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 veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 13,985
Loc: 
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 Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado
#10752441 - 07/27/09 09:27 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado
July 27, 2009 - Associated Press
 BOULDER, Colo. — Boulder County Caregivers offers 16 glass jars of marijuana with names like Skinny Pineapple and Early Pearl Maui, priced at $375 to $420 an ounce. There are marijuana capsules and snacks made with cannabis butter, such as rice crispy treats.
Co-owner Jill Leigh urges customers to try a syrupy tincture she calls "the Advil of medical marijuana." A drop under the tongue gives less of a high but the same pain relief as smoking, she says.
Leigh's sales are legal — and taxed — under Colorado's voter-approved medical marijuana law. Her marijuana dispensary and nearly 60 others serve a rapidly growing number of users with little oversight. Critics of the system say it's prone to abuse and point to a growing number of younger patients. But a recent state effort to impose more controls failed.
More than 9,000 people are registered in Colorado to use medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation — up 2,000 in the past month.
The total is expected to rise to 15,000 by year's end, according to the state health department, which blames the rapid increase on patient confidentiality guarantees and federal plans to stop raiding medical marijuana operations, which the U.S. government considers illegal.
Since December, the average patient age in Colorado has dropped from 42 to 24, raising more questions about abuses.
Last week, the state health board rejected a proposal to limit suppliers to five patients. Dispensary owners said the plan would force many to close. Others, including Leigh, say Colorado should better regulate its dispensaries to deter abuses. But Chief Medical Officer Ned Calonge said he simply doesn't have that authority under the 2000 law.
Some towns are stepping in. On Tuesday, Breckenridge will consider rules to keep dispensaries away from schools and restrict their hours to prevent thefts. Police Chief Rick Holman said the ideas came from Cannabis Therapeutics, a Colorado Springs dispensary believed to be the state's largest with 1,400 patients.
The Denver suburb of Commerce City also is drafting its own rules. In Boulder, police have reached out to dispensaries after thieves stole two 20-gallon barrels of marijuana from one business in June.
Leigh's waiting room could be found in a dentist's office, save for coffee-table reading material that includes a copy of High Times and a Timothy Leary book. Spice jars feature samples of marijuana available for sale. All sales are by appointment only, and Leigh's business collects about $10,000 in sales tax a month.
Leigh's patients are mainly middle-aged women with multiple sclerosis and men coping with hepatitis C. One employee said he takes tincture drops to help prevent seizures. A customer, a jiujitsu coach, said he uses it to treat pain from four surgeries and regular fights.
Leigh said she and her husband, who uses marijuana to cope with degenerative disc disease, started selling marijuana he was growing to avoid running up against the law.
Patients can only possess up to 2 ounces of usable marijuana under Colorado law. But a patient or his designated caregiver can grow six marijuana plants — but only three can flower at any time.
Today Leigh, a self-described soccer and karate mom, has seven employees, offers health insurance and plans to add 401(k) benefits. She worries federal agents might raid her business, even though the Obama administration says the government will stop targeting medical marijuana operations that are in line with state law.
For luck, Leigh hangs Tibetan prayer flags in her offices and has a statue of the elephant-headed Hindu god of Ganesh. She says a California dispensary that had both items was spared in a recent federal raid.
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 DesertSolitaire
counting sand
Registered: 10/15/08
Posts: 136
Loc: Colorado Plateau
Last seen: 1 year, 5 months
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: veggie]
#10752478 - 07/27/09 09:37 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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thats right colorado...leading the way
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Signature.
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Sparkey_STi
Boomer
Registered: 06/19/08
Posts: 559
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: DesertSolitaire]
#10752636 - 07/27/09 10:13 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Wewt! I just need to get my lazy pot smoking ass off the couch and get my card to take advantage of this... fuck.
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SummerDaisies
Out of Retirement
Registered: 12/04/06
Posts: 7,616
Loc: Rocky Mountain High Or at...
Last seen: 16 hours, 59 minutes
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: Sparkey_STi]
#10752674 - 07/27/09 10:20 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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word up to colorado.
just left there for cali
another state where medical is easy as pie
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whattheheck
Chief Love Lover
Registered: 06/01/07
Posts: 7,380
Loc: Denver Colorado
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: SummerDaisies]
#10752825 - 07/27/09 10:52 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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I love my state. 
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A society whose whole idea is to eliminate suffering and bring it's members the greatest amount of comfort and pleasure is doomed to be destroyed -Thomas Merton
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Coaster
Baʿal
Registered: 05/22/06
Posts: 33,501
Loc: Deep in the Valley
Last seen: 7 months, 18 days
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: DesertSolitaire]
#10753059 - 07/27/09 11:59 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
DesertSolitaire said:
thats right colorado...leading the way
co is totally following ca
and slowly
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SummerDaisies
Out of Retirement
Registered: 12/04/06
Posts: 7,616
Loc: Rocky Mountain High Or at...
Last seen: 16 hours, 59 minutes
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: Coaster]
#10753142 - 07/28/09 12:26 AM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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i thought hot wheels lead the way
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Dephect
New Life
Registered: 08/10/07
Posts: 1,410
Loc: Metropolis
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: SummerDaisies]
#10754981 - 07/28/09 10:48 AM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Thats why I like it here.
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Heaven - the great big rave in the sky.
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Minion
Torque
Registered: 10/23/07
Posts: 461
Loc: Jesusland
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: Dephect]
#10755346 - 07/28/09 11:52 AM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Colorado and CA should work together so that CA patients are legal to buy in CO and visa versa.
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Too sober.
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daspence
Bing Blang Blaow
Registered: 06/24/09
Posts: 21
Loc: Colorado
Last seen: 2 years, 4 months
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: Minion]
#10755474 - 07/28/09 12:09 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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$50...Bankwire...ATM....Titties.
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wireless
Thizziswhatis
Registered: 11/06/06
Posts: 3,948
Last seen: 2 years, 9 months
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: DesertSolitaire]
#10755924 - 07/28/09 01:32 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
DesertSolitaire said:
thats right colorado...leading the way
Colorado leading the way...lol
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Wingnutt
Stranger
Registered: 11/30/08
Posts: 57
Last seen: 3 months, 7 days
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: wireless]
#10758589 - 07/28/09 09:34 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Colorado is the best! I love it here.
Colorado patients are legal in a couple other states. I know Montana and Rhode Island for sure but I think there is another one or two.
It would be awesome if Cali joined that list.
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Minion
Torque
Registered: 10/23/07
Posts: 461
Loc: Jesusland
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: Wingnutt]
#10768358 - 07/30/09 11:53 AM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Wingnutt said:
Colorado is the best! I love it here.
Colorado patients are legal in a couple other states. I know Montana and Rhode Island for sure but I think there is another one or two.
It would be awesome if Cali joined that list.
How legal is it though? Is it like CA where you can get pot for a head ache or sore feet?
EDIT: Rocky Mountain High
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Too sober.
Edited by Minion (07/30/09 12:09 PM)
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LSDreamer
Psychedelic Atheist
Registered: 03/11/08
Posts: 8,638
Last seen: 8 months, 30 days
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: Minion]
#10768398 - 07/30/09 11:59 AM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Minion said:
Quote:
Wingnutt said:
Colorado is the best! I love it here.
Colorado patients are legal in a couple other states. I know Montana and Rhode Island for sure but I think there is another one or two.
It would be awesome if Cali joined that list.
How legal is it though? Is it like CA where you can get pot for a head ache or sore feet?
It's real easy. There's actually a company here that you pay, I think it's $500, and they refer you to a doctor who will write you a recommendation.
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Sparkey_STi
Boomer
Registered: 06/19/08
Posts: 559
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: LSDreamer]
#10770394 - 07/30/09 05:55 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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care to PM the the info? HA! My lazy ass needs to get my card finally...
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Wingnutt
Stranger
Registered: 11/30/08
Posts: 57
Last seen: 3 months, 7 days
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Re: Medical marijuana dispensaries thrive in Colorado [Re: Sparkey_STi]
#10770779 - 07/30/09 07:16 PM (2 years, 9 months ago) |
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The requirements to obtain a license in Colorado are not as lax as Cali. The best way in Colorado is to complain about back pain. There is no way to prove or disprove it so the doctor has to take your word for it.
It is fairly legal tho. A med patient can have up to 2 ounces of dried material, 3 flowering plants, and 3 veg plants. Its an actual amendment to the Colorado Constitution so its pretty rock solid.
You should be able to find a doctor to refer you for around $100-150 in Colorado. If you are paying $500 you are getting ripped off.
If you have a legitimate claim then you don't have to pay anyone. Just bring the paperwork to your regular doctor and they will probably sign it. Just don't go in asking for pot on the first visit.
I'm pretty sure its $150 fee for your initial license and $100 renewal each year after that. Once you are approved you never have to see a doctor again and prove that you need it, just mail a check and stay current.
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