Why is medical marijuana so expensive?

[B. Friendly]

Wow, you sure seem to know a lot without knowing me or what I do/don't do...haven't you ever heard that assuming things isn't what wise people do?

FYI-
My pH is perfect, I used zero nutes until a couple of weeks ago, and then organic and only once. I've been flushing starting yesterday, and I don't care how long it takes to dry and cure properly. I'm in no hurry.

keep up the good work my man. for extra resin production try 48 to 72 hours of complete darkness with as cold water as you can get. Do this the last 2 or 3 days before you take down. trick of the trade homey

 

[OU812]

Once again, the object of the anger of these posters is understandable, but misdirected. The correct place to direct this anger is against the US Gov't. It is US Gov't idiocy that places restrictions that result in an inability for producers to take their business to a place where economies of scale will drive the price down. Further, the gov't should be paying for indigent patients' medical needs, and not picking and choosing which therapies it approves of. It is the gov't that should be paying for indigent patients medical needs, as defined by their doctor.

I wonder if anyone would object to Bill Gates paying full freight for medical cannabis were he a patient. If they think that Mr. Gates should be provided for at no cost simply because he was ill then I think they're nuts.

Anyone that thinks that a consistent, reliable supply of medicine is going to be provided by volunteers is dreaming. Were it so it would be so, because the presence of 'profiteers' hasn't prevented even one person who is inclined to do such charity work from doing so. Frankly, said profiteers may motivate people who are otherwise disinclined to help. 'Oh those profiteers piss me off. Someone has to step up to the plate and help the indigent sick'.

It is impossible to force someone to provide charity or volunteer work. It doesn't matter that you think there should be more charity or volunteers. The fact that the word 'compassionate' appears in the title of P215 is irrelevant.

OK, maybe I am being misunderstood, but to whoever told me I should go back to roll it up (what is that?) wasn't very nice.

OK-my point is this.

Dispensaries use the word compassion all the time. I see a lot of terms like "compassionate donations" used all the time, but those prices aren't compassionate to those who truly do need help. ($65 an 1/8th, good gawd!!) Trying to live on a tightly fixed income of a few hundred bux a month makes getting meds next to impossible, and those too sick to grow are caught in a catch-22. As for the pharmaceuticals most need, insurance covers that stuff and most are on medicare if permanently disabled or are terminally ill.

That's my whole point. Don't use the word compassion unless you (and I am NOT referring to anyone here) mean it.

Compassion is defined as:

"Deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it."

A lot of patients hear that word and think...thank God, some help...only to be let down over and over again. I know, it's happened to me and I know I am not alone in that boat.

I think it should be legalized for EVERYONE. Until then, the "dispensaries" who are in this for the money only should refrain from using that word or anything else that implies they are there to help those who need help most.

Nothing more, nothing less. It may be only a word to many, but to those who are in need of help the most, that word means everything.

 

[OU812]

keep up the good work my man. for extra resin production try 48 to 72 hours of complete darkness with as cold water as you can get. Do this the last 2 or 3 days before you take down. trick of the trade homey

Many thanks!! I've got two other MMJ patients depending on me here-I'm tryin' so hard, and I'll gratefully take all the tips I can get!

 

[OU812]

It should be, the patient pays the caregiver/grower for the actual accrued expenses plus, a reasonable compensation for the persons time and efforts. THEN upon harvest, the caregiver/grower should hand off EVERY plant grown under the patients name to the patient.

Every bud grown under the patients name should be transferred directly to the patient, regardless of final harvest yield.

There shouldn't be any of this bartering over black market prices for 1/8 oz.
The plants are OWNED by the patient, who contracted another to grow for them.

If it takes $200 in energy and supplies plus $200 in time and effort to grow twelve plants under a patients name, those twelve plants, regardless of the yield should be transferred upon harvest to the patient upon receipt of the $400.

Gawd, wouldn't that be nice if everyone did this?
I'm growing for myself. As for the other two, they paid for their clones, and each of them wants to compensate me with an ounce. And that's it. Their plants are theirs, not mine. I'm already doing this for me, why not help someone else along?

Not hard to do, everyone gets their meds, and no one goes broke trying to get what they need. Personally, I enjoy doing this-to help relieve another human being's suffering is an awesome feeling. I'll probably be only helping one other patient after this, as one is terminally ill. :-(

 

[HossCartwright]

It should be, the patient pays the caregiver/grower for the actual accrued expenses plus, a reasonable compensation for the persons time and efforts. THEN upon harvest, the caregiver/grower should hand off EVERY plant grown under the patients name to the patient.

Every bud grown under the patients name should be transferred directly to the patient, regardless of final harvest yield.

There shouldn't be any of this bartering over black market prices for 1/8 oz.
The plants are OWNED by the patient, who contracted another to grow for them.

If it takes $200 in energy and supplies plus $200 in time and effort to grow twelve plants under a patients name, those twelve plants, regardless of the yield should be transferred upon harvest to the patient upon receipt of the $400.

I couldn't disagree with you more. If I raise a child from the time it is a baby to adulthood, I am the parent of that child regardless of whose genetics it carries.

It should be decided on a case by case basis between a patient and their caregiver. There are lots of variables both should consider before reaching an agreement.

Ahh, entitled patients, love em. Not...

NO BUD FOR YOU! next...

 

[Owl Mirror]

I couldn't disagree with you more.
NO BUD FOR YOU! next...

What I wrote is precisely how Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law reads.

The patient owns the plants, period.
The only reason people disagree is because they want to make a profit on the black market off the legal rights of medical marijuana patients.

 

[Pythagllio]

^^^You keep asserting that on these forums, but the words to support your assertion are strangely absent from the texts of MI's law that I pull up on google.

 

[zenoonez]

What I wrote is precisely how Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law reads.

The patient owns the plants, period.
The only reason people disagree is because they want to make a profit on the black market off the legal rights of medical marijuana patients.

Bad laws don't deserve to be respected just like you don't respect the federal laws that those state laws stand in contradiction of.

 

[B. Friendly]

feeding schedules:
http://www.gthydro.com/nutrientfeedingschedulesandcharts.html
organics if you want to try:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/feeding_charts/GO_MYSF-FeedChart.pdf
the biggest lighting secret of all is UVB which is responsible for THC production so add these lights in you flower stage and it will take any strain to the next level:
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/compact_fluorescent_bulbs.php
Holland did a study in the 80's on UVB light and it was proven to be quite usefull for MARIJUANA!!!!!!!!

 

[Owl Mirror]

^^^You keep asserting that on these forums, but the words to support your assertion are strangely absent from the texts of MI's law that I pull up on google.

WHO OWNS THE MARIJUANA?
http://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/node/50

I just had an interesting conversation with Greg Schmid, an MMMA General Counsel and top notch attorney in Saginaw. He pointed out to me that while caregivers are allowed to cultivate the medical marijuana, the plants themselves belong to the patient.

Greg Schmid is the foremost authority on Michigan's Law as HE wrote it.

 

[B. Friendly]

Many thanks!! I've got two other MMJ patients depending on me here-I'm tryin' so hard, and I'll gratefully take all the tips I can get!

I should mention using UVB is bad for you so turn them off if you install them when in your room. It will give you a nice sun tan

 

[Pythagllio]

OM, I don't care if he wrote it, the words just aren't there to support that interpretation. Did you know Dennis Peron took a case to the CA supreme Court arguing the intent of P215, and lost?

This is the only thing I see on point:

(e) A registered primary caregiver may receive compensation for costs associated with assisting a registered qualifying patient in the medical use of marihuana. Any such compensation shall not constitute the sale of controlled substances.

You're going to have a hard time getting the courts to go along with your interpretation.

 

[Babbabud]

200 dollars ?

200 dollars ?

It should be, the patient pays the caregiver/grower for the actual accrued expenses plus, a reasonable compensation for the persons time and efforts. THEN upon harvest, the caregiver/grower should hand off EVERY plant grown under the patients name to the patient.

Every bud grown under the patients name should be transferred directly to the patient, regardless of final harvest yield.

There shouldn't be any of this bartering over black market prices for 1/8 oz.
The plants are OWNED by the patient, who contracted another to grow for them.

If it takes $200 in energy and supplies plus $200 in time and effort to grow twelve plants under a patients name, those twelve plants, regardless of the yield should be transferred upon harvest to the patient upon receipt of the $400.

So who decides that my time for spending 100 days growing these plants is worth 200 dollars ?

 

[HossCartwright]

What I wrote is precisely how Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law reads.

The patient owns the plants, period.
The only reason people disagree is because they want to make a profit on the black market off the legal rights of medical marijuana patients.

you're brain washed. are you an anti mmj city attorney or something?

 

[reckon]

Instead of arguing this in another thread, I was wondering what people think about the price of medical buds for sick people.

From what I understand, buds are sold from between 20 and 30 bucks a gram or 60 bucks or so an eighth. That figures out on the low side to 600 an ounce by the gram or 500 an ounce by eighths. On the high side it could range from 800 to 700 per ounce. That figures out to be around 10,000 dollars per pound. It's my understanding that club owners want to pay 2400 to 3000 per pound. If that's true there's an awful margin between retail and wholesale.

How could someone unable to work, or dying, afford to smoke on a daily basis? A better question seems to be how could a sick or dying person afford to smoke at all?

If these "compassion clubs" actually were concerned in people getting their buds for pain, how can they charge these prices. It saddens me to think of someone not being able to afford it because of the price. I just don't see a whole lot of compassion.....

10K, if this is not suited for this forum just move it......

my local club has several "options" for patients that cannot afford medication (like myself several times a year)
1) "donation": you make a small donation (whatever you have), and they give you some medication, usually lower shelf, or a "popcorn mix" but it's a fat sack for a $20-$40 donation (usually upwards of ten grams)

2) payment plan: you pay a set amount once or twice a month, and that entitles you to a set amount per week, usually 7 grams a week for about $150 a month, more or less.

3) straight compassion: you walk in, and tell em your broke, and need some meds, and they will give you a pre-roll or a gram for nothing at all, just ask,.....most times if you're a regular they might offer you some "work", like bagging grams, or rolling pre-rolls, and then they usually give you a nice sack for a couple hours of work.

the POINT here is, in california the clubs are SUPPOSED to offer "compassionate care" if I understand the spirit of SB420, so go in to your local club and ASK, that's usually all it takes.

 

[Pythagllio]

So who decides that my time for spending 100 days growing these plants is worth 200 dollars ?

Hey, with an allotment of 12 plants per patient you could do 96 for 8 patients staying under Federal guidelines. Hell, that's $1600, and $1600 every hundred days. That's thousands of dollars per year! What the heck do you want?

I'd be pleased to do the work on a W-2 employee basis, allowing the patients or NPO to maintain ownership of the end product. But the standard deal from an employer of a W-2 employee is that the employer covers all expenses up front, and bears the risk of loss.

 

[OU812]

my local club has several "options" for patients that cannot afford medication (like myself several times a year)...

the POINT here is, in california the clubs are SUPPOSED to offer "compassionate care" if I understand the spirit of SB420, so go in to your local club and ASK, that's usually all it takes.

And there is where the heart of my issue lies, the misuse of the meaning of the word COMPASSION" by "dispensaries" who have no intention of helping anyone. Glad you also found one with a heart, they are few and far between.

 

[OU812]

So who decides that my time for spending 100 days growing these plants is worth 200 dollars ?

I think that's between patient and patient/caregiver.
The law states reasonable compensation. Its up to the parties how to proceed using that "guideline."

Me? I will be given 1 oz from each of the two ppl I am helping. And that's it. We're both happy with that. I am then donating that back to the dispensary that has been SO helpful to me by giving me free meds when I've really been in need, and while I learn to grow my own medicine.
I don't HAVE to grow my own, but I don't want to take from others who are ill and cannot.

Those folks are racking up good karma like mad, and that can't be bought at any price.

 

[HossCartwright]

Funny, I tried to pay my $500 electric bill w/karma one time and Xcel told me to go fly a kite.

 

[DopeRoper]

I'm not surprised.

I would rather pay $250oz for grade A meds than smoke the free meds of most newbie growers who can't get ph/ppm equilibrium dialed in, over fertilize, don't flush, fast dry & don't cure.

What a joke! The mythical "grade A meds", so difficult to grow, you had best get it from an expert-texpert MMJ dealer for BIG $$$. A "newbie" grower couldn't possibly produce anything worthy.

Riiiight...