Miss Indica
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The Process Of Attaining A Medical Cannabis License In California: What To Expect; One Patient's Experience
As a medical marijuana patient and advocate for medicinal marijuana, I frequently get asked, "How do I get a license?" More often than not I am getting asked this question. I have never found any pamphlets or articles out there giving detailed explanations, so, I will try my best to explain the basics of the process in this article. My mission is to help educate eligible patients who may be confused about where to go and who to talk to in order to receive a license. This report is based on my personal experience.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Each person's experience with going through these procedures is unique. I do not claim that this method is the only way to get a license, nor do I claim that other procedures of the acquisition of cannabis license are any less valid or legal. I do not claim or guarantee that your experience will be exactly as the one described here. This article is based on my own personal experience and the reports of many individuals I have spoken with. This personal experience was taken from the county of Santa Cruz and the MediCann clinic of Dr. Jean Tallyrand.
First things first... A cannabis license is intended to be for by sick individuals who experience relief through the use of cannabis/THC. Therefore, the first thing to do is to become familiar with what is making you ill and how marijuana alleviates that suffering. You should also get together any proof you have of your illness. This includes medical bills, a note from your doctor or another physician, prescription bottles and anything else you have that helps to verify your claim. It is also a good idea to have an actual scientific, real name for the condition you're suffering from. "It hurts here," I have been told a few times by a couple different people, was sufficient grounds for them to be turned away on the basis of having no apparent illness and no proof of illness. So for those of you who are reading this article and are planning to fake it, at least be intelligent about it and have a pre thought out plan.
Task 1: Finding A Doctor
Alright. So marijuana definitely assists you medically and you have some documentation to prove that. Now what?
This is the part of the process that most people are stumped about. Finding a doctor to write you an authorization/recommendation for medical marijuana isn't as hard as it seems though. There are many organizations with pages on their websites listing all the doctors and hotlines.
NOTE: If you live in southern California or have the means to travel to the Hollywood area, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to the a doctor/clinic that we here at 420 Times Magazine support. The number for scheduling and information is 1-877-468-5274 and the clinic is located at
9147 W. Sunset Blvd. Suite 215 West Hollywood, CA 90069. It is called Pacific Support Services. Present this coupon to get a discount for being a member of 420 Times!: Task 2: Making An Appointment[/SIZE]
Once you have located a doctor's number or clinic hotline, go ahead and call it. Expect to schedule a visit to the clinic to go over your individual situation with a doctor or physician's assistant. If you are going to call and don't have any available time to schedule an appointment, you'll want to wait until you plenty of time to spend. The clinic's waiting time at your appointment can be several hours long to thirty minutes short, so be prepared by having plenty of available time to get through everything.
Task 3: Going To Your Appointment
You have an appointment... What to expect? When making your appointment, you will be given an address and directions to the local cannabis clinic in your area. It is very important that you arrive on time and bring your California ID/driver's license and the price of the visit in cash. The price will be told to you over the phone when you make your appointment. If you are not informed of the price, be sure to ask or call back and ask ahead of time.
When you come in, you will be given a plethora of papers to read, sign and fill out. It will probably take you about fifteen or twenty minutes to fill out everything. When it is completed, you'll begin teh waiting process which is based upon how many other people are waiting with appointments at that time, too. I have heard of it taking very long and I have heard, and personally experienced it taking less than an hour.
Once your name is called, you will go into a small room to see the doctor or nurse practicioner/physician's assistant. You will discuss with him or her what your condition is, how it is alleviated through the use of marijuana, you will talk about your general health and determine what length of time your license should be valid for. The doctor or nurse practicioner/physician's assistant will asess your case, and, if it is in their opinion that you qualify for medical marijuana, they will sign a piece of paper contracting that you have examined appropriately and approved for the use of medical marijuana.
This piece of paper is your legal documentation. After the doctor or health professional has signed this, you will return to the main desk. Here you will pay a fee, usually cash only, of around $50-$200. Following payment, you will receive two scans of the paperwork. You will receive one scan with your California ID scanned onto it, and a second scan that has your license number, the signature of the doctor, a physician's assistant/nurse practicioner's witness signature, the date, the clinic location and the expiry date, or length of the time the license is valid for. Both of these pages will be given a pressed seal and then given to you, usually with documentation on your rights and information on legalities you must understand as well as copies of papers you have signed. Keep these things together in a folder or something and put them someplace safe in your home. Storing them in the car often results in lost licence papers, so be careful and think twice about where it's going to go.
Task 4: Where You Should Take Your New Medical Marijuana License
You now have a license for medical marijuana. The document you have just received should say something along the lines of, "Health and Safety Code 1136.5 Physician's Statement"
You have two options on how to carry your license with you at this point. Many counties encourage, (however many require), that you get what's been slang-termed a, "green card." The card is not necessarily any particular color; it is an ID card that is registered with the county and state, logging you into their system as a medical marijuana patient. The cons to acquiring an ID card with the county are obvious, but their are many pros as well. The card itself is recognized as more valid than the physician's statement paper, which is the actual license itself. The reason for this is because forms are easy to counterfeit, but the cards aren't as simple and have real identification numbers and scan strips. In the event that you must defend yourself with your license, presenting your county card will be considered more valid than than the actual piece of paper the doctor signed (that will probably end up folded 6 times to fit in your back pocket anyway). To give an example of how valid a county card is, let me just say that mine worked as legal identification at an airport and even though medical marijuana is not legal in that state. This occured recently after 9/11 yet I was not questioned even once by security. More pros: getting into cannabis clubs more easily and not having to carry the legal paper folded up in your back pocket or shoved somewhere under the bottom of the driver's seat in your car.
Task 5: Getting A "Green Card"
So now you've decided that getting a card is probably a better idea rather than a worse one... What comes next? ...In your packet of papers that you should have received along with your license, there is usually a county number listed for acquiring a county card. If there is not, you need no more than to simply call the clinic back and ask them for that information. If they don't have that number readily available, you can call the county offices' main desk and ask where to go as well as the telephone number of the office or department. If you're worried about anonymity, you can always call from a pay phone. Your county's main office telephone number should be located in the blue pages of your local telephone book.
Getting your card takes only one day. This process is merely calling the number you've received which will call an obscure office that is in fact part of the county's services. It may not even be located near the regular county offices. Here you will show your paperwork, your CA ID and proof of residence (such as an old DSL bill or something). They will take a mugshot of you and then print the card out and laminate it, which takes only about ten minutes.
Once you receive this, you're all ready to go. You're not only a medical cannabis patient now but you're also registered with the county and are protected by state law as a person with a license to receive medical marijuana. Carry your card with you at all times, especially when smoking, buying or carrying marijuana on your person or in your car. You should also have received a page explaining the laws and ordinances that go along with having a license in your state and local community. If this was not provided, you should call the clinic and ask if they have any information. If the clinic provides no information, you will have research the laws for yourself. Patients with licenses are expected to follow a set of laws, such as not smoking within 1000 feet of any public school, for example. I recommend doing some online reasearch, or even checking out the legal section in your local library (make sure you're looking at current literature though --check the copyright date!)
Going To The Cannabis Club & Things To Expect Throughout This Process
So now you say you want to go to the cannabis club, right? Here is 420 Times' Magazine's listing of cannabis clubs along with each club's location, hours of service and phone number.
The cannabis club will accept your license paper by itself or a card. Be sure though by calling and asking first.
Things you should expect to encounter during this process: LOCKED DOORS! Do not be afraid if you encounter a great many deadbolt locks while on your mission to get a license. Because federal authority has shut down, raided and arrested people involved in medical cannabis licensing, the clinic will probably have a lock, all the clubs have locks and the county office that issues the cards may have a lock as well. The reason for this is because federal law agents cannot come inside if a door is locked and they are told they're not allowed to enter nor can they try force entry into any building without first attaining a warrant. The right to never being subject to an unconstituted search and seizure is protected by our constitution. This right is actively exercised by most, if not all parties involved in cannabis licensing by locking doors, using peepholes and requiring you to knock and state who you are before entering. You as well have the right to not open the door to any law official, nor must you ever let them come into your house or car or onto your property, or even to search your person unless they have your permission or have attained a warrant for search and seizure. Keeping the door locked (in your home, car, etc.) keeps shady officers from just walking in and trying to take over the scene, arrest people or raid a clinic or club.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, this was meant to be a useful and detailed description of the motions you will go through to acquire a license in California. Hopefully this will give Californians clear answers to the ever popular question, "How do I get a medical cannabis license?" There are many other states with many different laws that allow medical cannabis to be used as well. Currently I do not have information on any other states but I will be researching the subject to see what I can find that may be useful to smokers in other states.
As a medical marijuana patient and advocate for medicinal marijuana, I frequently get asked, "How do I get a license?" More often than not I am getting asked this question. I have never found any pamphlets or articles out there giving detailed explanations, so, I will try my best to explain the basics of the process in this article. My mission is to help educate eligible patients who may be confused about where to go and who to talk to in order to receive a license. This report is based on my personal experience.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Each person's experience with going through these procedures is unique. I do not claim that this method is the only way to get a license, nor do I claim that other procedures of the acquisition of cannabis license are any less valid or legal. I do not claim or guarantee that your experience will be exactly as the one described here. This article is based on my own personal experience and the reports of many individuals I have spoken with. This personal experience was taken from the county of Santa Cruz and the MediCann clinic of Dr. Jean Tallyrand.
First things first... A cannabis license is intended to be for by sick individuals who experience relief through the use of cannabis/THC. Therefore, the first thing to do is to become familiar with what is making you ill and how marijuana alleviates that suffering. You should also get together any proof you have of your illness. This includes medical bills, a note from your doctor or another physician, prescription bottles and anything else you have that helps to verify your claim. It is also a good idea to have an actual scientific, real name for the condition you're suffering from. "It hurts here," I have been told a few times by a couple different people, was sufficient grounds for them to be turned away on the basis of having no apparent illness and no proof of illness. So for those of you who are reading this article and are planning to fake it, at least be intelligent about it and have a pre thought out plan.
Task 1: Finding A Doctor
Alright. So marijuana definitely assists you medically and you have some documentation to prove that. Now what?
This is the part of the process that most people are stumped about. Finding a doctor to write you an authorization/recommendation for medical marijuana isn't as hard as it seems though. There are many organizations with pages on their websites listing all the doctors and hotlines.
NOTE: If you live in southern California or have the means to travel to the Hollywood area, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to the a doctor/clinic that we here at 420 Times Magazine support. The number for scheduling and information is 1-877-468-5274 and the clinic is located at
9147 W. Sunset Blvd. Suite 215 West Hollywood, CA 90069. It is called Pacific Support Services. Present this coupon to get a discount for being a member of 420 Times!: Task 2: Making An Appointment[/SIZE]
Once you have located a doctor's number or clinic hotline, go ahead and call it. Expect to schedule a visit to the clinic to go over your individual situation with a doctor or physician's assistant. If you are going to call and don't have any available time to schedule an appointment, you'll want to wait until you plenty of time to spend. The clinic's waiting time at your appointment can be several hours long to thirty minutes short, so be prepared by having plenty of available time to get through everything.
Task 3: Going To Your Appointment
You have an appointment... What to expect? When making your appointment, you will be given an address and directions to the local cannabis clinic in your area. It is very important that you arrive on time and bring your California ID/driver's license and the price of the visit in cash. The price will be told to you over the phone when you make your appointment. If you are not informed of the price, be sure to ask or call back and ask ahead of time.
When you come in, you will be given a plethora of papers to read, sign and fill out. It will probably take you about fifteen or twenty minutes to fill out everything. When it is completed, you'll begin teh waiting process which is based upon how many other people are waiting with appointments at that time, too. I have heard of it taking very long and I have heard, and personally experienced it taking less than an hour.
Once your name is called, you will go into a small room to see the doctor or nurse practicioner/physician's assistant. You will discuss with him or her what your condition is, how it is alleviated through the use of marijuana, you will talk about your general health and determine what length of time your license should be valid for. The doctor or nurse practicioner/physician's assistant will asess your case, and, if it is in their opinion that you qualify for medical marijuana, they will sign a piece of paper contracting that you have examined appropriately and approved for the use of medical marijuana.
This piece of paper is your legal documentation. After the doctor or health professional has signed this, you will return to the main desk. Here you will pay a fee, usually cash only, of around $50-$200. Following payment, you will receive two scans of the paperwork. You will receive one scan with your California ID scanned onto it, and a second scan that has your license number, the signature of the doctor, a physician's assistant/nurse practicioner's witness signature, the date, the clinic location and the expiry date, or length of the time the license is valid for. Both of these pages will be given a pressed seal and then given to you, usually with documentation on your rights and information on legalities you must understand as well as copies of papers you have signed. Keep these things together in a folder or something and put them someplace safe in your home. Storing them in the car often results in lost licence papers, so be careful and think twice about where it's going to go.
Task 4: Where You Should Take Your New Medical Marijuana License
You now have a license for medical marijuana. The document you have just received should say something along the lines of, "Health and Safety Code 1136.5 Physician's Statement"
You have two options on how to carry your license with you at this point. Many counties encourage, (however many require), that you get what's been slang-termed a, "green card." The card is not necessarily any particular color; it is an ID card that is registered with the county and state, logging you into their system as a medical marijuana patient. The cons to acquiring an ID card with the county are obvious, but their are many pros as well. The card itself is recognized as more valid than the physician's statement paper, which is the actual license itself. The reason for this is because forms are easy to counterfeit, but the cards aren't as simple and have real identification numbers and scan strips. In the event that you must defend yourself with your license, presenting your county card will be considered more valid than than the actual piece of paper the doctor signed (that will probably end up folded 6 times to fit in your back pocket anyway). To give an example of how valid a county card is, let me just say that mine worked as legal identification at an airport and even though medical marijuana is not legal in that state. This occured recently after 9/11 yet I was not questioned even once by security. More pros: getting into cannabis clubs more easily and not having to carry the legal paper folded up in your back pocket or shoved somewhere under the bottom of the driver's seat in your car.
Task 5: Getting A "Green Card"
So now you've decided that getting a card is probably a better idea rather than a worse one... What comes next? ...In your packet of papers that you should have received along with your license, there is usually a county number listed for acquiring a county card. If there is not, you need no more than to simply call the clinic back and ask them for that information. If they don't have that number readily available, you can call the county offices' main desk and ask where to go as well as the telephone number of the office or department. If you're worried about anonymity, you can always call from a pay phone. Your county's main office telephone number should be located in the blue pages of your local telephone book.
Getting your card takes only one day. This process is merely calling the number you've received which will call an obscure office that is in fact part of the county's services. It may not even be located near the regular county offices. Here you will show your paperwork, your CA ID and proof of residence (such as an old DSL bill or something). They will take a mugshot of you and then print the card out and laminate it, which takes only about ten minutes.
Once you receive this, you're all ready to go. You're not only a medical cannabis patient now but you're also registered with the county and are protected by state law as a person with a license to receive medical marijuana. Carry your card with you at all times, especially when smoking, buying or carrying marijuana on your person or in your car. You should also have received a page explaining the laws and ordinances that go along with having a license in your state and local community. If this was not provided, you should call the clinic and ask if they have any information. If the clinic provides no information, you will have research the laws for yourself. Patients with licenses are expected to follow a set of laws, such as not smoking within 1000 feet of any public school, for example. I recommend doing some online reasearch, or even checking out the legal section in your local library (make sure you're looking at current literature though --check the copyright date!)
Going To The Cannabis Club & Things To Expect Throughout This Process
So now you say you want to go to the cannabis club, right? Here is 420 Times' Magazine's listing of cannabis clubs along with each club's location, hours of service and phone number.
The cannabis club will accept your license paper by itself or a card. Be sure though by calling and asking first.
Things you should expect to encounter during this process: LOCKED DOORS! Do not be afraid if you encounter a great many deadbolt locks while on your mission to get a license. Because federal authority has shut down, raided and arrested people involved in medical cannabis licensing, the clinic will probably have a lock, all the clubs have locks and the county office that issues the cards may have a lock as well. The reason for this is because federal law agents cannot come inside if a door is locked and they are told they're not allowed to enter nor can they try force entry into any building without first attaining a warrant. The right to never being subject to an unconstituted search and seizure is protected by our constitution. This right is actively exercised by most, if not all parties involved in cannabis licensing by locking doors, using peepholes and requiring you to knock and state who you are before entering. You as well have the right to not open the door to any law official, nor must you ever let them come into your house or car or onto your property, or even to search your person unless they have your permission or have attained a warrant for search and seizure. Keeping the door locked (in your home, car, etc.) keeps shady officers from just walking in and trying to take over the scene, arrest people or raid a clinic or club.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, this was meant to be a useful and detailed description of the motions you will go through to acquire a license in California. Hopefully this will give Californians clear answers to the ever popular question, "How do I get a medical cannabis license?" There are many other states with many different laws that allow medical cannabis to be used as well. Currently I do not have information on any other states but I will be researching the subject to see what I can find that may be useful to smokers in other states.
