December 17, 2010
By - Associated Press
Stringent medical marijuana rules proposed in AZ
Preliminary rules for would-be users and prescribers of medical marijuana in Arizona are so stringent that no more than 20,000 people likely will qualify for the drug - a sharp decrease from earlier estimate of 100,000 in the first year alone, a regulator said Friday.
The revised estimate was made after Arizona Department of Health Services Director Will Humble looked at rules and numbers of users in 14 other states that allow medical marijuana.
"We figured hey, if we put some true checks and balances in this system, we can actually make this a medical marijuana program and not a recreational marijuana program," Humble said at a news conference.
He noted that patients in California can get pot recommendations from a doctor for a headache, while hundreds of dispensaries in Colorado opened without any state regulations.
Arizona's medical marijuana measure passed in November by just 4,341 votes after 1.67 million ballots were counted, making the state the 15th in the nation to approve a medical marijuana law.
Arizona's ballot measure will allow patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and any other chronic or debilitating disease that meet guidelines to buy 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana every two weeks or grow a limited number of plants themselves if they live 25 miles from a dispensary.
The preliminary rules posted on the health services department website said a patient must get a marijuana recommendation from an Arizona doctor who has been treating the person for a year, or has taken primary responsibility for their care after compiling a medical history, conducting a comprehensive exam and reviewing medical records.
Patients also must provide a copy of a valid identification card, proof of U.S. citizenship or naturalization and detailed doctor information. They must pay an application fee of $150, and a yearly renewal fee of the same amount.
Doctors, meanwhile, must initial statements saying they reviewed all the medication being taken by the patient for potential interactions with marijuana.
In addition, physicians must initial a statement saying he or she will continually assess the patient and their need for medical marijuana, and that their patient is likely to benefit from using the drug.
Humble believes the rules won't stop those who truly need medical marijuana from getting it.
A newly diagnosed cancer patient, for example, could go to their oncologist and get a recommendation immediately, he said.
"For that guy in his 30s without any qualifying medical condition who is going to expect to be able to walk into a physician and get a quick recommendation by saying his shoulder's been sore - those are people that we expect to have a bigger challenge in actually getting a qualified patient card," Humble said.
Regarding pot shops, the preliminary rules say applicants must pay an application fee of $5,000.
Dispensary board members can't be police officers or a doctor making pot recommendations and can't have unpaid taxes or child support or be in default of a government-issued student loan.
The principal officer or board member of a dispensary must be an Arizona resident of at least two years.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Medical Marijuana Draft Rules
http://www.azcentral.com/ic/pdf/arizona-medical-marijuana-draft-rules.pdf
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I'm sensing an attitude being conveyed from the "State Officials" of
"Y'all don't look that sick to me"...so...
Let them smoke schwag.
People are very concerned that some "weed" may actually be diverted to the "street" and of course their are other big (fantasy) problems like how can we keep the kids from buying it with their fake ID's from out the dispensary and reselling it at school.
The uninsured poor generally don't see Doctors unless it's an emergency and relative to being poor the 150 dollar D.H.S. yearly card fee along with 4 doctor visits (600?) in a year to qualify is not feasible for the people I know who live on way, way under a thousand dollars a month.
They won't be going to dispensaries anyways, no can affordee, so...
Plant them seeds, don't smell, don't tell and proceed do what ya gotta do folks to make it happen.
(Joke 'em if they can't take a F**k)
Their will be many new growers doing foolish things that that will be drawing much of the states (rouge die hard) law enforcement officers attention to themselves and away from those who can manage to remain discrete in their pursuit of medical relief.
Even if they were so inclined in Arizona, I firmly believe that they just don't have the time, manpower, nor budget to attempt to "track down" the more discrete, low plant number mom and pop grows, i.e., the actual small private medical grows I predict will be allowed to just go "off the radar"...
Someday... nobody will be left to give a flying hoot about whether sick people are ingesting marijuana to feel better... dare to dream
IMB
By - Associated Press
Stringent medical marijuana rules proposed in AZ
Preliminary rules for would-be users and prescribers of medical marijuana in Arizona are so stringent that no more than 20,000 people likely will qualify for the drug - a sharp decrease from earlier estimate of 100,000 in the first year alone, a regulator said Friday.
The revised estimate was made after Arizona Department of Health Services Director Will Humble looked at rules and numbers of users in 14 other states that allow medical marijuana.
"We figured hey, if we put some true checks and balances in this system, we can actually make this a medical marijuana program and not a recreational marijuana program," Humble said at a news conference.
He noted that patients in California can get pot recommendations from a doctor for a headache, while hundreds of dispensaries in Colorado opened without any state regulations.
Arizona's medical marijuana measure passed in November by just 4,341 votes after 1.67 million ballots were counted, making the state the 15th in the nation to approve a medical marijuana law.
Arizona's ballot measure will allow patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and any other chronic or debilitating disease that meet guidelines to buy 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana every two weeks or grow a limited number of plants themselves if they live 25 miles from a dispensary.
The preliminary rules posted on the health services department website said a patient must get a marijuana recommendation from an Arizona doctor who has been treating the person for a year, or has taken primary responsibility for their care after compiling a medical history, conducting a comprehensive exam and reviewing medical records.
Patients also must provide a copy of a valid identification card, proof of U.S. citizenship or naturalization and detailed doctor information. They must pay an application fee of $150, and a yearly renewal fee of the same amount.
Doctors, meanwhile, must initial statements saying they reviewed all the medication being taken by the patient for potential interactions with marijuana.
In addition, physicians must initial a statement saying he or she will continually assess the patient and their need for medical marijuana, and that their patient is likely to benefit from using the drug.
Humble believes the rules won't stop those who truly need medical marijuana from getting it.
A newly diagnosed cancer patient, for example, could go to their oncologist and get a recommendation immediately, he said.
"For that guy in his 30s without any qualifying medical condition who is going to expect to be able to walk into a physician and get a quick recommendation by saying his shoulder's been sore - those are people that we expect to have a bigger challenge in actually getting a qualified patient card," Humble said.
Regarding pot shops, the preliminary rules say applicants must pay an application fee of $5,000.
Dispensary board members can't be police officers or a doctor making pot recommendations and can't have unpaid taxes or child support or be in default of a government-issued student loan.
The principal officer or board member of a dispensary must be an Arizona resident of at least two years.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Medical Marijuana Draft Rules
http://www.azcentral.com/ic/pdf/arizona-medical-marijuana-draft-rules.pdf
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I'm sensing an attitude being conveyed from the "State Officials" of
"Y'all don't look that sick to me"...so...
Let them smoke schwag.
People are very concerned that some "weed" may actually be diverted to the "street" and of course their are other big (fantasy) problems like how can we keep the kids from buying it with their fake ID's from out the dispensary and reselling it at school.
The murderous Mexican cartels supplying the vast majority of "POT" to Arizona would like to thank the Department of Health Services very much, their profit projections for 2011 in Arizona remain intact."We figured hey, if we put some true checks and balances in this system, we can actually make this a medical marijuana program and not a recreational marijuana program,"
I believe Mr Humble is mistaken, the rules seem over-zealously to be all about keeping recreational smokers out of the program by enforcing stringent requirements.Humble believes the rules won't stop those who truly need medical marijuana from getting it.
The uninsured poor generally don't see Doctors unless it's an emergency and relative to being poor the 150 dollar D.H.S. yearly card fee along with 4 doctor visits (600?) in a year to qualify is not feasible for the people I know who live on way, way under a thousand dollars a month.
They won't be going to dispensaries anyways, no can affordee, so...
Plant them seeds, don't smell, don't tell and proceed do what ya gotta do folks to make it happen.
(Joke 'em if they can't take a F**k)
Their will be many new growers doing foolish things that that will be drawing much of the states (rouge die hard) law enforcement officers attention to themselves and away from those who can manage to remain discrete in their pursuit of medical relief.
Even if they were so inclined in Arizona, I firmly believe that they just don't have the time, manpower, nor budget to attempt to "track down" the more discrete, low plant number mom and pop grows, i.e., the actual small private medical grows I predict will be allowed to just go "off the radar"...
Someday... nobody will be left to give a flying hoot about whether sick people are ingesting marijuana to feel better... dare to dream
IMB
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