New MMJ State (MA) What to Expect? Find Dr?

[darkrom]

Full disclosure, I am a mod again after an ugly argument was taken public by someone else insisting BHO caused cancer. I'd rather lose my mod rights than stand behind that, luckily the site owners agreed that I didn't deserve to lose my status for arguing that one. The OWNERS and people running the site are great, it was a few mods from Maine who insist on trying to run things the "maine way" are a bit nuts. I still think the site is great for locating a caregiver, but due to the lack of sources present I'd say don't make it your go to site for information. Just make it a place to learn about MA law specifically and finding caregiver info etc. There are simply better sites when it comes down to the science of cannabis, in fact we are on one right now.

 

[darkrom]

Well once again I'm not a mod LOL. See a trend with this site?

I was defending hashish once again against claims that it is "100% recreational only". I suggest people just avoid this site. I'll be deleting my account and removing all of my posts. This is not the place to go for pro cannabis information, it is a site run by people who are on a powertrip. With the new laws in MA the site has NOTHING to offer anyway.

I'm sorry to anyone who has been lead to massmedmarijuana by me. It is truly a fucked up place with a bad agenda. I can honestly say to avoid it completely at this point, it has NOTHING to offer anyone anymore.

Sad day for mass patients, but then again we could create our own site based on our own passion for cannabis, but this whole situation has me put off. I'm just waiting for dispensaries now, the caregiver model has been eliminated by law.

 

[Chicken Charlie]

Greetings...Given the appearance that dispensaries will not open until mid 2014 (if not later); does it make fiscal sense to secure an appointment with Cannamed (or other 3rd part venues) at this time?
Thank-you.

 

[darkrom]

I think it is worth it for legal protection alone. It is up to you, for me I had it in January, so I'll have to renew mine if they don't start issuing the physical cards soon.

 

[Chicken Charlie]

A department spokesman from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced yesterday that an Executive Director of the state's marijuana program has been announced. Karen van Unen will oversee "all aspects of the program". She will select the 35 dispensaries to be awarded licenses on January 30th; and "will have oversight over the inspection of dispensaries and the creation of a database listing the people authorized to get medical marijuana.

 

[darkrom]

Good maybe they can finally start issuing official cards!

I had to renew my rec for a cost of another $200 because they took over a year to get this shit moving.

 

[Chicken Charlie]

A telephone call to the Mass. Department of Public Health indicates (and this remains fluid) a $50.00 fee for patient registration - $100.00 fee for a hardship permit to cultivate plants at home and a $10.00 fee to replace a lost registration card. The person I spoke with said the issuance of registration cards will come on the heels of the dispensary announcement on January 30th. That said ... will you have to renew your "rec" at a cost of $200.00 annually to secure your DPH registration?

 

[darkrom]

The rec gets sent to the DPH. They will send out state issued official cards. I have no idea how long a card is good for, but the doctors recomendation letters were only good for a year, so I just had to renew mine :/

Are you saying that they will start accepting letters in Feb and then issuing the cards? I just want the official card finally. Its been a long year waiting for that.


FYI don't even bother with the $100 hardship fee. I have it on pretty good authority that they aren't going to accept ANYONE into that. The reason they can get away with that is that there will be 35 dispensaries in the state, and that they are going to offer to deliver discount meds (trim) for free to patients, but they have to pay the $20 delivery fee or whatever they decide. Basically low income patients are not going to have any options besides saving their cash to buy like everyone else, or paying a delivery for free meds that are so bad that the dispensary can't even put them up for sale :/

 

[Chicken Charlie]

My apologizes for sounding vague in reference to date associated with issuance of the card. The bureaucrat I spoke with reported that it (and the process) would be announced shortly after the identification and registration of the 35 dispensaries...Sad in reference to the hardship protocol in-as-much as aren't there specific strains to assist with the treatment for the diagnoses for which we are being treated; and those variants may not be in the inventory of the dispensaries?

 

[darkrom]

Well I know this, many people are growing legally now since the DPH stalled. I'm going to say its safe to assume that MOST of those people aren't going to stop and suddenly pay for overpriced dispensary stuff.
There will be no shortage in the state, we just might be better off getting it how we do now.

 

[grokit]

12/12 plants is much less restrictive than in my state, where it's 3/3

 

[Chicken Charlie]

A return email from my State Representative indicates that "DPH will not begin registering patients (and caregivers) until it completes the development of an online registration system later in 2014." He goes on to say that "DPH will notify the public well in advance of the registration date." He assures me he will keep me posted during the "course of action."

 

[grokit]

Didn't MA basically decriminalize small amounts by eliminating any penalties including fines for possession of under an ounce years ago? Of course they can still throw your ass in the clink and fine you $5K for having a pipe or growing a plant, and marijuana, vehicles, and money are still subject to forfeiture...
http://norml.org/laws/item/massachusetts-penalties-2

 

[Chicken Charlie]

Correct...and if my memory serves me (questionable at times) you also forfeit your product to the authority who has detained you; and if your under the age of 21 you must participate in a court-mandated drug and alcohol education program.

 

[darkrom]

Didn't MA basically decriminalize small amounts by eliminating any penalties including fines for possession of under an ounce years ago? Of course they can still throw your ass in the clink and fine you $5K for having a pipe or growing a plant, and marijuana, vehicles, and money are still subject to forfeiture...
http://norml.org/laws/item/massachusetts-penalties-2

This is true and was a big concern for me, but I don't believe the police have abused this law by arresting anyone for a bong when the weed they were smoking in it is not an arrestable offence. I'm pretty sure they just stopped caring here. Thats how it is around me. Even if that did happen, any half decent lawyer would set precedent for the state that the law protecting marijuana should cover the pipes etc. The pipes are only illegal because they might be used to smoke marijuana, which is now not a crime. It is a minor civil offense. The $100 ticket for possession these days is 100% unenforced. If you don't pay, nothing ever happens. The cops know this and don't write tickets in my area.

Growing a plant I think is still a pretty big deal for a non-patient, but I'd imagine its more like probation for 6 months no actual jail time. The state is very relaxed about cannabis here it seems like. The only strict laws that I can think of are a part of the medical program. The thing that sucks about those strict laws, is that the people didn't vote on them. The DPH just declared them illegally, and that is how it is. The 1 patient per caregiver? The voters didn't establish that. It wasn't in any law. The DPH is just making up rules as they go along, being relatively unchallenged.

All I know is that the black market weed grown by my patient friends is going to be better than most/all dispensary weed, and it'll guaranteed be cheaper. I don't particularly care if it is legal or not, the second I leave their house I'm simply possessing it, which is 100% fine with my medical card.

 

[Chicken Charlie]

The Department of Public Health has just announced the award of 20 licenses to open dispensaries in the state...the Boston Globe reports "it would be summertime before any of their doors for business."

 

[darkrom]

The Department of Public Health has just announced the award of 20 licenses to open dispensaries in the state...the Boston Globe reports "it would be summertime before any of their doors for business."

I thought they were going to be doing 35 dispensaries in this state :/

That doesn't do anything other than inconvenience patients.

 

[Chicken Charlie]

Agreed...Out of 14 counties in the state only 10 were selected. Applications were denied in Franklin, Berkshire, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.

 

[darkrom]

Agreed...Out of 14 counties in the state only 10 were selected. Applications were denied in Franklin, Berkshire, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.

Looks like those counties EVERYONE should qualify for hardship grows then, since there are no dispensaries in the county. Not all bad for them IMO, since the private grown meds WILL be cheaper than the dispensaries.

 

[Chicken Charlie]

Boston Globe Headline: "Arrests, fines follow medical marijuana law"..."Police cite vagueness in regulations, uncertainty over letters from doctors"...The Department of Public Health has had seventeen months to register patients. The question remains why it is taking so long.

 

[darkrom]

Because the DPH shouldn't be in charge of such important/significant/new things IMO.

 

[Chicken Charlie]

DPH is reporting that nine of the twenty applications given initial approval for dispensaries have been eliminated; based on issues discovered during an expanded review (background checks - misrepresentations - financial and corporate statements). Eleven will be given provincial licenses. "Some dispensaries could be operational by November but most won't do so until February 2005." said Karen von Unen executive director of the state's medical marijuana program at a news conference this afternoon. She went on to say that "97% of the state's population will live within 30 miles of a dispensary."

Edit: February 2015 (my apologies)

 

[darkrom]

Between november this year on the early end...and february 2015. Wow. And we got MMJ in 2012 if you can believe it.

It'll probably be legal here by the time the DPH ends up being able to figure this stuff out.

 

[Chicken Charlie]

Online registration available online...www.mass.gov/medicalmarijuana

 

[darkrom]

Online registration available online...www.mass.gov/medicalmarijuana

I love you. Gotta get this done ASAP before my card expires...again.

EDIT: I don't have the "reference number" i need anywhere