Colorado Medical Marijuana Blog

Although Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries have become a thriving, successful, and legitimate business, there are still obstacles to overcome. Attitudes among the public have been fickle at best. Most recently, Wells Fargo has decided to suspend new accounts for Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries, leaving the booming industry with almost no options in the way of finance and banking. Unfortunately, Colorado medicinal marijuana seems to be losing ground with the public, lawmakers, and now the finance industry. In spite of the obvious legitimacy of the infantile industry, Colorado marijuana is constantly presented resistance and skepticism. In addition, more regulations are on the way as the State Senate just passed a bill barring doctors from writing recommendations and prescriptions inside dispensaries.  This bill will also add more requirements to acquire a medical marijuana card. Objectively, one cannot deny the obvious lucrative and medical potential of Colorado medicinal marijuana. Compromise will have to prevail so the industry can flourish.

As the debate over the legitimacy of medicinal marijuana in Colorado rages on, it really comes down to one simple notion: attitude. One side of the argument contends that Colorado marijuana should remain illegal because their attitude about the product remains negative; it is a dangerous narcotic, it has been illegal for a reason, etc. Others have seen the positives in Colorado medicinal marijuana; it is an excellent pain reliever, it can be a great source of revenue. In the end, it will come down to what attitude wins out. One Colorado marijuana dispensary laboratory has felt the wrath of the opposing view as they were raided by DEA agents this week and forced to hand over records and thousands of dollars in product. The agency, so far, has given no comment only stating that the investigation is ongoing. Another medicinal marijuana dispensary in L.A. was ordered to close its doors by a county superior judge. Unfortunately, the vague nature of current law helps enable both sides of the battle. Episodes such as these, however, simply perpetuate negative attitudes among the public, especially among “swing voters”. Slowly, medicinal marijuana in Colorado is gaining progress in the public eye; dispensaries are still flourishing and little backlash in the form of public protest has been reported. Hopefully, as Colorado medicinal marijuana laws solidify and attitudes change, medical marijuana in Colorado will be allowed to flourish as originally intended.

When it comes to controversial issues, there will always be massive variance in point of view; Colorado medicinal marijuana is a prime example. In the capital city of Denver, restrictive laws are debated on a daily basis. Most recently, a restriction has been suggested to limit the size of the store front sign of a Colorado medicinal marijuana dispensary. In a totally opposing mindset, the township of Nederland is preparing to vote on a Cannabis Festival and a law legalizing the use of marijuana. As of now, Colorado medical marijuana laws give each city or town the right to restrict locally. For example, Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries are banned in Greeley and Broomfield. Meanwhile, Nederland is preparing for a possible festival to celebrate Colorado marijuana. Until state laws become more clearly defined and restrictive, massive variance between cities will exist.

After reading Mr Suthers Huffington blog post, it is our opinion that Mr Suthers has been greatly misinformed as to the state of the medical marijuana community in Colorado. Mr Suthers please, put patients before politics, and certainly put patients before paranoia.

Our company (CMM) Colorado Medical Marijuana LLC (not a dispensary) has assisted thousands of patients with the application and registration process for the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry. Has anyone asked a company like ours what the patients needs are and what the majority of Colorado’s medical marijuana patients seek in new legislation. Senator Romer understands the importance of sifting through myth and finding some truth. His suggestion to get the patients to participate in the medical marijuana debate is crucial.

When the founders of (CMM) were interested in becoming medical marijuana patients they had to call over 50 doctors in Colorado before they could find one doctor that was wiling to recommend marijuana as medicine. This is the reason (CMM) was created. This is also the reason that only 5 doctors are responsible for 80% of the medical marijuana recommendation s in the state. There are thousands of patients in Colorado seeking relief and finding the same dead ends.

Fortunately there are good doctors (checking and reviewing records) that understand the need to incorporate a variety of weapons into the pain management arsenal. Our partner doctors will not recommend marijuana to patients that do not have a qualifying condition but they rarely have to deny a patient. The reason is fairly simple; we prescreen clients and request records. This simple procedure is all that is needed to safeguard good patient’s rights to use medical marijuana. Mr Suthers, please contact us and let us show you the evidence that good doctors and ethical business owners exist within the emerging medical marijuana community.

Some politicians have suggested that they redefine the doctor patient relationship and what constitutes a bonafide relationship. They have suggested that patients should be wheeled down or limp into the nearest doctor’s office multiple times to receive a card. This is very painful and costly for most qualified patients. Qualified patients have turned to medical marijuana as a last resort in treating their debilitating and chronic medical conditions in hopes of living a normal life. No, the answer is not to require these poor and debilitated patients to spend extra days and money they do not have, in and out of the doctor’s office.

Qualified patients have enough problems in life and the process to get a medical marijuana recommendation and card is already difficult and expensive. On Monday our office received a call from recent cancer widow. She told us that her husband applied for a card, paid to get a physicians recommendation to use medical marijuana, had his application notarized and paid a fee of $90 to Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry (CDPHE).  He died before his ID card came and he never even knew that the doctor’s signature was all that was needed to use marijuana legally. He was trying to be a good and law abiding citizen waiting for his medical marijuana card to come in the mail (Currently delayed 14 to 16 weeks).

Mr Suthers, doctors do not prescribe medical marijuana, a drug that is safer than cough syrup. Doctors may only recommend marijuana. Mr. Suthers consider your quote “Can you imagine any other drug or treatment where a doctor is directly incentivized to prescribe a specific treatment method? The public would be outraged if a drug company were effectively paying a doctor in cash to prescribe their product”. No Mr Suthers, we do not have to imaging because we see it every day with the nation’s pharmaceutical companies and our states practicing physicians. They might not exchange cash directly but exchanges are being made.. Patients are sick and tired of the Reefer Madness and tired and sick from the deadly synthetic chemicals they are prescribed with out any fanfare or responsibility. Mr Suthers, please call us and get some of the facts that you will need in these upcoming weeks. Multiple doctor visits with needless poking and prodding is not the answer, good records straight from one MD or DO to another MD or DO are the answer.

(CMM) Management