Bye-bye, pot docs?

I would be interested in your commentary. First, with regard to doctor’s recommendations, there is a prevailing concept that one must go to a “pot doc” and pay good money for a yearly service. In reality, there is a form (CDPH 9044) published by the Department of Public Health that may be utilized by any attending California licensed doctor (your own?) for free and it has no end date built in. There doesn’t seem to be much promotion out there for something that seems simple and was the Legislature’s original intent. Second, there is a perception that is highly promoted, despite the concerns expressed by our elected officials trying to craft rules for local medical marijuana distribution, that a first-time visit to a “pot shop” means being showered with gifts. As if one could walk into a CVS and expect a prize for showing up, like maybe kicking me down a couple Norcos. The Sac County Board of Supervisors waved a copy of SN&R and cited the giveaways of “narcotics” as a nuisance that encouraged 18-year-olds to get an easy “pot doc” recommendation and tour the “pot clubs” in groups like trick-or-treaters, so the BOS banned all dispensing in the unincorporated areas of Sac County. This “try it, you’ll like it” vision of promotion annoys and invigorates the stodgy, good old boy opposition. What do you think?

—Matt

Good call on that form. I had no idea the Department of Health had a form (http://tinyurl.com/form9044) for regular doctors. That’s pretty cool. Perhaps more people will be willing to talk to their general practitioners about cannabis, or at least show them the form and hope that they get the hint. There are a few things I would mention: Some “regular” doctors are still reluctant to recommend marijuana for their patients, so seeing a doctor who specializes in cannabis as a treatment couldn’t hurt. And while you’re technically correct when you say medical cannabis recommendations don’t expire, the law expects you to be “under a doctor’s care” while you take marijuana, presumably because maybe you will get better and not need the evil, pernicious Schedule 1 narcotic known as marijuana. Ha.

To your second point: Prohibitionists gonna prohibit. Giving away medicine isn’t just a weed thing. I could talk a doctor into giving me a few Viagra pills with no problem, and Viagra is way more of a recreational drug than pot will ever be. The pharmaceutical companies give away billions of dollars in prescription medicine every year; no one is trying to shut down the local Walgreens. Some people just don’t like the idea of marijuana, probably because they hate freedom and good jobs and helping people. The whole “clubs are giving away weed to 18-year-olds” argument is just a variation on the “But what about the children?!” form of concern trolling. Ignore them. Better yet, vote in better supervisors.