PUTTING THE KIND IN KINDBUD (Colorado Compassion Club)

PUTTING THE KIND IN KINDBUD
(Source:Boulder Weekly)
Colorado, U.S.A.
24 Mar 2005
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Despite Run-Ins With The Law, Denver's Curies Of Cannabis Light Up For A Good Cause

The tale of the Colorado Compassion Club begins with a couple of antagonistic tree trimmers. As the story goes, in the summer of 2004, a Denver resident, whom we shall call Frank, told a few tree trimmers he would pay for their services in marijuana. The trimmers knew Frank was good for it. All they had to do was look into his house to spot his pot-hundreds and hundreds of plants. When the tree trimmers' work was complete, however, Frank apparently failed to pay up. So the trimmers took matters into their own hands, namely making off with some of Frank's marijuana plants. Incensed, Frank called the cops, which, in hindsight, might not have been the best decision. When police officers arrived at Frank's home, they were less interested his tale of mischievous tree trimmers than they were in the fact that he had hundreds of pot plants growing all over his crib. When the cops tried to take the plants, Frank told them they'd have to go through the Drug Enforcement Agency. Bad idea number two. Frank ended up with federal agents crawling all over his cannabis arboretum.

To lessen the heat, Frank told the authorities he'd rat out others who'd helped him grow his sizable marijuana garden. Frank's admissions led North Metro Drug Task Force officers and federal drug agents to the door of a low-lying red-brick bungalow in a neighborhood of low-lying red-brick bungalows in east Denver at 10:30 p.m. on June 1, 2004. The home belonged to Thomas and Larisa Lawrence. Thomas is just over six feet, with light-blue eyes, brown hair tied in a ponytail and a soul patch plummeting from his lower lip. Larisa is small and pretty, with straight brown hair. At the time, both were inside the house celebrating Thomas' grandmother's 72nd birthday.

The officers asked Thomas and Larissa if they could search the premises. What happened next is in dispute. Larisa says she asked to see a search warrant. She says the officers responded that they didn't need one because of the PATRIOT Act-but that they would be happy to get one, provided that Thomas, Larisa and all their guests didn't mind being locked out of the house for six hours while they whipped one up. Jeff Dorschner, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver, unequivocally denies such a conversation ever took place. He says Thomas and Larisa must have given the officers permission to search the premises.

Whatever the circumstances, the officers searched the house. The investigation turned up 84 young pot plants in the basement, 12 ounces of loose marijuana and six pounds of ice in the freezer that contained marijuana plant matter.

It appeared that Thomas and Larisa were unusually over-achieving stoners, but that wasn't the case. Thanks to a combination of football injuries and a degenerative spinal condition, Thomas suffers from migraines and back pain. He can't stand prescription narcotics, especially since they leave him too doped up to run his home-improvement business. The only thing that seems to help is marijuana, which dulls his pain and thins his blood, leading to less migraines. The "medicine," as Thomas and Larisa call it, works so well that the two moved from the Washington, D.C. area to Colorado in 2001 because of the Centennial State's more lenient marijuana laws.

The year before, Colorado had passed Amendment 20, which allows people to be licensed to use marijuana to alleviate debilitating conditions including cancer, AIDS, severe pain and seizures. The law allows a licensed marijuana patient to usually possess no more than six marijuana plants and two ounces of usable marijuana-much less than what the authorities found in Thomas and Larisa's house.

But Thomas wasn't just growing for himself, he was providing for other patients. Word had gotten around that Thomas was growing some good medicine, and many patients specified Thomas as their state-certified caregiver. Frank had been one of Thomas' patients, albeit one with whom Thomas had severed all ties because of a disagreement long before the cops came knocking on his door. At the time of the raid, Thomas estimates he was providing medicine for 11 licensed patients and about 20 more who were in the process of getting licensed-more than enough, he says, to legally justify his ganja garden.

The feds didn't see it that way. After mulling about the property for several hours, they confiscated all the marijuana, plus lights, heaters and books used in the operation. They allowed Thomas to keep his collection of one-of-a-kind bongs and roach clips. Thanks to the raid, Thomas and Larissa lost between $5,000 and $10,000 worth of property and gained a reputation around the neighborhood for being the focus of a federal drug bust. While Thomas and Larisa have not been charged with any crime, their property remains confiscated.

Weird science

Whatever the officers hoped to gain from the raid, they didn't stop Thomas and Larisa from growing their medicine. Instead they caused these Curies of cannabis to go official-by starting the Colorado Compassion Club.

"We are not trying to say, 'How can we grow as much pot as we can,'" says Thomas. "We are trying to make sure patients and caregivers have some access to medicine, and make it as cost effective as possible."

Today there are 587 people licensed to use medical marijuana in Colorado-32 in Boulder-but the law doesn't specify how they are supposed to get the pot. The most obvious ways of doing so seem to be scoring a dime bag in Centennial Park or spending hundreds of dollars and six months growing pot from seed in a closet. But now, through Thomas and Larisa's Colorado Compassion Club, a consortium of about 70 patients and caregivers that's rapidly growing, there's another option.

Sorry, run-of-the-mill stoners: Prospective Colorado Compassion Club members need to be either a licensed marijuana patient or in the process of obtaining a license. Thomas, Larisa or other caregivers in the club work with club patients, discussing their conditions and what type and dose of marijuana might be appropriate. Everything is recorded on extremely detailed paperwork-so if there's ever another raid, Thomas and Larisa will have the proof they're not drug lords. The club provides members from Carson City to Grand Lake with medicine or helps them build and maintain their own grow rooms. It's all based on donations, and the club is hoping to get nonprofit status. If a member can't pay in cash, they volunteer time helping the club produce medicine, or donate clippings from their own plants, if they grow their own.

Thomas and Larisa's bungalow is the club's center of operations, a sort of communal hospital-cum-greenhouse-cum-pharmacy. Club members stop over all the time to help out, chill out or toke up. The living room feels like a rain forest, filled with large plants, ceremonial masks, roaming cats and dogs and an unmistakable heavy aroma in the air. But the important greenery lies downstairs, in a small room with bare white walls. This is where the magic happens.

"I think the love and care we put into the plants produces a different quality of medicine. You have to love the plant," says Thomas, as he stands in the basement room. Around his feet spreads a thick carpet of young marijuana plants, each labeled by type-Chocolate Chunk, Ultimate Indica, Chronic Maple Leaf, Humboldt Snow, G13, White Lightning-Thomas cracks up in the middle of listing the varieties-Bubblegum, Bubble Funk, Shiskaberry, Dutch Treat. A fan blows gently through the leaves, and a large circular metal grow light hangs overhead, traveling slowly back and forth on a motorized track attached to the ceiling. There's a stereo in the corner-some volunteers like to play rock for the plants; Thomas prefers hip-hop.

In the room's closet, Thomas runs his genetics lab. Here, tiny plant clippings grow in small containers, all part of Thomas' experiments in cloning and cross-breeding the cannabis to produce varieties with specific medicinal qualities-some to increase hunger, some to dull pain, some to ease muscle spasms.

When the plants are large enough, Thomas will move them to a large greenhouse in the backyard. There they will grow for most of the summer; when they're harvested, they'll probably be over six feet tall. Neighbors warn their kids to stay away from the unusual greenery poking over the fence.

Along with marijuana and hash for smoking, the club produces brownies, muffins and fudge, all made with a specific amount of cannabis, so patients can take regular dosages-"Take two pot brownies and call me in the morning." While most tokers just use cannabis flowers, the Colorado Compassion Club also harvests the plant's leaves, which offer many of the same medicinal qualities with less of the intoxicating side effects. So if you don't feel like smoking, there's a myriad of other ways to take your medicine: teas, tinctures, topical rubs, lotions, cooking oils, creams, compresses and even hard candy.

"It doesn't have to be about sitting around and taking bong hits," says Larisa. "Though it is your right to do so."

If Thomas is the mad scientist in the basement, Larisa is the Mother Theresa in the living room. She prefers working with the patients, finding out how to best meet their needs, helping them cope. She says she's watched many people heal before her eyes.

Busted-again

For Thomas and Larissa, running the Colorado Compassion Club is a full-time job-especially since they aren't about to receive much support from local authorities.

Thomas learned this the hard way in January. He was driving home one evening when a cop pulled him over. The officer found an ounce of "Kahuna Salad" marijuana and two pipes in the glove compartment. Since Thomas didn't have his caregiver license on him, the cops were somewhat skeptical when he told them it was medicine.

Once again, Thomas' medicine was taken by the Man-but this time, he was determined to get it back. In February, Thomas walked into the police station with a court property disposition for his weed and pipes. The police laughed in his face. They said his disposition was fake, that he was trying to steal illicit drugs from the cops. Not even a call from the City Attorney's Office could sway the officers. There was no way the Denver police were going to start handing out Mary Jane to needy citizens.

A month later, on March 4, Thomas returned to the police station, armed with a new court order, his lawyer and the press. He picked up the phone in the station lobby and said, "Hi. I need to pick up some property."

This time the police were more cooperative. Thomas became the first person ever to receive drugs from the Denver police.

"What happened was a victory for all patients and caregivers in Colorado. It was a victory for everyone who voted to get the law enabled," says Thomas. The only problem with the returned medicine, Thomas told a journalist at the scene, was "It's a little dryer than I'd like."

Thomas and Larisa have big plans for the Colorado Compassion Club. Both are taking naturopath courses, and talk all the time about creating a wellness center for the club, where members have access to health spas and even hospice rooms. Reaching that goal won't be easy, especially since the Colorado Compassion Club probably hasn't seen the last of its run-ins with the authorities.

One possible reason federal attorneys have yet to charge Thomas and Larissa for the 83 plants they found in their house last year could be because they are waiting for an upcoming decision in the Supreme Court case Ashcroft vs. Raich, which will decide on the federal government's ability to supercede state medical marijuana laws. If the court rules in the fed's favor, people like Thomas and Larisa could be looking at federal prosecution-maybe even prison time.

Thomas isn't too worried. He doesn't expect to be thrown in the clink for growing some supreme weed.

"Here in Denver, I don't see them being able to convict me under a jury of my peers," he says, relaxing on his living room couch while, behind him, a few visiting club members sit around the kitchen table, munching on take-out fried chicken and packing a glass bong. "All I am trying to do is help people who can't help themselves."

source (J.Warner... Boulder Weekly)

Colorado State Law-Medical Use of Marijuana Text-

Colorado State Law-Medical Use of Marijuana Text-

0-4-287 - ARTICLE XVIII - Miscellaneous Art. XVIII - Miscellaneous

Section 14. Medical use of marijuana for persons suffering from debilitating medical conditions. (1) As used in this section, these terms are defined as follows:

(a) "Debilitating medical condition" means:

(I) Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or treatment for such conditions;

(II) A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition, or treatment for such conditions, which produces, for a specific patient, one or more of the following, and for which, in the professional opinion of the patient's physician, such condition or conditions reasonably may be alleviated by the medical use of marijuana: cachexia; severe pain; severe nausea; seizures, including those that are characteristic of epilepsy; or persistent muscle spasms, including those that are characteristic of multiple sclerosis; or

(III) Any other medical condition, or treatment for such condition, approved by the state health agency, pursuant to its rule making authority or its approval of any petition submitted by a patient or physician as provided in this section.

(b) "Medical use" means the acquisition, possession, production, use, or transportation of marijuana or paraphernalia related to the administration of such marijuana to address the symptoms or effects of a patient's debilitating medical condition, which may be authorized only after a diagnosis of the patient's debilitating medical condition by a physician or physicians, as provided by this section.

(c) "Parent" means a custodial mother or father of a patient under the age of eighteen years, any person having custody of a patient under the age of eighteen years, or any person serving as a legal guardian for a patient under the age of eighteen years.

(d) "Patient" means a person who has a debilitating medical condition.

(e) "Physician" means a doctor of medicine who maintains, in good standing, a license to practice medicine issued by the state of Colorado.

(f) "Primary care-giver" means a person, other than the patient and the patient's physician, who is eighteen years of age or older and has significant responsibility for managing the well-being of a patient who has a debilitating medical condition.

(g) "Registry identification card" means that document, issued by the state health agency, which identifies a patient authorized to engage in the medical use of marijuana and such patient's primary care-giver, if any has been designated.

(h) "State health agency" means that public health related entity of state government designated by the governor to establish and maintain a confidential registry of patients authorized to engage in the medical use of marijuana and enact rules to administer this program.

(i) "Usable form of marijuana" means the seeds, leaves, buds, and flowers of the plant (genus) cannabis, and any mixture or preparation thereof, which are appropriate for medical use as provided in this section, but excludes the plant's stalks, stems, and roots.

(j) "Written documentation" means a statement signed by a patient's physician or copies of the patient's pertinent medical records.

(2) (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (5), (6), and (8) of this section, a patient or primary care-giver charged with a violation of the state's criminal laws related to the patient's medical use of marijuana will be deemed to have established an affirmative defense to such allegation where:

(I) The patient was previously diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition;

(II) The patient was advised by his or her physician, in the context of a bona fide physician-patient relationship, that the patient might benefit from the medical use of marijuana in connection with a debilitating medical condition; and

(III) The patient and his or her primary care-giver were collectively in possession of amounts of marijuana only as permitted under this section.

This affirmative defense shall not exclude the assertion of any other defense where a patient or primary care-giver is charged with a violation of state law related to the patient's medical use of marijuana.

(b) Effective June 1, 2001, it shall be an exception from the state's criminal laws for any patient or primary care-giver in lawful possession of a registry identification card to engage or assist in the medical use of marijuana, except as otherwise provided in subsections (5) and (8) of this section.

(c) It shall be an exception from the state's criminal laws for any physician to:

(I) Advise a patient whom the physician has diagnosed as having a debilitating medical condition, about the risks and benefits of medical use of marijuana or that he or she might benefit from the medical use of marijuana, provided that such advice is based upon the physician's contemporaneous assessment of the patient's medical history and current medical condition and a bona fide physician-patient relationship; or

(II) Provide a patient with written documentation, based upon the physician's contemporaneous assessment of the patient's medical history and current medical condition and a bona fide physician-patient relationship, stating that the patient has a debilitating medical condition and might benefit from the medical use of marijuana.

No physician shall be denied any rights or privileges for the acts authorized by this subsection.

(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, no person, including a patient or primary care-giver, shall be entitled to the protection of this section for his or her acquisition, possession, manufacture, production, use, sale, distribution, dispensing, or transportation of marijuana for any use other than medical use.

(e) Any property interest that is possessed, owned, or used in connection with the medical use of marijuana or acts incidental to such use, shall not be harmed, neglected, injured, or destroyed while in the possession of state or local law enforcement officials where such property has been seized in connection with the claimed medical use of marijuana. Any such property interest shall not be forfeited under any provision of state law providing for the forfeiture of property other than as a sentence imposed after conviction of a criminal offense or entry of a plea of guilty to such offense. Marijuana and paraphernalia seized by state or local law enforcement officials from a patient or primary care-giver in connection with the claimed medical use of marijuana shall be returned immediately upon the determination of the district attorney or his or her designee that the patient or primary care-giver is entitled to the protection contained in this section as may be evidenced, for example, by a decision not to prosecute, the dismissal of charges, or acquittal.

(3) The state health agency shall create and maintain a confidential registry of patients who have applied for and are entitled to receive a registry identification card according to the criteria set forth in this subsection, effective June 1, 2001.

(a) No person shall be permitted to gain access to any information about patients in the state health agency's confidential registry, or any information otherwise maintained by the state health agency about physicians and primary care-givers, except for authorized employees of the state health agency in the course of their official duties and authorized employees of state or local law enforcement agencies which have stopped or arrested a person who claims to be engaged in the medical use of marijuana and in possession of a registry identification card or its functional equivalent, pursuant to paragraph (e) of this subsection (3). Authorized employees of state or local law enforcement agencies shall be granted access to the information contained within the state health agency's confidential registry only for the purpose of verifying that an individual who has presented a registry identification card to a state or local law enforcement official is lawfully in possession of such card.

(b) In order to be placed on the state's confidential registry for the medical use of marijuana, a patient must reside in Colorado and submit the completed application form adopted by the state health agency, including the following information, to the state health agency:

(I) The original or a copy of written documentation stating that the patient has been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition and the physician's conclusion that the patient might benefit from the medical use of marijuana;

(II) The name, address, date of birth, and social security number of the patient;

(III) The name, address, and telephone number of the patient's physician; and

(IV) The name and address of the patient's primary care-giver, if one is designated at the time of application.

(c) Within thirty days of receiving the information referred to in subparagraphs (3) (b) (I)-(IV), the state health agency shall verify medical information contained in the patient's written documentation. The agency shall notify the applicant that his or her application for a registry identification card has been denied if the agency's review of such documentation discloses that: the information required pursuant to paragraph (3) (b) of this section has not been provided or has been falsified; the documentation fails to state that the patient has a debilitating medical condition specified in this section or by state health agency rule; or the physician does not have a license to practice medicine issued by the state of Colorado. Otherwise, not more than five days after verifying such information, the state health agency shall issue one serially numbered registry identification card to the patient, stating:

(I) The patient's name, address, date of birth, and social security number;

(II) That the patient's name has been certified to the state health agency as a person who has a debilitating medical condition, whereby the patient may address such condition with the medical use of marijuana;

(III) The date of issuance of the registry identification card and the date of expiration of such card, which shall be one year from the date of issuance; and

(IV) The name and address of the patient's primary care-giver, if any is designated at the time of application.

(d) Except for patients applying pursuant to subsection (6) of this section, where the state health agency, within thirty-five days of receipt of an application, fails to issue a registry identification card or fails to issue verbal or written notice of denial of such application, the patient's application for such card will be deemed to have been approved. Receipt shall be deemed to have occurred upon delivery to the state health agency, or deposit in the United States mails. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no application shall be deemed received prior to June 1, 2001. A patient who is questioned by any state or local law enforcement official about his or her medical use of marijuana shall provide a copy of the application submitted to the state health agency, including the written documentation and proof of the date of mailing or other transmission of the written documentation for delivery to the state health agency, which shall be accorded the same legal effect as a registry identification card, until such time as the patient receives notice that the application has been denied.

(e) A patient whose application has been denied by the state health agency may not reapply during the six months following the date of the denial and may not use an application for a registry identification card as provided in paragraph (3) (d) of this section. The denial of a registry identification card shall be considered a final agency action. Only the patient whose application has been denied shall have standing to contest the agency action.

(f) When there has been a change in the name, address, physician, or primary care- giver of a patient who has qualified for a registry identification card, that patient must notify the state health agency of any such change within ten days. A patient who has not designated a primary care-giver at the time of application to the state health agency may do so in writing at any time during the effective period of the registry identification card, and the primary care-giver may act in this capacity after such designation. To maintain an effective registry identification card, a patient must annually resubmit, at least thirty days prior to the expiration date stated on the registry identification card, updated written documentation to the state health agency, as well as the name and address of the patient's primary care-giver, if any is designated at such time.

(g) Authorized employees of state or local law enforcement agencies shall immediately notify the state health agency when any person in possession of a registry identification card has been determined by a court of law to have willfully violated the provisions of this section or its implementing legislation, or has pled guilty to such offense.

(h) A patient who no longer has a debilitating medical condition shall return his or her registry identification card to the state health agency within twenty-four hours of receiving such diagnosis by his or her physician.

(i) The state health agency may determine and levy reasonable fees to pay for any direct or indirect administrative costs associated with its role in this program.

(4) (a) A patient may engage in the medical use of marijuana, with no more marijuana than is medically necessary to address a debilitating medical condition. A patient's medical use of marijuana, within the following limits, is lawful:

(I) No more than two ounces of a usable form of marijuana; and

(II) No more than six marijuana plants, with three or fewer being mature, flowering plants that are producing a usable form of marijuana.

(b) For quantities of marijuana in excess of these amounts, a patient or his or her primary care-giver may raise as an affirmative defense to charges of violation of state law that such greater amounts were medically necessary to address the patient's debilitating medical condition.

(5) (a) No patient shall:

(I) Engage in the medical use of marijuana in a way that endangers the health or well-being of any person; or

(II) Engage in the medical use of marijuana in plain view of, or in a place open to, the general public.

(b) In addition to any other penalties provided by law, the state health agency shall revoke for a period of one year the registry identification card of any patient found to have willfully violated the provisions of this section or the implementing legislation adopted by the general assembly.

(6) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) (a) and (3) (d) of this section, no patient under eighteen years of age shall engage in the medical use of marijuana unless:

(a) Two physicians have diagnosed the patient as having a debilitating medical condition;

(b) One of the physicians referred to in paragraph (6) (a) has explained the possible risks and benefits of medical use of marijuana to the patient and each of the patient's parents residing in Colorado;

(c) The physicians referred to in paragraph (6) (b) has provided the patient with the written documentation, specified in subparagraph (3) (b) (I);

(d) Each of the patient's parents residing in Colorado consent in writing to the state health agency to permit the patient to engage in the medical use of marijuana;

(e) A parent residing in Colorado consents in writing to serve as a patient's primary care-giver;

(f) A parent serving as a primary care-giver completes and submits an application for a registry identification card as provided in subparagraph (3) (b) of this section and the written consents referred to in paragraph (6) (d) to the state health agency;

(g) The state health agency approves the patient's application and transmits the patient's registry identification card to the parent designated as a primary care-giver;

(h) The patient and primary care-giver collectively possess amounts of marijuana no greater than those specified in subparagraph (4) (a) (I) and (II); and

(i) The primary care-giver controls the acquisition of such marijuana and the dosage and frequency of its use by the patient.

(7) Not later than March 1, 2001, the governor shall designate, by executive order, the state health agency as defined in paragraph (1) (g) of this section.

(8) Not later than April 30, 2001, the General Assembly shall define such terms and enact such legislation as may be necessary for implementation of this section, as well as determine and enact criminal penalties for:

(a) Fraudulent representation of a medical condition by a patient to a physician, state health agency, or state or local law enforcement official for the purpose of falsely obtaining a registry identification card or avoiding arrest and prosecution;

(b) Fraudulent use or theft of any person's registry identification card to acquire, possess, produce, use, sell, distribute, or transport marijuana, including but not limited to cards that are required to be returned where patients are no longer diagnosed as having a debilitating medical condition;

(c) Fraudulent production or counterfeiting of, or tampering with, one or more registry identification cards; or

(d) Breach of confidentiality of information provided to or by the state health agency.

(9) Not later than June 1, 2001, the state health agency shall develop and make available to residents of Colorado an application form for persons seeking to be listed on the confidential registry of patients. By such date, the state health agency shall also enact rules of administration, including but not limited to rules governing the establishment and confidentiality of the registry, the verification of medical information, the issuance and form of registry identification cards, communications with law enforcement officials about registry identification cards that have been suspended where a patient is no longer diagnosed as having a debilitating medical condition, and the manner in which the agency may consider adding debilitating medical conditions to the list provided in this section. Beginning June 1, 2001, the state health agency shall accept physician or patient initiated petitions to add debilitating medical conditions to the list provided in this section and, after such hearing as the state health agency deems appropriate, shall approve or deny such petitions within one hundred eighty days of submission. The decision to approve or deny a petition shall be considered a final agency action.

(10) (a) No governmental, private, or any other health insurance provider shall be required to be liable for any claim for reimbursement for the medical use of marijuana.

(b) Nothing in this section shall require any employer to accommodate the medical use of marijuana in any work place.

(11) Unless otherwise provided by this section, all provisions of this section shall become effective upon official declaration of the vote hereon by proclamation of the governor, pursuant to article V, section (1) (4), and shall apply to acts or offenses committed on or after that date.

_Enacted by the People November 7, 2000 --

Amendment 20, approved by Colorado voters in November 2000, authorizes the use of marijuana to alleviate certain debilitating medical conditions: cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS positive, cachexia; severe pain; severe nausea; seizures, including those that are characteristic of epilepsy; or persistent muscle spasms, including those that are characteristic of multiple sclerosis. In addition, patients and physicians may submit petitions to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to include other medical conditions that may be alleviated by the medical use of marijuana. Amendment 20 authorizes a patient or a primary caregiver who has been issued a Medical Marijuana Registry identification card to possess no more than two ounces of a usable form of marijuana and not more than six marijuana plants, with three or fewer being mature, flowering plants that are producing a usable form of marijuana.
Identification card

A patient diagnosed with a debilitating condition that may be alleviated by the medical use of marijuana may apply to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for a Medical Marijuana Registry identification card. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will accept patient applications for a Medical Marijuana Registry identification card on or after June 1, 2001.
How to apply

*

The patient must obtain certification from a physician licensed in Colorado that he/she has been diagnosed with a debilitating condition that may be alleviated by the medical use of marijuana.

The certifying physician should keep a copy of the certification and other documentation supporting the diagnosis in the patient medical record.
*

The patient should submit an application form along with the Physician Certification form or other documentation provided by the physician and the non-refundable $110.00 application fee to the:

Medical Marijuana Registry
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
HSVR-ADM2-A1
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, Colorado 80246-1530

Please make payment by check or money order made payable to CDPHE. Please do not send cash.

* The Registry will verify the licensure status of the physician and will contact the physician to verify the certification. Verifications will occur within 30 days of receipt of the application. The Registry will mail the patient a Medical Marijuana Registry identification card within 5 days after the verification.
* The patient will also be notified within 5 days after the verification process if the application has been denied.

Frequently asked questions about Medical Marijuana

Can you refer me to a doctor?

No. It is the responsibility of the patient to work with a physician with whom he/she has a bona fide doctor-patient relationship.

Where do I get the seeds or plants to start growing medical marijuana?

The Medical Marijuana Registry is not authorized to provide information on acquisition of marijuana.

I do not have the money for the fee. Is it a one-time payment?
Can it be waived?
Can I make installment payments?
Will my insurance pay?

Full payment must be made at the time of application. The fee must be paid with the renewal application each year. The fee cannot be waived, and the Registry cannot accept installment payments. Insurance companies are not required to pay the fee.

Why can’t I go to a pharmacy to fill a prescription for medical marijuana?

Pharmacies can only dispense medications that are prescribed. Marijuana is classified by the federal government as a Schedule I drug, which means it cannot be prescribed by any health care professional. Amendment 20 allows doctors to recommend marijuana, and it allows patients to grow their own medical marijuana for their private use.

Can I use my Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry identification card in another state?

At this time, there is no “reciprocity” agreement with other states to recognize the Colorado law.

Is my confidentiality protected?

Yes. Your confidentiality is protected by law and by the procedures used by the registry. No lists of patients or doctors are given out to anyone.
Law enforcement may only call to verify the information on a specific identification card.
The Registry database resides on a stand-alone computer and is password protected.
The office and all files are locked at night and when the Registry administrator is out of the office.

You may contact the Medical Marijuana Registry at (303) 692-2184.

Medical Marijuana Application Forms and Instructions are available @ the "Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment" website.

Medical Marijuana Registry Program Update (Colorado)

Medical Marijuana Registry Program Update (Colorado)

Medical Marijuana Registry Program Update
(as of August 31, 2005)

In the November 2000 general election, Coloradoans passed Amendment 20, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) was tasked with implementing and administering the Medical Marijuana Registry program. In March of 2001, the State of Colorado Board of Health approved the Rules and Regulations pertaining to the administration of the program, and on June 1st, 2001, the Registry began accepting and processing applications for Registry Identification cards.

Statistics of the registry include:

* 911 new patient applications have been received to date since the registry began operating in June 2001. Six (6) applications have been denied, 4 cards have been revoked, 31 patients have died, 1 patient has been suspended, and 197 cards have expired, bringing the total number of patients who currently possess valid Registry ID cards to 672. The renewal rate is 62%.
* Sixty-eight percent of approved applicants are male.
* The average age is 45, and patients range in age from 19-82 years old.
* Forty-three counties (68% of counties) in Colorado have registered applicants. Thirty-six percent of patients reside in the Denver-metro and Boulder area, with the remainder of patients found in counties throughout Colorado. El Paso County has the most patients (13%) overall.
* Patients on the Registry represent all the debilitating conditions covered under Amendment 20. Severe pain accounts for 75% of all reported conditions; with muscle spasms the second-most reported condition at 43%.
* There are 327 physicians in Colorado who have signed the required Physician Certification Form.
* Fifty-four percent of patients have designated a primary caregiver (someone who helps manage the patient’s care and who may help administer medical marijuana.
...
As of June 14, 2004 caregivers will no longer be issued cards.

The Amendment requires that an application be approved or denied within 35 days of receipt by CDPHE. Currently, the Registry is issuing ID cards within two to three days of receipt of a complete application.

In addition to administering the Registry, CDPHE has been charged with accepting and reviewing petitions to add conditions to the current list of debilitating medical conditions/symptoms. To date, three petitions have been received, one for Parkinson's disease, one for Asthma and another for Bi-Polar Disorder. All petitions were subsequently denied due to lack of scientific evidence that treatment with marijuana might have a beneficial effect.

There has been one marijuana-related conviction of a patient on the Registry, and no physicians have experienced federal reprisals. However, reluctance to participate due to the inconsistencies between state and federal marijuana laws has been expressed by doctors and patients alike.

Another barrier to participation on the Registry may be the cost. No general funds have been designated for this program, and the Amendment allows CDPHE to collect fees to cover the administrative costs of administering the program. Currently the fee is $110, and is evaluated annually by CDPHE. The fee was lowered from $140 on June 1, 2004.

There are numerous questions that have arisen surrounding interpretation of statutory language. The law does not clearly state where marijuana plants may be grown or if two or more patients and/or caregivers may share one growing space. Statutory language also places certain burdens upon local and state law enforcement officers, such as the requirement of keeping alive plants that are confiscated until a resolution is reached (i.e. a decision not to prosecute, the dismissal of charges, or an acquittal).

colorado is a real cool place. Chilled out open areas so much shit to see it actually would get me into shape
but man these people are lucky they are coloradians in texas they would have locked up thomas and his 87 yo mom just cause they felt like it.

I used to live in Boulder and Denver, looks like I shoulda stayed put

Damn, me too. Moved from Denver two years ago.

Colorado is "God's Country." Damn, she's beautiful country up there..

Colorado is "God's Country." Damn, she's beautiful country up there..

An off topic ramble about "back in the day" living in the mountains of Colorado as a "back to the land" hippie...

I lived in a Teepee in the Boulder...Nederland...Ward, Colorado area back in the summers of '71-'72.
The people that I hung out with became well known eventually as some of the "founding fathers" of a group called "The Rainbow Family of Living Light" aka "the Rainbow Tribe".
We collectively found the first gathering site in '71 and the first "official gathering" was held in '72 (Granby, Colorado).
I became disillusioned with the Rainbow tribe after various tribal disagreements (supposedly non-existent) came to a head at the "unofficial gathering" along the Columbia river outside of Spokane, Washington in the summer of 1974, (The "Worlds Fair" was held there that summer.)
It turned into one of those "we're all equal, just some of us are more equal than others" type of things, they were still working out the details of that whole "total equality" concept at the time..(read: some members were full of self righteous shit, their opinions were the ones that mattered.) They have worked that out now to where everyone is equal, to the point of Ad nauseum.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Family

I see there next "Gathering" is in the "Nederland" area of Colorado in July of next year (2006), I just may have to go and see see some of the good ol' boys...
They probably would take offense If I rolled up in my buddy's diesel pusher Class A Motorcoach bus, that is until they hear that sound system crank up.
In actuality, I'd probably be stoned to death, in a self righteously indignant fury, after all, Jesus wouldn't drive a Class A Coach..Hmmm, maybe I better just stick with the Teepee. hehe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Family

As he continues to ramble...

"The Hippie Problem"
My friends and I that summer of '71 camped in "Peaceful Valley", up the hill from Nederland, and the group I hung out with was (very) loosely known as the "STP Family".
In the summer of '71 a good friend of mine disappeared, everybody thoght he had just stuck out his thumb and left, but as it turns out, a Nederland town marshal, in a confession a couple of years back, admitted to shooting, killing and dumping the body of the guy I had known as "Deputy Dawg."
The Cops around there hated us much more than we ever suspected back then.

July 17, 1971
"Marshal executes hippie"

The 1960s and early '70s were a time of cultural revolution and protests against the Vietnam war.
In the woods near Nederland, a small band of hippies known as the "STP family" set up camp.

About three weeks after the disappearance of a 19-year-old rebellious hippie, named Guy Goughnor, Nederland Town Marshal Renner Forbes, a retired military veteran, discussed "the hippie problem" with a Boulder County Sheriff's deputy.

Forbes suggested the best way to handle them would be to "shoot the bastards," according to an arrest affidavit.

"There are plenty of places around these mountains," he said. "You could dump the bodies and no one would be the wiser."

It turned out Forbes had done just that.

On Aug., 21, 1971, Goughnor's body was found in the woods of Clear Creek County, not far from Nederland.

Goughnor, known by his hippie family as "Deputy Dawg," had died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Forbes was the prime suspect of a sheriff's investigation, but detectives did not find enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant. Forbes remained a free man.

But in 1996, sheriff's Capt. Bill McCaa was visiting the Castle Gardens Care Center in Northglenn on a family matter when he discovered Forbes was a resident.

Detectives reopened the case, and Forbes, 68, confessed.

He admitted that on the night of July 17, 1971, he responded to a disturbance at the Pioneer Inn tavern and took Goughnor into his custody.

On April, 2, 1998, weeping before a judge, Forbes confessed he took Goughnor into the dark woods and shot him, later dumping the body.

Forbes was convicted of voluntary manslaughter but was not sentenced to prison because his medical condition deteriorated so badly the medical costs to treat him would have been a burden on the taxpayers.

He was returned to the nursing home.

[And that concludes todays off topic, ancient hippie history lesson with IMB,
I hadn't thought about those "daze" in quite awhile.}

The subject again,
Oh yeah, Colorado Medical Marijuana Program, "Its a good Thing."

nice to read some kindhearted articles about a beautiful plant and medicine

Hi IM,

Everyone is welcome at the Rainbow Family Gathering (colorado 2006). Buses especially. (Fill it up with friends and pot?) But ampfilied music might be frowned upon. Bring a gitar or a drum instead perhaps?

And the rest of you fuckin' stoners, come out and pray for world peace wih us! Everyone is welcome. Everything is free!

Oh, and you can smoke pot if ya want. Temporary automous zone, pot is fine. No alcohol in the church please. "Six-up".

peace, love, understanding ;-)

I spent 20 years in Golden and still have plenty of friends back there good luck with the cause and festivities. I also had an art teacher who was one of them hippies living in a t-p in the summer. I smoked a joint with him when I was 14 and years later heard he got kicked out of teaching for sampling some of the younger female students virtues. Oh well.

rainbow family gathering

rainbow family gathering

morgan..keep me updated on when this is going on.

peace, mp.