I hesitate to post because of lingering uncertainty about what is and isn’t permissible. So without providing a direct link, I will say that I found pretty good evidence that there are easily close to 200 medicinal marijuana dispensaries in and around Denver by searching an online directory of medical marijuana dispensaries.
Which, of course, makes the rule even more ridiculous.
Glad to be of help.
That is my understanding as well. They are going after specific shops that appear to be in violation of their own local laws allowing MMJ, or for tax issues, and so on. But there’s not a general campaign to stamp them out or anything like that. And, in any case, from what I’ve read on this subject, individuals possessing or even growing small amounts of MJ has never been a very high priority of Federal drug enforcers. They tend to go after the bigger fish.
I’ve read that figure of ~200 dispensaries in the Denver area. It’s plausible; in L.A. there used to be over 500 but an ordinance recently enacted will reduce this over time to about 150.
The US government has a contract with the University of Mississippi to grow cannabis for 4 persons ( as of 2008 ). These persons may legally use this substance. While I doubt that any poster here is one of those 4. Its hard to see a reason why this question isn’t different then … why does xanix/advil/* make me sleepy.
Meflin
adding : 30 years ago hospitals where moving away from cocaine for tracheotomy’s not because it was unprescribable but because of shortages. I have doubts this has changed either
Maybe the OP thought the Straight Dope board was one of them. 
Easily. I counted once and there are like 35 on my drive home from work. And these aren’t crappy areas. If you’re familiar with Denver, there’s a bunch on Broadway between Evans and Alameda, a ton around Capitol Hill, etc.
As I understand it (I don’t have a card, so this may not be 100% accurate), you go to a Doctor—they have ads in the back of Westword (our answer to the Chicago Reader)–and for ~$75.00 they’ll agree that, yeah, you have a bad back that requires medical marijuana. You then send some other amount of money ($75.00 again?) to the government for a card, and boom. You can go to one of several hundred stores and pick out your favorite type of weed.
Take a look at the map that this link sends you to and look how many show up.
And I don’t blame you for being skeptical. It’s very, very weird to be driving down a normal street with normal retail businesses and see either a green + (like the Red Cross sign, only in Kelly green) or a pot leaf sign just out there.
Dude, their are billboards in LA advertising medical marijuana sales, complete with the doctor/dealer photo, address and phone number. The weed stores are ubiquitous; it’s not like some shady underground operation.
In Colorado Springs along West Colorado Ave it’s easy to drive along and count I’m sure what must be dozens of dispensaries, and many of them openly advertise on their windows, “all varieties, $25 for an 8th, etc.”
I’m not sure if you’re mocking me or the concept of consistent moderation on the dope. Care to qualify your statement?
No. Czarcasm is full of shit in this instance, and not any good kind.
[Moderator Warning]
Insults are not permitted in ATMB, as I am sure you know. This is an official warning. Don’t do this again.
Colibri
Moderator
At last count, I think there are over 100 dispensaries in San Jose. The city council has a rather bizarre attitude towards them–right after a ballot measure to tax the “medicine” was passed, the council began discussing plans to shut down all but 10 of the shops.
:dubious: As I am sure you know, “Full of shit” is acceptable even in GD.
When the people of Montana voted to make medical marijuana legal, the city of Billings issued over 85 dispensary licenses, and Billings has only 1/10 the population of San Jose. Then the politicians decided they knew better than their constituents and they are shutting down all of the dispensaries in the state effective July 1.
No it isn’t, when directed at another poster.
Think about it for a moment. It’s only a short sentence.