Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
On one block on Washington Street in downtown Salem, you can get an ice cream at the Salem Screamery or a coffee at Dunkin' Donuts.
A sandwich board outside the last door on the block touts a product that is not quite so routine.
MMJ Physician Practice is one of 88 doctor's offices in the state authorized to approve medical marijuana for patients. Located on the fourth floor at 60 Washington St., the office has certified more than 200 patients for medical marijuana since opening in December.
The practice is owned and operated by Dr. David Rideout, a retired emergency room doctor who got into the medical marijuana business by answering an ad on craigslist.
"My motivation to do this came from what the patients tell me: 'It's been life-changing,'" he said. "I hear that so often."
Rideout chose Salem in part because it was the future site of a medical marijuana dispensary. Since the dispensary on Grove Street became the first in the state to open last month, the number of patients walking into his office has tripled to about 20 per week, he said.
Nichole Snow, a Salem resident who is a patient of Rideout's and also heads a medical marijuana advocacy group, said the dispensary and doctor's office puts the city at the forefront of the new medical marijuana business.
"I'm grateful to be part of a community that is so welcome to helping patients and a community that has a desperate need for this legitimate medicine," Snow said.
Rideout, 65, is a native of Canada who worked as an emergency room doctor for 32 years, including 18 years at Beverly Hospital and Addison-Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester. He operates his medical marijuana practice three days per week and also works three days per week as medical director of an urgent care practice in Saugus.
In 2013, Rideout responded to an ad on craigslist placed by investors from Colorado who were looking to capitalize on the legalization of medical marijuana in Massachusetts. He worked as the medical director for Boston-based Canna Care Docs, which has eight medical marijuana clinics, before deciding to go into the business on his own.
He scouted out locations on the North Shore and decided on Salem. MMJ Physician Practice -- 'MMJ' is an abbreviation for medical marijuana -- opened in December, in a space formerly occupied by Congressman Seth Moulton's campaign office.
One-Hour Process
To qualify for medical marijuana, a patient must have a "debilitating medical condition" as defined by state regulations. Rideout's patients have included a woman with Parkinson's disease and a teenager with attention deficit disorder. Snow said she uses medical marijuana to alleviate chronic pain and muscle spasms caused by multiple car accidents.
Rideout said most of his clients are walk-ins who have already been using marijuana to alleviate various medical conditions. Patients fill out a form indicating their current condition and medical history, talk with a staff member about the state's medical marijuana regulations, and then meet with Rideout for an examination.
The whole process takes about an hour, he said. If he determines that the patient qualifies, he enters the patient's name and his diagnosis into the state's online system for medical marijuana, and the patient is officially certified "within seconds," he said.
The certification is good for a year and entitles the patient to a 60-day supply of marijuana, which is defined as 10 ounces. Patients can buy marijuana at one of the state's registered dispensaries (only the one in Salem is now open) or appoint a caregiver to grow marijuana for them.
Rideout charges $200 to evaluate and certify a patient and $150 to recertify. His staff also will assist patients in registering with the state for $35. The state also charges patients a $50 registration fee.
For $600, Rideout also offers a "concierge service" for clients who want their medical marijuana use to remain "perfectly private." Rideout will meet those clients in his office during off hours, when the building is locked and otherwise empty.
Rideout said he does not confer with his patients' primary care doctors except in special circumstances.
"I worked in the ER for 32 years and nobody ever comes in with a medical record," he said. "I know how to take a history. I know how to do an exam. I feel completely confident that I can get a very clear picture from a patient. I don't need another doctor's opinion."
'Potential For Abuse'
Rideout said the people of Salem who know about his practice have been welcoming. But some, including the Massachusetts Medical Society, have questioned the appropriateness of a doctor's practice whose sole purpose is to approve a single drug for patients.
Richard Gulla, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Medical Society, said one of the key regulations of the medical marijuana law says a physician should have a "pre-existing and ongoing relationship" with the patient.
Gulla said a practice that only certifies medical marijuana patients "erodes, if not skirts entirely" the ongoing relationship provision, and "has the potential for abuse."
The Massachusetts Medical Society, which opposed the 2012 ballot question that legalized medical marijuana, says there are many unknowns about the drug, including its effectiveness and the appropriate dosage.
Rideout called marijuana a "very safe drug" whose benefits exceed the risk. He disputed the notion that people will take advantage of medical marijuana to get high, saying the medical form of the drug contains less THC, the ingredient that produces the high, than marijuana that can be bought on the street.
Rideout said he has rarely denied somebody certification after examining them, because people only come to his office if they have a legitimate medical reason.
"Recreational users have no trouble getting marijuana," he said. "They don't need us."
Rideout said he's had enough patients so far only to cover the cost of doing business. With the opening of the nearby dispensary, he's hoping that business will continue to increase.
After decades working in emergency rooms, Rideout said he enjoys helping patients in a different way. He cited his teenage patient with attention deficit order who read a book for the first time because marijuana helped him focus.
"It's very gratifying," Rideout said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Business picking up for Salem's first medical marijuana doctor - Salem News: Local News
Author: Paul Leighton
Contact: pleighton@salemnews.com
Photo Credit: David Le
Website: Salem News
A sandwich board outside the last door on the block touts a product that is not quite so routine.
MMJ Physician Practice is one of 88 doctor's offices in the state authorized to approve medical marijuana for patients. Located on the fourth floor at 60 Washington St., the office has certified more than 200 patients for medical marijuana since opening in December.
The practice is owned and operated by Dr. David Rideout, a retired emergency room doctor who got into the medical marijuana business by answering an ad on craigslist.
"My motivation to do this came from what the patients tell me: 'It's been life-changing,'" he said. "I hear that so often."
Rideout chose Salem in part because it was the future site of a medical marijuana dispensary. Since the dispensary on Grove Street became the first in the state to open last month, the number of patients walking into his office has tripled to about 20 per week, he said.
Nichole Snow, a Salem resident who is a patient of Rideout's and also heads a medical marijuana advocacy group, said the dispensary and doctor's office puts the city at the forefront of the new medical marijuana business.
"I'm grateful to be part of a community that is so welcome to helping patients and a community that has a desperate need for this legitimate medicine," Snow said.
Rideout, 65, is a native of Canada who worked as an emergency room doctor for 32 years, including 18 years at Beverly Hospital and Addison-Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester. He operates his medical marijuana practice three days per week and also works three days per week as medical director of an urgent care practice in Saugus.
In 2013, Rideout responded to an ad on craigslist placed by investors from Colorado who were looking to capitalize on the legalization of medical marijuana in Massachusetts. He worked as the medical director for Boston-based Canna Care Docs, which has eight medical marijuana clinics, before deciding to go into the business on his own.
He scouted out locations on the North Shore and decided on Salem. MMJ Physician Practice -- 'MMJ' is an abbreviation for medical marijuana -- opened in December, in a space formerly occupied by Congressman Seth Moulton's campaign office.
One-Hour Process
To qualify for medical marijuana, a patient must have a "debilitating medical condition" as defined by state regulations. Rideout's patients have included a woman with Parkinson's disease and a teenager with attention deficit disorder. Snow said she uses medical marijuana to alleviate chronic pain and muscle spasms caused by multiple car accidents.
Rideout said most of his clients are walk-ins who have already been using marijuana to alleviate various medical conditions. Patients fill out a form indicating their current condition and medical history, talk with a staff member about the state's medical marijuana regulations, and then meet with Rideout for an examination.
The whole process takes about an hour, he said. If he determines that the patient qualifies, he enters the patient's name and his diagnosis into the state's online system for medical marijuana, and the patient is officially certified "within seconds," he said.
The certification is good for a year and entitles the patient to a 60-day supply of marijuana, which is defined as 10 ounces. Patients can buy marijuana at one of the state's registered dispensaries (only the one in Salem is now open) or appoint a caregiver to grow marijuana for them.
Rideout charges $200 to evaluate and certify a patient and $150 to recertify. His staff also will assist patients in registering with the state for $35. The state also charges patients a $50 registration fee.
For $600, Rideout also offers a "concierge service" for clients who want their medical marijuana use to remain "perfectly private." Rideout will meet those clients in his office during off hours, when the building is locked and otherwise empty.
Rideout said he does not confer with his patients' primary care doctors except in special circumstances.
"I worked in the ER for 32 years and nobody ever comes in with a medical record," he said. "I know how to take a history. I know how to do an exam. I feel completely confident that I can get a very clear picture from a patient. I don't need another doctor's opinion."
'Potential For Abuse'
Rideout said the people of Salem who know about his practice have been welcoming. But some, including the Massachusetts Medical Society, have questioned the appropriateness of a doctor's practice whose sole purpose is to approve a single drug for patients.
Richard Gulla, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Medical Society, said one of the key regulations of the medical marijuana law says a physician should have a "pre-existing and ongoing relationship" with the patient.
Gulla said a practice that only certifies medical marijuana patients "erodes, if not skirts entirely" the ongoing relationship provision, and "has the potential for abuse."
The Massachusetts Medical Society, which opposed the 2012 ballot question that legalized medical marijuana, says there are many unknowns about the drug, including its effectiveness and the appropriate dosage.
Rideout called marijuana a "very safe drug" whose benefits exceed the risk. He disputed the notion that people will take advantage of medical marijuana to get high, saying the medical form of the drug contains less THC, the ingredient that produces the high, than marijuana that can be bought on the street.
Rideout said he has rarely denied somebody certification after examining them, because people only come to his office if they have a legitimate medical reason.
"Recreational users have no trouble getting marijuana," he said. "They don't need us."
Rideout said he's had enough patients so far only to cover the cost of doing business. With the opening of the nearby dispensary, he's hoping that business will continue to increase.
After decades working in emergency rooms, Rideout said he enjoys helping patients in a different way. He cited his teenage patient with attention deficit order who read a book for the first time because marijuana helped him focus.
"It's very gratifying," Rideout said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Business picking up for Salem's first medical marijuana doctor - Salem News: Local News
Author: Paul Leighton
Contact: pleighton@salemnews.com
Photo Credit: David Le
Website: Salem News
