Pompo

Colorado medical marijuana program working
This Web only Speakout has not been edited.
2/21/08|Rocky Mountain News| by Steven Wells, Opinion

Election day November 2000 was monumental for many who suffer debilitating pain, cancer, nausea, seizures and glaucoma, HIV/AIDs, and persistent muscle spasms. Why? The electorate of Colorado voted to allow the medicinal use of cannabis by a vote of 53 to 47 percent. Many patients who have needlessly suffered from these conditions were allowed to exercise their own course of care outside the realm of analgesics, NSAIDs, narcotics and other means the institutional medical field may prescribe.

This was by no means a free pass to just puff away in public, no smoke shops opened and entertained hordes of folks sampling their wares. In fact the state has established specific rules about all aspects of the law. The atmosphere of a black market has not engulfed the state, cannabis is not sold in vending machines and the entire program has the oversight of the state of Colorado Department of Health and Environment.

Currently more than 1,700 patients legally have the right to use and grow marijuana for their own medicinal use. The ages range from 18 to 90 and the average age is 43. For those who are unable to grow their own they may choose to access their medicine from a caregiver. Patients may have no more than two ounces of useable marijuana, they may grow up to six plants of which three or fewer can be flowering. The state of Colorado maintains a confidential database of patients and caregivers.

The state will only verify that a patient is on the registry when approached by law enforcement officials. The application process is streamlined and cards must be renewed annually. A MD or OD must fill out the forms stating the diagnosis for the need and recommend that the use of cannabis is a legitimate medicine for these conditions. These forms are then sent to the Department of Public Health and Environment along with the annual $90 fee.

Typically the patient will receive the card within 15 days. But there are concerns — local law enforcement in several jurisdictions have chosen to ignore the law, when they have arrested patients and caregivers, confiscated medicine and private documents of those who possessed the legal documentation. In this regard, it is unfortunate that the state’s attorney general and the local sheriffs have decided upon their own to neglect and ignore their duty. This has resulted in a number of cases being dismissed, yet the medicine was ruined. This of course may be lead to civil suits to recover costs for the unwarranted and illegal seizure and loss. We have yet to see. Scientific studies have been provided from many reputable labs and schools of study that clearly indicate the medicinal properties of cannabis.

These are available from many sources. Throughout Colorado there are a number of support groups and clinics that have risen to provide the facts so that patients can approach their physicians regarding the use of cannabis for their condition(s). Twelve states now allow the medicinal use of cannabis and during this legislative session it appears Michigan, Arizona, New York and Illinois may join those ranks.

Though none of these states has a reciprocal agreement to allow the use by patients from one state in another, as more states come online with this legitimate medical practice we can hope that will come to fruition. As a patient myself this has proved to be a non-addictive means by which to control chronic pain and the often nasty side effects of narcotics. For further information regarding the use of medical cannabis I would suggest you visit the following Web sites: conorml.org, Medical Marijuana in Colorado, ASA*:*Advancing Legal Medical Marijuana Therapeutics and Research, MPP Homepage. These are but a few of the sites that could educate the public on the responsible use of medical cannabis.

Steven Wells is a resident of Longmont.