industry best practices in the cultivation of marijuana plants and storage of finished product, and any standards
specified by the Department.
(J)
A registered qualifying patient and his or her personal caregiver(s) is prohibited from selling, bartering, giving away or distributing in any manner marijuana or paraphernalia.
(K)
The Department may inspect the cultivation site of a registered qualifying patient with a hardship cultivation registration, or the cultivation site of his or her personal caregiver(s),
at any time. Acceptance of a hardship cultivation registration by a registered qualifying patient constitutes consent for such inspection of the cultivation site.
(L)
A registered qualifying patient who received written certification of a debilitating medical condition from a physician prior to enactment of 105 CMR 725.000,
or prior to the Department accepting applications for hardship cultivation registration, and who used that written certification as a
limited cultivation registration, must apply for a hardship
cultivation registration according to the
procedures set out in 105 CMR 725.035(B) no
later than January 1, 2014, if
he or she intends to continue to cultivate marijuana;
however the initial limited cultivation registration will remain valid until the application for the hardship cultivation registration card is approved or denied by the Department.
(M) After obtaining a hardship cultivation registration, a registered
qualifying patient is responsible for notifying the Department,
in a form and manner determined by the Department, within five business days after any change to the information that he or she or his or her personal caregiver(s) was previously required to
submit to the Department.
(N) A registered qualifying patient with a hardship cultivation registration, or his or her personal caregiver(s) if applicable, must have the registration available at the site of cultivation. Such registration must be made available upon request of the Department or other government agency acting within their lawful authority.
(O) A registered qualifying patient with a hardship cultivation registration, or his or her personal caregiver(s) if applicable, is prohibited from purchasing marijuana from a RMD, provided however that such individuals may purchase seeds.

What the fuck? You can't grow unless you do this? What??????

[kakaman]

The bullshit games the Mass State gov is playing will have unintended consequences. People will get pissed and just put an outright recreational legalization question on the 2016 ballot that will have provisions to keep the state gov from playing games with the license restrictions.

[TheCrusher]

Originally Posted by kakaman

The bullshit games the Mass State gov is playing will have unintended consequences. People will get pissed and just put an outright recreational legalization question on the 2016 ballot that will have provisions to keep the state gov from playing games with the license restrictions.

Let's hope. It's amazing that MA has a liberal reputation, when in reality it's just had more time for the holier the thou crowd to enact more rules to protect us from ourselves.

[jmk18]

"The Department may inspect the cultivation site of a registered qualifying patient with a hardship cultivation registration, or the cultivation site of his or her personal caregiver(s),
at any time."

So the DPH can pop in ANY time they want???? WTF

[jmk18]

(J)
A registered qualifying patient and his or her personal caregiver(s) is prohibited from selling, bartering, giving away or distributing in any manner marijuana or paraphernalia.


So if my friend asks me for a rolling paper or bowl I can't give it to him???
ROFLMAO