# Ask The Doper Who Works At A Medical Marijuana Clinic **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292 "2011-04-13T22:16:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/21 "2011-04-14T04:31:48Z")
> [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > Again, I apologize. I get it now. It’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/22 "2011-04-14T04:40:09Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Nah. We don’t sell it, we just certify people to obtain a card from the health department to buy it at a dispensary or grow their own. Are these the only approved means of “filling their prescription”? Suppose somebody had a valid card to purchase marijuana for health reasons and chose to buy it in a street transaction from somebody who normally sold it for recreational use. Is that legal? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/23 "2011-04-14T04:42:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Are these the only approved means of “filling their prescription”? Suppose somebody had a valid card to purchase marijuana for health reasons and chose to buy it in a street transaction from somebody who normally sold it for recreational use. Is that legal? No way. You can grow your own, but it takes 1-3 years to grow a decent plant. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/24 "2011-04-14T04:45:30Z")
If you choose the “grow your own” option, is there a limit to how much you can cultivate. I can see somebody who is growing marijuana with the intent to sell it illegally going out and getting a card giving him a license to grow it. That way his crops would be protected up to the point when he sells them. “Sir, I’m Agent Smith from the DEA. We’ve discovered you’re growing marijuana on your property.” “Yup, but as you can see from this card, I’m legally entitled to grow it for my medical use.” “Sir, you have three hundred acres of marijuana on your property.” “Yeah, I got some pretty wicked glaucoma.” ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/25 "2011-04-14T04:49:24Z")
You can’t grow more than 12 plants, and you have to not live within 25 miles of a dispensary. There are no dispensaries here open yet, so that’s everyone right now. You can buy an enormous amount- 2.5 ounces a week, which is a _fat_ sack. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/26 "2011-04-14T04:56:03Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > No way. You can grow your own, but **it takes 1-3 years to grow a decent plant.** Um, no it doesn’t. It’s an annual plant. You can grow a decent plant in 4-6 months. And Darth Nader is right. Medical herb is medically legal in our state too, I have the paper work right here to get medically certified, just don’t smoke it enough anymore to bother with it. There are many doctors making money by certifying herb-heads - all you have to do is claim you have some ache or pain and you can get a card. The state is making tons of money with the whole thing, and after you get your card, every year thereafter you need to get re-certified. Pay the fee again to a doctor, and then again to the state. It’s ridiculous, a scam. I would venture that at least half of the card holders are recreational users who are just using this as a loophole so they can legally either possess, carry, manufacture, and/or sell it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/27 "2011-04-14T04:56:04Z")
What time do you get off work? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/28 "2011-04-14T04:57:52Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > What time do you get off work? 😉 I get off at 8pm. Wanna swing by and pick me up? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/29 "2011-04-14T05:00:32Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > What time do you get off work? 😉 4:20 Or 6 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/30 "2011-04-14T07:28:00Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > No way. You can grow your own, but it takes 1-3 years to grow a decent plant. Actually there is a new hybrid that is all 3 types [indica, sativa and a tot of ruderalis] that from seed to weed is 2 months. The ruderalis makes it autoflower. the strain i want is called medical, and is straight indica, 3 month seed to weed. I am going for a specific effect for arthritis, migraines and chronic pain once it is decriminalized in CT. > [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > You can’t grow more than 12 plants, and you have to not live within 25 miles of a dispensary. There are no dispensaries here open yet, so that’s everyone right now. You can buy an enormous amount- 2.5 ounces a week, which is a _fat_ sack. Looking at the Az requirements for dispensary, I can seriously doubt the ability for most people to get one started. > [@](#): > > • Medical marijuana dispensaries must be nonprofit. They must have bylaws which preserve their nonprofit nature, though they need not be considered tax-exempt by the IRS, nor must they be incorporated. > • The operating documents of the dispensaries must include provisions for the oversight of the dispensary and for accurate recordkeeping. > • The dispensary must have a single secure entrance and must implement appropriate security measures to deter and prevent the theft of marijuana and unauthorized access to areas containing marijuana. > • A dispensary must not acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, supply, or dispense marijuana for any purpose other than providing it directly to a cardholder or to a registered caregiver for the cardholder. > • All cultivation of marijuana must take place only at a locked, enclosed facility at a physical address provided to the Department of Health Services during the application process, and accessible only by dispensary agents registered with the Department. > • A dispensary can acquire marijuana from a patient of their caregiver, but only if the patient or caregiver receives no compensation for it. > • No consumption of marijuana is permitted on the property of the dispensary. > • A dispensary is subject to reasonable inspection by the Department of Health Services. The Department must first give reasonable notice of the inspection to the dispensary. They are limiting it to 124 total, a $5000 application fee, and a requirement to be up and operating within 60 days of licensing or lose the license and any possibility of applying in the future. The restrictions on getting product is so restrictive it may be impossible to legally get product to start once the license is gotten … _absolutely no grower_ is going to provide weed to a dispensary without compensation. No weed, no product until it can be grown by the dispensary, unable to legally open. I also saw a requirement for $250000 in the bank to even consider applying. I am waiting to see what the requirements in CT will be for a dispensary - hubby and I would love to open one here - if he could get in touch for whomever is doing the recruiting for the Japanese nuke disaster there would be the chance if he could land a long enough contract that we would actually be able to get the funding to actually manage it. We were knocking around growing information, and with 3 10x12 hydroponic grow rooms we could actually grow enough to run a small dispensary [one indica, one sativa and 1 hybrid type] ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/31 "2011-04-14T08:24:08Z")
What’s the cost of medicinal marijuana issued from a legal dispensary to a patient and how does it compare to the “street value” of marijuana? Is it a normal prescription and is the cost paid by health plans that cover other prescriptions? Has the sale of medical marijuana had an effect on the number of people buying marijuana from street dealers and the street price of marijuana? ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/32 "2011-04-14T10:01:29Z")
Is there a medically mandated way to take the marijuana (bong, hash brownie, enema), or is it up to the patient? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/33 "2011-04-14T14:04:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > What’s the cost of medicinal marijuana issued from a legal dispensary to a patient and how does it compare to the “street value” of marijuana? > > Is it a normal prescription and is the cost paid by health plans that cover other prescriptions? > > Has the sale of medical marijuana had an effect on the number of people buying marijuana from street dealers and the street price of marijuana? I have no idea how much it costs. I bet the guy with the thread “ask the guy with a medical marijuana card anything” knows. There are no paper prescriptions issued. You can use it any way you want, but we recommend a vaporizer, as it’s much easier on the lungs. It’s not covered by insurance, and neither is the visit to get certified. As it’s just starting here and not yet being sold in dispensaries, I can’t speak to the effect on the street. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/34 "2011-04-14T17:02:23Z")
What’s your Attitude toward Pot in General, ever used it? Think it should be legal for everybody? ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/35 "2011-04-14T17:15:21Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > No way. You can grow your own, but it takes 1-3 years to grow a decent plant. it does not take 1-3 years to grow a plant ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/36 "2011-04-14T17:22:58Z")
How does it compare to street stuff in terms of potency? It has been many years since I last had experience of the Dread Killer Weed, but I am told that the stuff is more potent now than in my mis-spent youth. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/37 "2011-04-14T18:52:55Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > it does not take 1-3 years to grow a plant That’s what I was told by the naturopath that I’m working with. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/38 "2011-04-14T18:54:17Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > What’s your Attitude toward Pot in General, ever used it? Think it should be legal for everybody? I have no problems with people even using it for recreational purposes, as long as they’re over 18 and being responsible, i.e. not driving stoned or doing it at work, etc. Have I ever used it? I plead the fizzif! ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/39 "2011-04-14T18:56:11Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > How does it compare to street stuff in terms of potency? > > It has been many years since I last had experience of the Dread Killer Weed, but I am told that the stuff is more potent now than in my mis-spent youth. > > Regards, > Shodan It’s probably pretty comparable to the stuff on the street back east- a friend told me that stuff is pretty potent. But the stuff generally found on the street here is fairly weak- see post above regarding ‘Mexican dirt weed’. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/40 "2011-04-14T19:14:47Z")
If someone brings you a license from another state or country, will you or the dispensaries honour it? ETA: In your opinion, how many of the restrictions on dispensary operation are due to the federal ban on marijuana? (I’m still confused by that part–how can it be legal in a state but illegal federally? What, exactly, can the federal government ban?) > [@Double\_Foolscap](#): > > Is there a medically mandated way to take the marijuana (bong, hash brownie, enema), or is it up to the patient? I’m wondering this too. I really really dislike smoking, and wonder whether medical marijuana would be as effective if eaten. My mother died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and it was not pretty; as far as I know, she never used medical MJ because it was not legal in Canada then. She might have smoked it, but then again maybe not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292.md?page=3)