Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
AZ - Medical-marjiuana dispensaries will have to employ a "medical director" at their operations as state health officials require, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge has ruled. The non-profits could begin opening this summer.
Judge Richard Gama's May 1 decision is an important one, because it could prevent abuse of medical pot, said Arizona Department of Health Services Director Will Humble.
"This is a really important component of the program because without it, over time, it would've evolved into each dispensary just moving product," Humble said.
"But if you have a medical director, you have someone who's invested time and money in that license, they've got that license to protect, and they need to act in an ethical way and make sure their organization works ethically."
Dispensary medical directors must train dispensary agents at least once a year, develop guidelines for informing patients about the risks, benefits and side effects of medical-marijuana, and know how to recognize signs and symptoms of substance abuse.
Would-be dispensary owner Gerald Gaines sued last year over the state's dispensary regulations and the governor's failure to fully implement the program. In January, Gama ruled in favor of Gaines, saying the state cannot restrict who operates medical pot dispensaries based on where they live or their financial history.
The state is moving ahead with implementing the program and later this month will begin to accept applications for dispensaries. Also, state officials will hold a public hearing on May 25 to consider whether to add PTSD, migraines, depression and anxiety as conditions that qualify for medical-marijuana certification.
Gaines filed an amended complaint to challenge the state's requirement on the medical director requirement, saying they were unnecessary.
"It's not the exact ruling we wanted," Gaines said Tuesday, saying he may again challenge the requirement.
Under the voter-approved law, state workers issue special ID cards to people with certain medical conditions, authorizing patients to use marijuana. Proposition 203 also allows the state health department to issue permits for up to 126 pot dispensaries across the state. State officials set up the rules for the medical pot program.
Health officials will begin accepting dispensary applications May 14 through May 25.
More than 22,200 people have received permission to smoke, eat or otherwise ingest medical marijuana to ease their ailments.
Of those, nearly three-quarters are men, and nearly 85 percent of all patients have requested to grow their own cannabis.
News Hawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: AZcentral.com
Author: Yvonne Wingett Sanchez
Copyright: AZcentral.com
Contact: Contacting The Arizona Republic
Website: 'Medical director' required at pot dispensaries, judge rules
Judge Richard Gama's May 1 decision is an important one, because it could prevent abuse of medical pot, said Arizona Department of Health Services Director Will Humble.
"This is a really important component of the program because without it, over time, it would've evolved into each dispensary just moving product," Humble said.
"But if you have a medical director, you have someone who's invested time and money in that license, they've got that license to protect, and they need to act in an ethical way and make sure their organization works ethically."
Dispensary medical directors must train dispensary agents at least once a year, develop guidelines for informing patients about the risks, benefits and side effects of medical-marijuana, and know how to recognize signs and symptoms of substance abuse.
Would-be dispensary owner Gerald Gaines sued last year over the state's dispensary regulations and the governor's failure to fully implement the program. In January, Gama ruled in favor of Gaines, saying the state cannot restrict who operates medical pot dispensaries based on where they live or their financial history.
The state is moving ahead with implementing the program and later this month will begin to accept applications for dispensaries. Also, state officials will hold a public hearing on May 25 to consider whether to add PTSD, migraines, depression and anxiety as conditions that qualify for medical-marijuana certification.
Gaines filed an amended complaint to challenge the state's requirement on the medical director requirement, saying they were unnecessary.
"It's not the exact ruling we wanted," Gaines said Tuesday, saying he may again challenge the requirement.
Under the voter-approved law, state workers issue special ID cards to people with certain medical conditions, authorizing patients to use marijuana. Proposition 203 also allows the state health department to issue permits for up to 126 pot dispensaries across the state. State officials set up the rules for the medical pot program.
Health officials will begin accepting dispensary applications May 14 through May 25.
More than 22,200 people have received permission to smoke, eat or otherwise ingest medical marijuana to ease their ailments.
Of those, nearly three-quarters are men, and nearly 85 percent of all patients have requested to grow their own cannabis.
News Hawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: AZcentral.com
Author: Yvonne Wingett Sanchez
Copyright: AZcentral.com
Contact: Contacting The Arizona Republic
Website: 'Medical director' required at pot dispensaries, judge rules
