DISPENSARIES WORK WITH REGULATIONS

Local Businesses Explain What They Offer To Patients

The Daily Record Editor's Note: This is the fifth in a weeklong series
examining the facets of medical marijuana.

With state laws shifting, medical marijuana dispensaries are faced
with choices in determining how, or if, they are going to continue to
do business.

"We're just trying to get on board," said Jeremy Johnson, owner of
Rocky Mountain Cannabis in Canon City. "I will follow all laws."

"We opened the business according to what everyone else was doing at
the time," said Mary Dooley, owner of Earth Medicines in Fremont County.

Dooley said she and her partner, Kevin Griffith, hope to work through
the licensing process if the state and county do not make it too difficult.

There are three dispensaries in the county and one in Canon City.
Moratoriums against new dispensaries are in place in Canon City and
Florence and temporary zoning regulations are in place in the county.

Biker Town in Penrose refused an offer to be interviewed for this
project. Heritage Organics, also in Penrose, did not return phone
calls requesting an interview.

Earth Medicines opened in December 2009.

"It was a new area, something that hadn't been done before," Dooley
said. "We knew it was good for people medically."

Griffith said the center has close to 400 patients suffering from
various maladies including fibromyalgia, arthritis, cancer and diabetes.

"There are some (patients) that are in really bad shape," Dooley said.
"We have a lot of people who depend on us."

In order to be treated, legally, at any dispensary patients must have
documentation of their diagnosis from a doctor and a license from the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

"We keep a copy in our files," Dooley said. "We get to know people who
come in on a regular basis. We don't sell big amounts at a time."

There are two main strains of marijuana sold in most dispensaries:
Indica, which provides pain relief, and Sative, which is energizing,
Griffith said. The strains can be combined in various ways depending
on patients' needs. Earth Medicines carries nearly 40 strains.

Various types help sleep, give energy, take away pain, calm lungs in
asthma, joint pain or depression, Dooley said.

The dispensary also sells smoking paraphernalia, vaporizers, marijuana
edibles, tinctures, pills and tea bags.

The store front, located at 3055 E. U.S. 50, Suite G, requires ringing
a door bell to enter. The product room is closed off to anyone who
does not have a license. However, those without licenses may come into
the front room and purchase the vitamins, incense and other items for
sale there.

"Anyone can come in and talk to us," Griffith said.

"We have never ever let anybody smoke on the premises," Dooley said.
"We just thought it was inappropriate."

Rocky Mountain Cannabis opened in November 2009 on Main Street in
Canon City. Johnson, who has previously worked in human services and
as a social worker, said he opened the store to "help those in need."

Johnson said he has seen the health benefits of medical marijuana and
reducing the need for pharmaceuticals.

Rocky Mountain Cannabis has between 400 and 500 patients, mainly from
Fremont County, Johnson said.

"We carry a variety of strains," Johnson said. "We want to find the
medication that works best for the patient."

Along with the marijuana product, Rocky Mountain also provides
edibles, product to be vaporized or smoked, tinctures, rubs and lotions.

The dispensary also has an educational marijuana garden so the owners
may show patients where their medication comes from.

Johnson said he opened Rocky Mountain Cannabis with his own funds and
hopes to use profits from the dispensaries for nonprofit work in the
local community and around the world.