New bill proposed in Colorado will be bad for patients, growers and dispensaries

[cobcoop]

Very true, there are many facets of my life where marijuana helps me, one of them being enjoyment.

Don't know if any of you caught the news last night, but some assholes robbed a disp at gunpoint, fired rounds off outside, and apparently pointed the gun at a little girl in the parking lot. After the coverage of the robbery they had Romer on talking about how they need to have only registered physicians/nurses etc dispensing marijuana. This does not bode well for our cause in the eye of the public, and something Mr. Romer does not seem to grasp is that, like it or not, the experts in marijuana are not (generally) nurses, they are former criminals (in sofar as becoming an expert in marijuana was/is a crime). Another question that arose in my mind, if he is going to legitimize the marijuana industry with RN's and the like, is he going to force insurance companies who operate in Colorado to cover the cost of meds?

 

[ColoMediCann]

This does not bode well for our cause in the eye of the public

Lots of businesses, especially cash-heavy ones, are held up at gunpoint. Banks, liquor stores, convenience stores, etc. I think most people don´t consider this the fault of dispensaries.

I think if anything this will be a hit to Romer´s bill in the sense that it is ridiculous to make the name of growers and location of grows public knowledge. If law enforcement can´t protect dispensaries how do they think they can protect all the gardens?

 

[cobcoop]

Lots of businesses, especially cash-heavy ones, are held up at gunpoint. Banks, liquor stores, convenience stores, etc. I think most people don´t consider this the fault of dispensaries.

I agree, guns don't kill people, people do. BUT I don't think this kind of press going around is going to help, nor do I think it's a coincidence that these stories are popping up everywhere.

 

[ColoMediCann]

BUT I don't think this kind of press going around is going to help, nor do I think it's a coincidence that these stories are popping up everywhere.

Now that is true. Just think how beholden the media is to government and big business and it´s surprising the word of the people is ever considered. When people with money and power want to spread their message the media provides a megaphone.

 

[milehighmedical]

edit edit

 

[weekapaug74]

Today the health department asked legislators to re-define the language regarding patient-doctor relationships. It will be much harder to get a card in Colorado if the state adopts the recommended changes.

http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/release/2009/121709.html

 

[cobcoop]

Heres the main points:

* Define a bona fide physician-patient relationship that includes an on-going relationship, a complete assessment of a patients medical history and follow-up care.
* Ensure a physician recommending medical marijuana is in good standing and has not had his/her federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration revoked or suspended.
* Prohibit physicians from receiving remuneration from a primary care giver or dispensary.


Actually it could be a lot more draconian IMO, we'll see what the state decides to do, the last two particularly I don't have a problem with.

 

[Baddog40]

Heres the main points:

* Define a bona fide physician-patient relationship that includes an on-going relationship, a complete assessment of a patients medical history and follow-up care.
* Ensure a physician recommending medical marijuana is in good standing and has not had his/her federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration revoked or suspended.
* Prohibit physicians from receiving remuneration from a primary care giver or dispensary.


Actually it could be a lot more draconian IMO, we'll see what the state decides to do, the last two particularly I don't have a problem with.

How could it be any more draconian? I could walk into just about any doctors office that I've never seen before and come out with a script for Valium or anything else without any type of assessment of my medical history. Doctors are nothing more than legal drug pushers, plain and simple.

 

[cobcoop]

Like I said the last 2 seem reasonable to me.

 

[Pythagllio]

Well, the doctors are the weak link in CA. People rail against those who use bogus conditions to get recs.

What's a legitimate patient/doctor relationship? Yeah, it's subjective, but I can tell you without doubt that the last doctor who renewed my rec was about an incompetent slimeball. He literally started looking at my x-ray upside down, and it took at least 30 seconds for him to realize it. Maybe he was stoned, I don't know. I felt a need to take a shower after I left that appointment.

 

[Surrender]

I hope we hit 100k CO patients in 2010.

Will trauma surgeons need to abide by the "bona fide physician-patient relationship" rules to provide services?

 

[milehighmedical]

Does anyone know what day this would actually be decided?

And I'm curious if any applications/renewals will be honored that are sent in before the official date of change? Makes me think I should send my renewal in sooner than I was planning.

I'm still not clear on how this will effect small caregivers with less than 10 patients? Anyone here with some insight on that?

 

[Smiles Out Loud]

my bad.

 

[cobcoop]

None of this is ever going in effect unless the people vote on it.
NO ONE OR AGENCY CAN CHANGE THE STATE CONSTITUTION WITHOUT A VOTE FROM THE PEOPLE OF CO. NO SENATOR, CONGRESSPERSON, COP, LAWYER, HEALTH BOARD, etc...

They can change the definitions of the existing law.

 

[Tripsick]

anything written in the amendment will stay... but there is 0 mention of dispensaries
and now they are trying to regulate it.

So if your a mmj patient you will be allowed to grow your 6 plants. this will not change with out a vote. But new laws regulating the sale and all the rest will be set.

Think of Gun laws you have the Right to bare arms
but machine guns are not welcomed unless you get a stamp from the government.

In Colorado we have a right to Smoke MMJ for what ever our doctors recommended if for and grow 6 plants 3 veg 3 mature.
But we don't have the right to sell it or dispense it at least its not written that way now.

im sure that was a bad analogy...

 

[MrDank]

What about Felons being barred from opening dispensaries? What kind of bullshit is that? That's another regulation thats supposed to go into effect Jan 1 for Denver. A lot of the people in the scene who actually know what they are doing, and who have been passionate about it since day 1 are convicted felons. A felon can open almost any other kind of business, but somebody who has a felony for marijuana related charges are now being barred from opening business

Will there be an exception to those with marijuana related felonies? or will ANY felon be banned from obtaining a retail tax license for a MMJ dispensary?

 

[funkfingers]

What about Felons being barred from opening dispensaries? What kind of bullshit is that? That's another regulation thats supposed to go into effect Jan 1 for Denver. A lot of the people in the scene who actually know what they are doing, and who have been passionate about it since day 1 are convicted felons. A felon can open almost any other kind of business, but somebody who has a felony for marijuana related charges are now being barred from opening business

Will there be an exception to those with marijuana related felonies? or will ANY felon be banned from obtaining a retail tax license for a MMJ dispensary?

I too think this is complete bullshit... A good % of people who have used marijuana have suffered the consequences at the hands of our outdated marijuana laws. I don't understand the purpose of further penalizing these people, considering that most of these medicinal strains of herb were around long before medical marijuana. Instead why don't they focus on people that have been convicted of fraud,theft,and violent crimes....

 

[ColoMediCann]

A standard tactic in business is for companies to use the government to write legislation to make it more difficult or more expensive to do business, keeping out competition.

This might be similar in that the government is simply impeding medicinal cannabis whenever possible, or it might be other interests who want to limit competition going forward.

 

[milehighmedical]

anything written in the amendment will stay... but there is 0 mention of dispensaries
and now they are trying to regulate it.

So if your a mmj patient you will be allowed to grow your 6 plants. this will not change with out a vote. But new laws regulating the sale and all the rest will be set.

Think of Gun laws you have the Right to bare arms
but machine guns are not welcomed unless you get a stamp from the government.

In Colorado we have a right to Smoke MMJ for what ever our doctors recommended if for and grow 6 plants 3 veg 3 mature.
But we don't have the right to sell it or dispense it at least its not written that way now.

im sure that was a bad analogy...

I read a good chunk of the bill last night and right at the beginning it mentions that co-ops of three patients or caregivers will be allowed for the purpose of exchanging medicine? That was my biggest concern, but do you need to apply for a growers license to grow in that scenario? How about for yourself, do you need to get the growers license to grow your own 6?

My concern is that local authorities can decide there's "enough" growers for the size of the community. Which is utter bullshit. That forces you to buy medicine. Paying for medicine is absurd.

They keep talking about electronic payments and this and that. But what about non-profit caregiving? Is that exempt from all this rain of bullshit. I have a job for money, I enjoy growing herb for my patients, that's my hobby. I use the money from my job to pay for my hobby. I'm a caregiver because I have the resources to grow. Not because caregiving provides me with the resources to live. Am I alone here?

 

[draco]

I've often wondered why people think one can't be both a rec user and a medical user simultaneously. I think it stems back to the old canard, 'it has to taste bad to be good medicine' i.e. if you enjoy it it isn't medicine, which is hogwash from my personal experience.

... i know as i get older the benefits from good bud are numerous... we are creating a "medical" distinction that doesn't need to exist. i like it, i do it. no reasons required. fuck all of that...i'm tired of explaining myself.

anyway what other people think of me is none of my business lol