The first medical marijuana clinic in the state of Michigan opened Dec. 4 in Southfield, following the controversial proposal voters approved last month making the drug legal in the state for medical purposes.
Run by The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Portland, Ore., the clinic currently has two licensed physicians on staff.
The Southfield clinic joins 17 others in the country run by THCF: four in Oregon, four in Washington state, three in Colorado, three in Hawaii, one in Nevada, one in California and one in Montana. Thirteen states in the U.S. have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.
"We've helped over 45,000 patients in eight states now, including Michigan since we opened up there last Thursday," said Paul Stanford, president, founder and CEO of THCF. "We plan on expanding to other cities in Michigan."
Prospective patients are advised to contact the clinic by phone and have their primary care physician provide medical records.
"We require they have medical records from another doctor and be under another doctor's treatment," Stanford explained. "All of our patients have to have another current relationship with either an M.D. or a D.O. to meet their medical needs."
After the medical records have been reviewed, the patient meets with a nurse or doctor at the clinic for a non-invasive physical examination.
If it is determined that the patient meets the criteria and could benefit from the use of medical marijuana, a prescription will be provided, as well as an identification card that registers the patient in the program and the appropriate documentation needed to submit to the state.
Twenty-five patients were seen by a physician on the first day of the clinic's operation in the Southfield Town Center. Two additional patient days will be held in December, and another two are scheduled in January.
"As those days fill up, we'll add more days," Stanford said.
But marijuana is not provided by the clinic.
"We explicitly do not distribute marijuana itself," Stanford said. "We don't have anything to do with the procurement. We cannot assist in the procurement in any way."
According to the new law, a patient who has been prescribed medical marijuana by a licensed physician can purchase, possess and/or cultivate up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana or 12 plants.
"For a patient who is authorized to have medical marijuana, they can purchase it on the black market," Sanford said. "The people who are selling it are breaking the law. It can be dangerous. But there are a number of organizations out there that are currently being set up to help patients. We cannot directly provide them or help them obtain cannabis, but there are a number of resources in the community that they can pursue."
Sixty percent of THCF's patients across the country suffer from some sort of chronic pain, said Stanford, adding that in 30-40 percent of the chronic pain cases, the patients also have severe muscle spasms, seizures, cancer, AIDS, glaucoma or severe nausea.
"Cannabis is a very safe and effective medicine for a variety of ailments," Sanford said. "What we find overwhelming is that our chronic pain patients are able to get off of large quantities of debilitating narcotics that they're on and improve their quality of life through the use of cannabis. And they don't have to be subjected to the high associated with marijuana to get the relief, through the use of the leaf instead of the flower."
But not everyone feels so positive about the passage of the proposal in Michigan.
"I am not happy the (proposal) passed," said Southfield City Councilman Myron Frasier. "But the vote passed and that's the law now and I expect that they will follow the law. ... That's the one thing about voting: The majority wins and the losers have to understand that they did their best but they came out the losers. But I'm also not happy that we happen to be the first place in the state they opened up one of these clinics."
City Council President Don Fracassi had a lot of questions with regard to the operation of the clinic and others like it.
"I opposed the issue to begin with," Fracassi said. "But it was approved, and I don't know how they're going to regulate it. I don't know how they're going to tell who's got pain and who doesn't. Is it people who have no hope and are just suffering from pain? Or is it people who are hurt and are doing this instead of taking an aspirin? Is it the medical profession seeking other ways to make more money? I don't know. I'm just against the whole thing. There is enough medication out there to serve the purpose. I think it's going to be misused. I don't see there's enough controls."
The city is going to conduct research to learn how to handle the operation of the clinic.
"We can go to other states that have passed the marijuana law and find out how they deal with it so we aren't trying to invent the wheel all over again," Frasier said. "We'll take advantage of what's already out there and find out the good things they've done to help control it and that will get us years ahead rather than try to find out on our own."
Fracassi has every confidence that the Southfield Police Department has the situation covered.
"I expect the Police Department to follow all the regulations, rules and laws, and they will do that to the utmost," Fracassi said. "Any violations to the law the Police Department will take care of it."
For more information about the clinic, visit The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, THCF Medical Clinics, Medical Marijuana Doctors, Michigan Medical Marijuana Clinics, Serving The Cannabis Community Since 1999, Medical Marijuana as treatment for chronic pain, chronic nausea, AIDS, cancer, glaucoma,.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: C & G News
Author: Jennie Miller
Contact: C & G News
Copyright: 2008 C & G Publishing
Website: State's First Medical Marijuana Clinic Opens In Southfield
Run by The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Portland, Ore., the clinic currently has two licensed physicians on staff.
The Southfield clinic joins 17 others in the country run by THCF: four in Oregon, four in Washington state, three in Colorado, three in Hawaii, one in Nevada, one in California and one in Montana. Thirteen states in the U.S. have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.
"We've helped over 45,000 patients in eight states now, including Michigan since we opened up there last Thursday," said Paul Stanford, president, founder and CEO of THCF. "We plan on expanding to other cities in Michigan."
Prospective patients are advised to contact the clinic by phone and have their primary care physician provide medical records.
"We require they have medical records from another doctor and be under another doctor's treatment," Stanford explained. "All of our patients have to have another current relationship with either an M.D. or a D.O. to meet their medical needs."
After the medical records have been reviewed, the patient meets with a nurse or doctor at the clinic for a non-invasive physical examination.
If it is determined that the patient meets the criteria and could benefit from the use of medical marijuana, a prescription will be provided, as well as an identification card that registers the patient in the program and the appropriate documentation needed to submit to the state.
Twenty-five patients were seen by a physician on the first day of the clinic's operation in the Southfield Town Center. Two additional patient days will be held in December, and another two are scheduled in January.
"As those days fill up, we'll add more days," Stanford said.
But marijuana is not provided by the clinic.
"We explicitly do not distribute marijuana itself," Stanford said. "We don't have anything to do with the procurement. We cannot assist in the procurement in any way."
According to the new law, a patient who has been prescribed medical marijuana by a licensed physician can purchase, possess and/or cultivate up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana or 12 plants.
"For a patient who is authorized to have medical marijuana, they can purchase it on the black market," Sanford said. "The people who are selling it are breaking the law. It can be dangerous. But there are a number of organizations out there that are currently being set up to help patients. We cannot directly provide them or help them obtain cannabis, but there are a number of resources in the community that they can pursue."
Sixty percent of THCF's patients across the country suffer from some sort of chronic pain, said Stanford, adding that in 30-40 percent of the chronic pain cases, the patients also have severe muscle spasms, seizures, cancer, AIDS, glaucoma or severe nausea.
"Cannabis is a very safe and effective medicine for a variety of ailments," Sanford said. "What we find overwhelming is that our chronic pain patients are able to get off of large quantities of debilitating narcotics that they're on and improve their quality of life through the use of cannabis. And they don't have to be subjected to the high associated with marijuana to get the relief, through the use of the leaf instead of the flower."
But not everyone feels so positive about the passage of the proposal in Michigan.
"I am not happy the (proposal) passed," said Southfield City Councilman Myron Frasier. "But the vote passed and that's the law now and I expect that they will follow the law. ... That's the one thing about voting: The majority wins and the losers have to understand that they did their best but they came out the losers. But I'm also not happy that we happen to be the first place in the state they opened up one of these clinics."
City Council President Don Fracassi had a lot of questions with regard to the operation of the clinic and others like it.
"I opposed the issue to begin with," Fracassi said. "But it was approved, and I don't know how they're going to regulate it. I don't know how they're going to tell who's got pain and who doesn't. Is it people who have no hope and are just suffering from pain? Or is it people who are hurt and are doing this instead of taking an aspirin? Is it the medical profession seeking other ways to make more money? I don't know. I'm just against the whole thing. There is enough medication out there to serve the purpose. I think it's going to be misused. I don't see there's enough controls."
The city is going to conduct research to learn how to handle the operation of the clinic.
"We can go to other states that have passed the marijuana law and find out how they deal with it so we aren't trying to invent the wheel all over again," Frasier said. "We'll take advantage of what's already out there and find out the good things they've done to help control it and that will get us years ahead rather than try to find out on our own."
Fracassi has every confidence that the Southfield Police Department has the situation covered.
"I expect the Police Department to follow all the regulations, rules and laws, and they will do that to the utmost," Fracassi said. "Any violations to the law the Police Department will take care of it."
For more information about the clinic, visit The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, THCF Medical Clinics, Medical Marijuana Doctors, Michigan Medical Marijuana Clinics, Serving The Cannabis Community Since 1999, Medical Marijuana as treatment for chronic pain, chronic nausea, AIDS, cancer, glaucoma,.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: C & G News
Author: Jennie Miller
Contact: C & G News
Copyright: 2008 C & G Publishing
Website: State's First Medical Marijuana Clinic Opens In Southfield
