We’ll be holding four public comment meetings for the Medical Marijuana Rules next week. Public comment meetings are the part of the Rulemaking process whereby “an agency shall afford persons the opportunity to submit in writing statements, arguments, data and views on the proposed rule, with or without the opportunity to present them orally”. We technically aren’t required to conduct these meetings because the Medical Marijuana Rulemaking is exempt from the normal process- but we’re doing it anyway because we think it’s a good practice that sometimes helps us make better decisions.
The objective is to listen to comments, concerns, and suggestions for improvements or solutions related to our draft rules. Public comment meetings don’t use a question and answer format- rather they provide a way for people to make suggestions in person. We take notes and record the sessions- but we don’t answer questions. Please note that the meetings next week aren’t intended to answer questions about how to open a dispensary. Here’s the format:
- Each meeting will consist of Department staff listening to comments, concerns, and suggestions for improvements or solutions related to the Medical Marijuana Program draft rules.
- Please limit oral comments to the substance and form of the draft rules. Don’t hesitate to express support or opposition to earlier comments but please try to avoid repetition.
- An individual may also submit written comments using the Comments Form that will be available at each meeting. There will be a marked container to put Comments Forms in at any time during each meeting or after each meeting concludes.
- Please submit all written comments by 5:00 pm, on Friday, February 18, 2011. All input will be considered when finalizing the Medical Marijuana Program rules.
Here are the schedule, logistics and the structure:
- Monday, February 14, 2011, at 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Flagstaff City Hall, Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave
- Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm, ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, The Great Hall, 1100 S. McAllister Ave
- Wednesday, February, 16, 2011, at 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, U of A James E. Rodgers College of Law, Ares Auditorium, 1201 E. Speedway
- Thursday, February 17, 2011, at 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, The Great Hall, 1100 S. McAllister Ave.
There was no reference here that indicates the amount of time you will allocate for each person that wishes to make an oral comment. Does this mean there is not time limit? If there are time limits, what is it?
I have a big concern over the potential abuse of this law, especially in that it will definitely increase supply and positive norming of marijuana use among youth.
Why is a doctor not limited to the number of medical marijuana patients he or she could have? This is leaving a hole for a doctor to write one after the other.
How will the law account for cardholders from other states coming to Arizona to buy marijuana and vice versa? There should be NO reciprocity of cardholder benefits across states
This needs to be tracked to minimize selling and distributing among youth. What will stop a cardholder from buying from a different dispensary every day or multiple times in two weeks from one dispensary?
There should be limits around advertising for this product to ensure it is not widely viewable by children – which could potentially norm a positive correlation for youth and using this illegal drug
Why did you drop the 70/30 requirement with respect to marijuana grown by dispensaries?
Why is a doctor not limited to the number of medical marijuana patients he/she has? Because the state does not have the authority. How would you like it if your doctor was limited to a specific number of female patients and you were the one they dropped?
Medication across state lines? So you’re saying my terminally ill Grandmother should not have access to her medication because she is not a resident of AZ? Let’s keep out all the sick people from coming to AZ.
Keeping medical marijuana out of the hands of our youth is a concern for everyone. In fact your medicine cabinet right now has many drugs that are far more dangerous in fact. Of course this responsibility is not for the state of AZ.
As far as a patient hopping from one dispensary to another goes. Well a patient’s log is on file for every qualifying patient. S/he is limited to 2.5oz every teo weeks regardless of where s/he fills the prescription.
I don’t believe hiding medical marijuana from our children is the right thing to do. I guarantee they will here all about it at school and that information may not be what you want. I prefer education over sweeping it under the rug, but then again, I’m not going to tell you hiw to raise your children.
It’s my opinion the 70/30 was dropped because the state is on a mission to not allow patients to grow their own. If nobody is growing, how can you implement a 70/30 rule?
I don’t think our youth are going to be affected adversely by any type of advertising of medical marijuana or even the use of it by their guardian. Not any more than any other prescription medication, anyway. The bottom line is, if a child decides they want to experiment with a drug, then it’s probably going to happen. Laws and advertisements aren’t going to make any difference. At least they haven’t to date. Cigarette smoking is a good example. Look at all the campaigns that are out there against smoking. And yet, I see minors on a daily basis standing across the streets from the school smoking.
I am not sure where the other Marijuana thread went for comments/questions so I will post two questions on this one.
Medical Director Questions:
1. Is there any special training courses for the Medical Directors or are they (Doctors) suppose to know all the pertinent info without some kind of standard that we should be disseminating to the patients?
2. How does one document the adherence to policy?
Thank you.
Jason-
We are working on this as we speak, and hope to have a template.
Please make costs low for the patient by (1) keeping dispensary costs down (2) keep application fees down (3) don’t require a doctor for a dispensary (4) keep delivery costs down. Thanks. The patient should always come first.
I am a caregiver for a 31 year old son with serious mental illness. His injections cause serious chronic leg pain. His medical and mental health doctors both gave me a letter of support for his use to manage pain with cannibus.
Neither doctor was willing to write a letter of reccomendation because thier offices have not setup policies for them to do so. I took thier letters of support to an eligible doctor who is contracted with Prescott Medical Marijuana Screening Center. For a cost of $200 the doctor wrote my son a letter of reccomendation that we can submit with his application to obtain a registration card. My question is how is a disabled person living on disability income only suppose to pay $200 to see a doctor who will write the required reccomendation, then pay $160 application fee, and pay for the drug out of pocket since medicare and medicaid do not cover any of the expense?
I suggest you demand the state to allow medical marijuana patients to continue to grow their own. You think the cost for the card is expensive? The average cost for one once of medical marijuana in Colorado is $400! And that is before taxes. The cost will be $2,000 per month before tax for your son if he needs what the state will allow. The ONLY way to control this cost is to grow your own medication. It’s a weed and grows in the wild. We all need to grow our own if we want to afford this medication.
R9-17-102 should be revised to include:
Or a person whos only income is disability income and whos only medical insurance is medicare and medicaid when the income and insurance requirement both apply.
Not every disabled person living on Social Security Disability qualifies for a food program. My son gets $865 monthly and that is his only income but he does not qualify for food stamps. His primary insurance is medicare and his seconary insurance is medicaid and that combination should be given some consideration for a fee reduction.
A authorized designated caregiver needs amnesty with regards to drug testing by employers and law enforcement. Although the caregiver is not authorized (unless they hold their own registry indentification card) to partake or use cannibus they will fail drug test from being in the same room where cannibus is smoked and from handling cannibus in preparation of use by the registed card holder. Being a caregiver should not cost me my job or get me arrested.
It would seem there should be a distinction between dispensary cultivation site and the store front where distribution will take place. There should be a separate fee and application for non profit entities that want to contract with a despensary cultivation company for the sole purpose of distributing to registared card holders but not cultivate. Some companies might want to simply grow the product then make it available to a registrated distributor or outlet business. The State could make more money this way.
One thing that concerns me is more and more people driving after partaking of their “medicine”. We are going to have to get something in place to control that.
It is already illegal to operate a car under the influence of any mind altering drug, including Xanax. There should be no need to make additional laws to further stigmatize those who are legally entitled to use this as medical treatment.
As a person who suffers from chronic, debilitating neuropathic pain, arthritis, panic attacks and insomnia, I thought this may be the answer for me. I am on numerous medications that carry side effects that can fill a book. Please explain why someone who is prevented from making a living due to disability should be financially penalized with these absurd taxes. Essentially, the politicians are transferring the stigma of illegal drug use from junkies onto people whom the citizens have declared are legally entitled to it. The representatives are revealing themselves to be willing to keep legal medical treatment from qualified patients to fulfill their own bias. I think it is disturbing. I cannot afford to pay those taxes and what this tells me is that the politicians who are no longer allowed to play doctor are now content to bully their constituents in other ways.
Are there any laws that govern the use of Medical Marijuana and child care providers. Specifically in-home childcare facilities. I am aware of the law that restricts dispensaries within 1000ft but none that outline specific use as a provider or how much a user can be on while watching children? Any assistance or direction would be helpful.
thanks
Gerry
Gerry,
You will need to visit our website for more information.
Does Arizona recognize medical marijuana card holders from other States as they would a Arizona resident who possesses a medical marijuana card?