OPEN FOR BUSINESS

a New Medical-Marijuana Center in Tucson Takes a One-Stop-Shop Approach

A couple of months back, I decided Tucson was beginning to suck a
little more than Phoenix, at least by one measure, because we didn't
have any fun and exciting medical-marijuana clubs or pot superstores
or other places to celebrate our newfound MMJ-ness. (See "Phoenix
Doesn't Suck," Nov. 3.)

All we had were a few sign-wavers and some dingy clinics.

Well, things have changed a little since I wrote that. We might not
have any superstores, but we do have a few spots where patients can
get meds; caregivers can get patients; and everyone can get some information.

Want to know how to make hashish and get some free MMJ out of the
deal? Tumbleweeds Health Center can hook you up. Opened two months
ago by two Cali transplants, the health center on East Broadway
Boulevard takes a one-stop shopping approach to MMJ. They offer
certifications, classes on growing and cooking, explanation of rules,
and personal consultation on whatever MMJ topic you need to explore.

Co-owner Kim Williams grew up in California's Napa Valley, the heart
of wine country. The 41-year-old suffers from fibromyalgia, scoliosis
and pain from car accidents, but she didn't get a medical-marijuana
card until 2005, nine years after MMJ came to California.

Williams has lived in Tucson and the Phoenix area off and on for 20
years. When Arizona voters passed the Medical Marijuana Act in 2010,
she decided to come back. She and her partner (in life and at
Tumbleweeds), Dana Rae Zygmunt, originally planned to open a
dispensary in Colorado, but they came here instead when Arizona
became an MMJ state.

Then Gov. Jan Brewer threw her wrench in the works. It seemed there
would be no dispensaries--until Gov. Jan saw the light last week and
halted her incessant legal wrangling. The state's nearly 18,000
patients are still stuck in limbo, many of them wondering where to
get medication without dispensaries.

"When we moved here, we were kind of stuck looking on Craigslist," Kim said.

So she decided to get a lawyer and consider options. The Tumbleweeds
paradigm seemed perfect--it is not a dispensary or a club. There is
no membership fee covering the cost of medication. All medication
transactions are cost-free, and either patient-patient or caregiver-patient.

The daily tuition at the center is $55, for which you get a
consultation, a lecture, a demonstration (on Jan. 14, it was
hash-making), access to the library and free meds from another
patient or caregiver.

"We've seen patients exchange 3 to 4 grams of medication," Williams said.

Several MMJ strains are available, including sativa strains for
keeping your eyes open during the day, and indica-leaning ones to
close them if you suffer from sleep disturbance. The center website
lists the indica strain Kryptonite, Green Crack (a sativa-heavy
hybrid), Blue Dream (sativa, a Mr. Smith favorite), outdoor Blue
Dream, Pineapple OG (another sativa strain) and Afghani Goo (indica).

If you aren't certified for MMJ, Tumbleweeds can help you there, too.
You can make a doctor's appointment through the website for a $150
certification.

A key goal of the health center is to connect patients and
caregivers, and, ultimately, to connect patients with medication. So
on Saturday, Jan. 21, the center will host a 1 p.m. meet-and-greet to
launch a planned networking service for patients and caregivers. The
event is open to the public.

Williams and Zygmunt hope to cultivate Tumbleweeds into a
full-service health center where people can get free MMJ after paying
for health services such as massages, yoga classes or acupuncture.

So it seems we are moving along nicely toward less suckage here at
the base of the black hill. Methinks we suck less than Phoenix again.
As it should be.

For more information, visit www.tumbleweedshealthcenter.com; call
838-4430; email thctucson@gmail.com; or stop by 5301 E. Broadway
Blvd. Tumbleweeds is open 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday and Friday; and noon
to 4 p.m., Saturday. If those hours don't work, call for an appointment.