Colorado-Medical-Marijuana-Blog

Although the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry started off in June 2011 posting strong numbers when it came to registered patients, the number of new registered patients began to drop as the year went on. By December, 2011 the registry had posted a nearly 50,000 patient decline. As the New Year began, numbers began to rise again and officials believe it is largely due to the drop in the registry fee from $90 to $35. Since December, approximately 12,800 patients have signed on to the registry. The majority of registry patients are men, at an average age of 42 and inclu8de 46 minors who have their registry card through a parent or guardian. Nearly 55% of all registered Colorado medical marijuana patients have a designated caregiver, which is a 2% drop from February of this year. The Registry also shows that approximately 500 patients were put on a six-month waiting list due to various reasons such as seeing a physician’s assistant instead of a doctor and the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry is expecting an increase in registered patients once that six-month period has been completed.

According to sources last year, the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry was in a severe slump, suffering from a radical drop in the amount of patients applying for a card. As of the end of January 2012, however, this slump seems to have turned around, posting an increase of nearly 3,000 patients. Most of the statistics remained the same though. The average patient age remained at 42, while women accounted for only 32% of the registry patients. The largest number comes from people registering someone else as their caregiver. There are currently at least 10,000 registered caregivers in the state of Colorado. Although the state experienced this rise in patients in January, they are still approximately 43,500 patients below the peak enrollment recorded in June 2011. Many patients have cited privacy concerns when it comes to renewing their cards, stating a dislike for the intrusion of their privacy regarding buying habits and quantities, while others had their applications denied and have been forced to wait six months before reapplying. The CDPHE stated that their primary focus during the next few months will be to process applications within the 35 day window rather than keeping the website updated due to the smaller number of people they currently have in employment.

Applicants who are trying to obtain Colorado medical marijuana cards may have recently had their applications returned to them due to simple, avoidable mistakes made when filling out the required forms. According to the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry, they are returning large amounts of application packets and change request forms due to easily avoidable mistakes. Applicants can prevent the problem by following a checklist of basic items to remember.

1. First and foremost, always be sure to include a legible photocopy of either your Colorado driver’s license or ID or your caregiver’s driver’s license or ID.
2. Always use the most current version of the application or change form.
3. The Medical Marijuana Registry requires that all change of address or caregiver forms be filled out in BLUE ink.
4. If you are moving, all change of address or caregiver forms must be sent within ten days of the event.
5. All checks or money orders must be made out for the proper amount of $90 and must be signed. Checks or money orders may only be for one patient.
6. All patient signatures must be notarized and caregivers are not allowed to be the notary.
7. All forms that are being sent to the registry must be submitted by the patient. Caregivers and dispensaries are not allowed to submit forms.
8. When filing your packet, make sure it includes the application form, physician’s certification, copy of the patient or caregiver’s ID and the check or money order for $90. Be sure that all items are sent at the same time and in the same packet. The registry will not be able to process any applications that are not complete and they will be rejected and returned to the patient.

Following these simple guidelines should help patients to obtain their Colorado medical marijuana cards quickly and easily, and avoid any delays.

The biggest barrier to gaining access to the Colorado medical marijuana registry is most likely to be cost. Because there are no general funds allotted to the program, users are required to pay around $100 in fees to be a registered user. Also, all applications, renewals and requests for change must be submitted as a hard papery copy via mail, with changes made in blue ink and must include a copy of the patient’s Colorado identification.

Not all applications will be accepted, however. Recently, four applications were denied due to lack of scientific evidence that medical marijuana usage provided any beneficial effect. Among those rejected were cases of Parkinson’s Disease, Asthma, Anxiety and Bi-Polar Disorder. Although acceptance is carefully screened, Colorado has currently used over 6,700 registry ID cards. The renewal rate is 56 percent.