MEDICAL MARIJUANA LICENSE DELAY HURTS TRUE PATIENTS

In what can only be considered one of those "duh?" moments, the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said last week
that more than 4,200 medical marijuana registry applications are on
hold after law officers observed potential patients being seen by
someone other than a doctor.

State law requires a legitimate doctor-patient relationship before a
doctor can recommend medical marijuana. However, most Coloradans have
long suspected or perhaps even personally known that the system of
obtaining medical marijuana registry cards is subject to manipulation
and fraud.

The health department said it will contact doctors listed in suspected
forms to verify they personally conducted exams. Those who have
applications denied will have to wait six months to apply for a
medical marijuana registry card. Those whose cards are rejected as
incomplete can reapply immediately.

Even though medical marijuana has been legal for nearly 10 years in
Colorado, enforcement of state rules regarding the registry has been
lax. With more than 88,000 on the state medical marijuana registry,
those who would abuse the system to obtain marijuana for recreational
use are counting on the absence of enforcement.

Last year, the state Legislature addressed some of these concerns by
requiring doctors to keep records and to perform follow-up visits, yet
little funding for enforcement has been provided. Without proper
funding and a process for oversight, enforcement will continue to be
inconsistent.

The current medical marijuana model in Colorado does not adequately
distinguish between those who reasonably use marijuana for medical
reasons and those seeking to exploit the dispensary model for their
own gain.

Once again, those who will be inconvenienced by this situation are
patients who have obtained medical marijuana recommendations to treat
genuine health concerns.