worth it to apply for mmj?

[64yoda]

I don't know if it's worth it to apply for Medical MJ in my state. They just passed mmj-use in my state late last year and started accepting applications, but I heard they haven't launched the program completely yet. I heard they won't start letting patients go to dispensaries (that are approved) until sometime in the middle of this year.

Apparently, a LOT of people have applied, but there are only a couple thousand people that have been approved thus far and there are almost 13 million people in my state. I realize it's not a huge population that is going to apply because not everyone smokes and/or believes it's good for medical purposes, but the requirements make this sound not so good.

Things you need to reveal: income, home address and phone number, social security number, driver's license, other stuff that could be expected, but also fingerprints. They send the fingerprints to our state police :cop:. They do a check to make sure there are no felonies on your record. You'd think that'd be enough, but nope, then they send your fingerprints to the FBI :cop:, who are supposed to do a "deeper" check for any hidden or expunged felonies I guess (I have no clue). Then the FBI :cop: is supposed to delete all digital and otherwise records of those fingerprints, regardless of whether or not the person is approved for mmj.

I've read articles in the newspaper, etc. that say that some people would opt to continue buying illegally than apply for mmj, even though they have one of the conditions that would likely get them approved, since they don't want the state having so much information on them and knowing that they are smoking, legal for medical purposes or not.

I have heard about some cases from my sister, an attorney, about people getting arrested for possession or growing, trying to prove that they were using it for medical purposes, and still getting the book thrown at them by the judge because they didn't have an actual mmj card. I think my sis is concerned about me getting caught even though I don't distribute and wants me to apply so I'll have a backup reason for possession if I get caught. But the whole fingerprint thing. I dunno. And I dunno how long it's gonna take for our state to realize that we'd be in a lot less debt (one of the top 5 highest in-debt states in country) if they'd legalize recreationally (if only to get out of debt!).

Thoughts on what I should do :hairpull:

Sorry about my rant :rant:- just started drinking coffee again about a week ago after giving it up last year.

 

[yooper420]

My card kept me from being arrested one time. Cheap insurance IMO. Time for me to renew mine again. Don`t leave home without it.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Well, I can say that if it was legal in my state that I would be for getting a license. I don't quite understand how the law for patients can be that strict, requiring that kind of background check? I could see it for dispenseries, but just to get a prescription....well that seems harsh. Jeez, you don't have to do through things like that for an oxy prescription and that is some of the worst stuff that is out there.

Also make sure the stories are true....most of us have heard horror stories about people getting busted for reasons that they did not. It could be very well that those busted got busted for other reasons...after all the cops still do need probable cause.

 

[Joe420Camel]

My card kept me from being arrested one time. Cheap insurance IMO. Time for me to renew mine again. Don`t leave home without it.

Has your health insurance been effected?

"I heard"... getting health insurance is, "less" easy (aka more expensive!) with a card than without. (self employed, family)

:48:

 

[Rosebud]

You know I guess that is the one thing Washington state did do right. There is no list of MM patients. I have been a patient for over 5years and I didn't have to sign up for anything. If the police come to the door, i have my piece of paper by the door and one in my car and one on my person. There is no registry here... I know this doesn't answer your questions. But I personally love the security of that expensive 150.00 rip off a year.

 

[64yoda]

Has your health insurance been effected?

"I heard"... getting health insurance is, "less" easy (aka more expensive!) with a card than without. (self employed, family)

:48:

Maybe I'm a young-in or something, but how would a health insurance company know you were a MMJ patient? It's like when companies boast on radio commercials about how they still give great life insurance rates to smokers. How the heck would they know you smoke tobacco unless you reveal that information willingly?

Well, I can say that if it was legal in my state that I would be for getting a license. I don't quite understand how the law for patients can be that strict, requiring that kind of background check? I could see it for dispenseries, but just to get a prescription....well that seems harsh. Jeez, you don't have to do through things like that for an oxy prescription and that is some of the worst stuff that is out there.

Also make sure the stories are true....most of us have heard horror stories about people getting busted for reasons that they did not. It could be very well that those busted got busted for other reasons...after all the cops still do need probable cause.

As of now, these are the only conditions that people "could" be approved for MMJ in my state:

Cancer,glaucoma,HIV/AIDS,Hepatitis C,amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis,Crohn’s disease, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, wasting syndrome, muscular
dystrophy, severe fibromyalgia, spinal cord disease,
Tarlov cysts, hydromyelia, syringomyelia, spinal
cord injury, traumatic brain injury and post-
concussion syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Arnold
-Chiari malformation, spinocerebellar ataxia, Parkinson’s disease, Tourette syndrome, myoclonus, dystonia, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, causalgia, neurofibromatosis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, Sjögren’s syndrome,
lupus, interstitial cystitis, myasthenia gravis,
hydrocephalus, nail patella syndrome, residual
limb pain, seizures, including those characteristic
of epilepsy, or the treatment of these conditions.

I honestly think I could possibly only have agitation of Parkinson's Disease and/or Dystonia. Ever since my doc put me on Stelazine (Trifluoperazine) in 2006 or 2007, I've had tremors in my hands and jaws really bad. Less than a few months after starting on that med, he had to put me on Inderal (Propranolol), a medication that is mostly for high blood pressure and too high of a heart rate but also cuts down on tremors and lessens anxiety. If I miss one morning dose, I can't even write my signature with a pen on a piece of paper.

My card kept me from being arrested one time. Cheap insurance IMO. Time for me to renew mine again. Don`t leave home without it.

I don't imagine I would either.

You know I guess that is the one thing Washington state did do right. There is no list of MM patients. I have been a patient for over 5years and I didn't have to sign up for anything. If the police come to the door, i have my piece of paper by the door and one in my car and one on my person. There is no registry here... I know this doesn't answer your questions. But I personally love the security of that expensive 150.00 rip off a year.

For me, it wouldn't be a rip-off at all. I'd consider it an annual fee just like a getting my license plate sticker renewed every year. It sucks, but it's a necessity if I'm gonna stay legal driving a car in my state (IL).

 

[yooper420]

Has your health insurance been effected?

"I heard"... getting health insurance is, "less" easy (aka more expensive!) with a card than without. (self employed, family)

:48:

No, not at all, mainly because they do not know. Different doctors. Let`s see here. One year, one year renewal, then 2 year card, now time to renew for 2 more. So have had card for 4 years and renewing it for 2 more.