Friday, May 22nd, 2009
I am in Denver this weekend speaking at the five-year anniversary celebration for Sensible Colorado, a grassroots organization founded by Colorado professionals and parents to research, educate, and advocate for effective drug policy. Sensible Colorado has been instrumental in implementing the state’s medical cannabis law since voters adopted Amendment 20 in 2000.
Patients, advocates, and lawmakers there are grappling with many of the same issues that we have encountered here in California – how best to distribute medicine, prevent abuse, and enforce the law. In response to pressure from Sensible Colorado and other advocates, the Board of Health recently postponed a vote that would have limited primary caregivers to supplying medicine to only five patients each. That would have been a stumbling block for the state’s nascent dispensary system, which has grown tremendously in recent years.
I was encouraged to see thousands of people marching for cannabis and medical cannabis law reform when I last visited Denver for the Democratic National Convention in 2008. This kind of grassroots organizing bodes well for patients in the state. I encourage those in Colorado and across the nation to support Sensible Colorado and the important work they are doing.
Readers in Colorado are welcome to join us for the anniversary celebration at the Atlantis Community Center located at 201 S. Cherokee St., Denver 80223. The celebration will be on Saturday, May 23, from 6-9:00 PM, with an awards ceremony at 7:00 PM. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. This is a free non-smoking event.
You can also visit Sensible Colorado online or call (720) 890-4247 for more information
Posted in Medical Marijuana Information | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
Welcome to About Medical Cannabis. The site is designed to provide some practical resources for organizing and operating a medical cannabis patients’ collective or cooperative, which provides medicine to legally qualified medical cannabis patients.
My goal is to help new operators organize and operate their collectives in ways that are as safe and legitimate as possible in the current legal climate. A well-run collective is good for patients and for the grassroots movement to defend medical cannabis rights. A poorly run collective, however, is dangerous for patients and brings the integrity of our movement into question. Patients, operators, and advocates will all benefit from making our collectives the best they can be.
This site contains answers to frequently asked questions and other useful information. Of course, you will want to talk to an attorney and accountant before you open your collective. My advice is not a substitute for help from other professionals.
Operating a medical cannabis dispensing collective is a very important and compassionate project. It is also a lot of hard work. You should think hard about your level of commitment and the risk you’re willing to take before you begin this project. Some operators would do better for themselves, the patients, and the grassroots movement for medical cannabis if they decided not to operate dispensing collectives. There are easier and safer ways to earn a living. This is a line of work that is most appropriate for people who are committed to compassion – and to the cause of medical cannabis. If you are not committed to upholding the letter and the spirit of the law and to conducting your business affairs in an ethical and reputable manner, then you should not pursue this line of work. You will do more harm than good.
New operators also do well to reflect honestly upon their motives for opening a dispensing collective. Your motives will influence how you operate your collective and the decisions you make regarding your patients and community. The consequences for making bad decisions are serious for you, the patients, the community, and medical cannabis in general. If you say that your motive is compassion, then your actions should reflect this. Neighbors, elected officials, and police officers can tell when you’re being insincere. Do not put yourself and others at risk by failing to examine your motives.
I need to include a disclaimer to be very clear about my participation in conversations with new collective operators: I am not an attorney or an accountant. The contents of this message do not constitute professional legal or financial advice, nor am I recommending that you take any specific actions. This information is for educational purposes only. The contents are my own opinions.
Good luck with your project. Please keep me posted on your progress and let me know how I can help.
Posted in Medical Marijuana Information | 1 Comment »
