Spokane7
65°
April 7, 2011 in City
Spokane medical marijuana dispensaries on federal notice
Operators, owners could face prosecution
Medical marijuana dispensaries in Spokane face federal prosecution if they do not end their operations immediately, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
Federal authorities hope for voluntary compliance but are prepared “for quick and direct action against the operators of the stores,” according to a statement by Mike Ormsby, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Federal authorities will target both the operators of the stores and the owners of the properties where the stores are located, he said.
“We intend to use the full extent of our legal remedies to enforce the law,” Ormsby said. Depending on the amount of marijuana, some federal crimes carry mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years or more.
More than 40 dispensaries are operating in the Spokane area, Ormsby said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice, spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said no timeline has been provided but that authorities are prepared.
Similar dispensaries operate in Western Washington, but no enforcement action has been announced there.
Charles Wright, who owns the THC Pharmacy on South Perry Street, said he has no plans to shut down.
“This is the federal government attacking the people they’re supposed to represent,” Wright said. “It makes no sense. This is an established system that the state voters have voted for in 15 states, and the federal government is going to attack us.”
Melissa Lunsford, who owns CBR Medical, which issues medical marijuana authorizations but does not sell marijuana, said her landlord received letters referencing the clinic and a dispensary on property he owns in Spokane Valley.
“We’re not exactly sure how we fall in the category,” Lunsford said. “Dispensaries I can understand because they’re such a gray area.”
A Spokane County jury recently convicted former dispensary owner Scott Q. Shupe of three drug felonies for his work at Change, the first commercial dispensary to face criminal prosecution in the state.
Prosecutors in Spokane County believe the businesses are illegal because they sell marijuana to more than one patient. State law, passed by voters in 1998 and adjusted by the state Legislature in 2008, allows for patients to have up to 15 plants and a pound and a half at a time; caretakers are to provide marijuana to one person “at any one time.” The law says nothing about commercial dispensaries.
“The proliferation of marijuana stores, which are not authorized under state law, suggests that drug traffickers are attempting to avoid application of state law through the use of these stores,” Ormsby said. “Drug traffickers cannot hide behind the law by simply claiming they are medical marijuana stores.”
The federal government classifies marijuana in the same category as heroin. The U.S. attorney’s office said Wednesday that marijuana “has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.”
Spokane lawyer Pat Stiley, who defends medical marijuana patients and dispensaries, noted that several people in the United States are authorized by the federal government to consume marijuana for medicinal purposes.
He called the belief that marijuana holds no medicinal value “a crock of baloney.”
“This proves to me that my federal government doesn’t know what the hell is going on,” he said. “It’s hard for me to imagine anybody who doesn’t think that medical marijuana helps glaucoma patients in a way that no other medication has ever been able to do.”
Stiley said federal authorities appear to be “jumping the gun” in the wake of a new law regulating dispensaries that’s expected to pass the state House. Gov. Chris Gregoire has said she’ll sign the law.
“What a waste of energy in the very week that we think Washington law is going to change totally,” Stiley said.
Guidelines sent to U.S. attorneys by the U.S. Department of Justice in October 2009 said prosecuting seriously ill medical marijuana patients “is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources” but noted that marijuana distribution in the United States is the top revenue source for violent Mexican drug cartels.
“Prosecution of commercial enterprises that unlawfully market and sell marijuana for profit continues to be an enforcement priority of the Department,” the memo said.
Human trafficking suspects released 
detroitdude on April 07 at 10:11 a.m.
Once again, more money being wasted by the government busting people who sell plants. Until there is a serious move to legalize marijuana in Congress it will stay this way however. People in favor of legalization, especially people who smoke marijuana for recreation really need to get involved in the process and stop being so lazy. You get enough people together, you can get the law changed. If it were legalized and taxed though, these dispensaries would probably go out of business anyways, there would be no point in having them if you can buy it at a liquor store.
kennyhuston on April 07 at 10:23 a.m.
This is only a guess, but I think I disagree with the statement about, “marijuana distribution in the United States is the top revenue source for violent Mexican drug cartels.”. My guess is that cocaine and meth bring in WAY MORE $ to the Mexican drug cartels. I believe they’re going after the wrong product if their intentions are to reduce the Mexican drug cartel’s sources of revenue, that is, if that’s what the Feds are ultimately trying to do.
johnclarke on April 07 at 10:28 a.m.
The war on drugs is a failure, and a pretty significant waste of money.
Shadedmuse on April 07 at 10:29 a.m.
Pres Obama and AG Eric Holder promised that they would not go after medical marijauna and look the other way and NOT enforce the law on medical marijauna, did Mike Ormbsy not get the memo? I know he started on the job later, then Pres Obama and Eric Holder?
selkirk on April 07 at 10:53 a.m.
How many of these dispensaries are owned by the Mexican Cartel? If any are, they wouldn’t last a week because Mexican brown dirt weed is just that, brown dirt weed.
Our Federal Government (sic) is not in touch with reality. I haven’t seen any Mexican dirt weed in this area for years, yet our duly elected officials are continued to be lied to by DEA.
99% of Mexican dirt weed goes East, yet our laws voted upon by we the people, are being violated by those whose money would disappear if pot were legal.
The best part of this article confirms a rumor that has been going around for years. YES, there are those who have a “Federal Marijuana License” and that means that the Federal government recognizes that there must be some medicinal value to pot.
Yet, they continue to argue that there is no medicinal value. 15 states have mmj laws on the books, there is scientific evidence that mmj helps reduce pressure in glaucoma (medicinal value), eases nausea and allows cancer patients to eat, and now new data suggests that mmj even has the ability to combat certain cancer cells.
My guess is that EVERY plant on the face of this earth has some sort of medicinal value. Do it, President Obama, leave your legacy and move MARIJUANA from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 so that we, the people, can fully research this wonderful plant that our Almighty provided for us.
Loveroflife on April 07 at 11:52 a.m.
Maybe someday all you libs will figure out that gov’t totally sucks and you will become anarchists
Orphan on April 07 at 12:33 p.m.
Once again the Feds are over stepping their boundrys. This should be a state matter. What a colossal waste of time and money by our goverment. Legalize pot, tax it and then we stop spending billions on the drug war and the goverment gets millions in taxes, the drug cartels loose money. I cant imagine a better outcome.
Right on Loveoflife the goverment sucks and it does need fixin. I dont think we are at the point of anarchy yet though. Vote out the ins repeat as necessary until they start doing what we want.
Byrdie714 on April 07 at 12:46 p.m.
Spokane has 40 dispensaries?! Why the gluttony of dispensaries?
Isn’t that excessive for a city this size?
If I was a patient, I can abuse my ‘doctor’s recommendation’ and shop at all 40 dispensaries to get my allotment and then some.
Teseract on April 07 at 2:47 p.m.
The number of dispensaries in Spokane makes sense when you take into account the oddball limitations of dispensaries in the state laws. If one dispensary can only have 15 plants and 1.5lbs of the drug available at any one time, you’d have to have 40 dispensaries to handle the demand in an area as large as Spokane.
andjusticeforall on April 07 at 3:50 p.m.
what im wondering is why the hell they dont use all this f’n money to find & shut down meth labs in spokane…thats the real problem not some plant that grows from sun, water & dirt…no wonder why every where you look you see tweekers in spokane..cuz they know if they arnt selling or smoking pot & just sticking to making & selling meth they are in the clear…Ormsby can suck one
force_vector on April 07 at 4:12 p.m.
Drug dealers with a store front peddling “medicine”. Get outta here with that bs. You’d have to be stoned out of your mind to believe that is a valid excuse for being a pot head. “I’ve got a medical condition so I think I’ll be a drug addict too”. Genius.
Dazzeetrader11 on April 07 at 4:15 p.m.
MD’s should be prescribing and dispensing to patients who need the drug. Records etc kept in the office. And certainly if an MD is responsible, the records will be kept in a safe place. Would eliminate lot of frauds.
Treat it like a DEA license . MD’s won’t mess that up or there would be licensure issues.
bumblebeetuna on April 07 at 4:17 p.m.
Wtf. Ormsby is going to do this to Eastern Washington while his counterpart does nothing on the West side? This is beyond stupid, especially since the issue is currently in massive flux.
The feds have been antsy about this issue since the Seattle Times had an editorial promoting the legalization of marijuana just a few months ago. The drug czar immediately flew up to Seattle to meet with them and try and get them to change their position. The feds know this would not be able to go down easily on the west side, so they’re trying to give their plans a foothold over here.
Prosecute some real criminals.
Verbal on April 07 at 4:35 p.m.
I’d bet that Ormsby is acting at the behest of local prosecutors and law enforcement (and/or maybe Rep. McMorris). It would be interesting to know how much seizure money has decreased since the proliferation of medical marijuana dispenseries.
Also, if the Spokane area currently has 40 dispenseries, the marketplace will whittle that down soon enough - if the US attorney doesn’t do it first.
detroitdude on April 07 at 4:46 p.m.
Yes, this is the most important issue Ormsby should focus on (sarcasm). Because I guess there isn’t any corporate fraud that needs investigating, nor any insurance fraud that needs investigating, nor any meth heads and dealers that should be prosecuted, and I guess there aren’t any sex offenders out there either. I just listed four things which tax dollars could be spent on ahead of prosecuting this type of thing. Pull your head out of your rear Ormsby. Totally agree with selkirk above about Obama changing the designation to schedule 2.
oneanddone on April 07 at 5:12 p.m.
Good. Glad to see the Feds round these felons up. I’m not against medical MJ but it should ONLY be distributed by a legal, licensed pharmacy, not out of some tweaker’s garage. You can’t by Vicodin that way and you shouldn’t get LEGAL MJ that way.
Dazzeetrader11 on April 07 at 5:15 p.m.
MD’s licenses allow them to act as a pharmacy. Might be better there. Not sure but it has to be regulated and controlled..and ONLY to those who are sick. Most ofthese guys are hoping for a “cute” and legal way to deal it.
detroitdude on April 07 at 5:18 p.m.
I’d agree with that statement oneanddone, if only the substance in question amounted to more than a victimless crime in the first place.
gailandmarshall on April 07 at 5:20 p.m.
If people in the US could grow their own weed, we wouldn’t need to buy it from the “violent Mexican drug cartels”.
Byrdie714 on April 07 at 5:29 p.m.
@ Teseract—I disagree with your comment.
Afterall, Seattle with a population of a half a million people don’t have 40 dispensaries. By researching how many they have—it’s conceivable that they have about 10 dispensaries to meet the demand.
Apparently they are being responsible about it compared to Spokane.
“Use it but don’t abuse it.”
empyrius on April 07 at 5:33 p.m.
K well, I don’t have much of a green thumb, so . . .
who wants to grow my weed for me?!?!?
misjustice on April 07 at 5:42 p.m.
Well, this will just push the operations “underground”. No more rent being paid to landlords to house the dispensaries, no more adhering to the limitations on how many “clients” may be served, no more record keeping, nope just go back to the way it was before. Friends having small grow opperations and sharing with other friends; and selling the excess for a tidy profit.
It’s not like this action by the Federales is going to stop people from growing and comsuming weed! Geesh, get real!
And, keep it lit!
; )
Teseract on April 07 at 7:22 p.m.
@Byrdie714 - I wonder how are the 10 dispensaries in a city the size of Seattle following the “1.5lbs of actual drug and 15 plants” rule with only 10 dispensaries?
I admit I have no idea how much a person would need in their prescription or how much they have to smoke, but 10 dispensaries in a metro area of a few million people? That’s 15lbs of pot and 150 plants to handle a population that size? I guess it doesn’t take much? I have no idea, I’ve never tried it or had the desire to or the medical need of it. I can’t even handle second hand cigarette smoke for more than a brief time without spiraling into bronchitis much less actually smoking something.
The only thing I can think of is they must be violating the word of the law and keeping only 1.5lbs of product and 15 plants per building or something rather than total. “Quick Claude, we’re low on product, run across the street to our mini-storage rental and grab some more!”
gmorton on April 07 at 7:28 p.m.
Orphan wrote,
“Once again the Feds are over stepping their boundrys. This should be a state matter.”
Yes indeed. They do that a lot, thanks to the Supreme Court’s preposterous re-writing of the commerce clause in the ‘30s to facilitate the New Deal. The Court relied on that precedent to uphold the feds’ war on pot in 2005.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/03-1454.ZS.html
The feds have also seized upon that corruption of the commerce clause to justify the new health care law, among many other outrages.
SoHill_Man on April 07 at 8:02 p.m.
Hey Feds, if you really want to make a difference take the time, energy, resources and money you’re going to use against the dispensaries and go after meth dealers/labs. We all know the crime and damage that’s associated with meth.
empyrius on April 07 at 8:17 p.m.
Yes gmorton the feds used the commerce clause in Gonzales v. Raich to declare that b/c some person in Cali was providing another Cali resident weed this would ultimately become an interstate affair b/c, well basically, b/c weed is just so popular these two people could not possibly keep their personal interaction localized!
The effects of butterflies and buds!!!!!! Har har har har har
Anyway. Let us ask what Jesus would do.
Well, he hooked people up with some free evil booze, Scripture abounding in references to the evils of too much drinking and all, so I am pretty certain our Savior would hook a brother up with some buds!
The healer he was …, is . . .
Amen
greenlibertarian on April 07 at 9:28 p.m.
This an utter waste of federal resources, and the kind of thing that makes people ignore the law in general when high-handed enforcement comes in AND the legislature may very well pass a law regulating MMJ dispensaries.
There are LEAST 30 dispensaries in Seattle (according to law enforcement) and OVER a HUNDRED if you believe those in the business.
The mexican drug gang connection is utterly laughable, pure reefer madness stuff.
I am familiar (from a friend) with the operations of a non-profit “collective” MMJ dispensary. ALL of their supply comes from local growers in and around Spokane. The money stays in this community.
Growing of marijuana has never been easier, and that genie is already out of the bottle, whether MMJ patients are forced to back to street dealers (dangerous) or their preferred method of procurement, the MMJ dispensaries.
If the state puts TOO MUCH regulation on MMJ dispensaries, patients will still get their medicine somehow.
We have a massive budget problem, and the Feds wasting scarce resources on MMJ dispensaries is absolutely asinine.
Is the system abused? Of course, every system is. Just like underage kids get alcohol, and millions of pill poppers get their highs from prescription pills for which they have no prescription.
Excelent article here:
http://westseattleblog.com/2011/03/regulating-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-public-safety-issue-says-city-attorney
Ed Byrnes on April 07 at 10:37 p.m.
I will quote the late H.L. Mencken on this one:
“All government, of course, is against liberty.”
DickAdams on April 07 at 11:17 p.m.
Or may be better yet, by Benjamin Franklin,”No man`s, liberty or fortune is safe while our legislature is in session/”
greenlibertarian on April 07 at 11:36 p.m.
Jebus, what’s with all the fake Ben Franklin quotes lately?
No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.
* Gideon J. Tucker in Final Accounting in the Estate of A. B. (1866)
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Liberty
Takes on a whole different importance when some no name utters it.
Reduce the ignorance, if you can, please.
Byrdie714 on April 08 at 5:43 a.m.
The other issue that we have to look at is the medical marijuana clinics that issue the authorizations.
Is there an organization that oversees them or not? Also the quality and ethics of doctors that are issuing the authorizations are a little on the questionable side. The one clinic in town has ‘shady’ workers that have access to one’s medical records. Do you trust your medical records to ‘shady’ marijuana clinic or would you rather go to a more professional clinic that issues marijuana cards?
It’s no secret that the medical marijuana clinic in town will issue anyone a medical marijuana card as they get paid for it, including illnesses that are NOT even covered under the law.
It boils down to $$$$$$
brentandrews on April 08 at 8:15 a.m.
“This war is over, if you want it.” - Eric Schlosser, ‘Reefer Madness’
I want it, I want it.
pixelmation on April 08 at 9:45 a.m.
Question: If there is more than one owner of an operating dispensary, aren’t they ALL liable for the same charges?
How is it that Noe A Zarate is getting away with his part in the Change partnership? Have you seen he has 3 business licenses through WA state, all with his name at the top whether partnership or not, ALL at the SAME address, doing the SAME type of business AND his current website even states HE HAS OWNED AND OPERATED this SAME dispensary since April 20, 2009 - NO OTHER NAMES mentioned.
I want to know how he was able to set up Scott Shupe and not himself get any kind of reprimand? This is insanity at it’s best!!
DemoDriver on April 08 at 11:41 a.m.
This makes a point that in some ways perhaps we’ll be better off when the Federal government DOES shut down.
We’ve got no resources left, are fighting in too many fronts overseas, and instead of staying in DC seeking solutions and doing their jobs, Congress is on a freaking vacation, doing “town hall” syle meetings and decrying their critics as “caustic.”
The Japanese won’t be picking up any more of our debt any time soon, leaving us another 800 billion short as they rebuild after their tsunami/radiation leak tragedy; leaving it up to the Chinese to pick up even more of our slack unless we cut deeply.
Looked at that way, is it any wonder some among us would want to light up a fat one every now and then?
Legalize, tax, and relegate prohibition to the history bin. It didn’t work for alcohol, it doesn’t work for tobacco in jails, and it’s not working for firearms in Mexico-or anywhere else for that matter.
So legalize the herb. I’m not into it—but if you are I welcome your tax dollars from it.
pixelmation on April 08 at 11:42 a.m.
Funny how ALL the below business licenses through DOL are registered to Noe A Zarate, with and without partners, with HIS NAME FIRST:
License Details
License Information:
Entity Name: CHANGE
Firm Name: CHANGE
License Type: Washington State Business
Entity Type: Partnership
UBI: 602917670 Business ID:001 Location ID:0001
Status: To check the status of this business, go to Department of Revenue.
Location Address:
1514 W NORTHWEST BLVD
SPOKANE, WA, 99205-4347
Mailing Address:
1514 W NORTHWEST BLVD
SPOKANE, WA, 99205-4347
Governing People:
NOE A ZARATE
CHRISTOPHER P STEVENS
SCOTT Q SHUPE
Registered Trade Names:
CHANGE
Information Current as of 04/06/2011 4:43AM Pacific Time
License Details
License Information:
Entity Name: NOE A ZARATE
Firm Name: INLAND EMPIRE STRAIN COLLECTIVE
License Type: Washington State Business
Entity Type: Sole Proprietor
UBI: 602990260 Business ID:001 Location ID:0001
Status: To check the status of this business, go to Department of Revenue.
Location Address:
1514 W NORTHWEST BLVD
SPOKANE, WA, 99205-4347
Mailing Address:
1514 W NORTHWEST BLVD
SPOKANE, WA, 99205-4347
Governing People:
NOE A ZARATE
Registered Trade Names:
INLAND EMPIRE STRAIN COLLECTIVE
Information Current as of 04/06/2011 4:43AM Pacific Time
License Details
License Information:
Entity Name: CHANGEINSPOKANE APOTHECARY
Firm Name: CHANGEINSPOKANE APOTHECARY
License Type: Washington State Business
Entity Type: Partnership
UBI: 602949142 Business ID:001 Location ID:0001
Status: To check the status of this business, go to Department of Revenue.
Location Address:
1514 W NORTHWEST BLVD
SPOKANE, WA, 99205-4347
Mailing Address:
1514 W NORTHWEST BLVD
SPOKANE, WA, 99205-4347
Governing People:
IN SPOKANE AP CHANGE
NOE A ZARATE
JOHN PARR
Registered Trade Names:
CHANGEINSPOKANE APOTHECARY
Information Current as of 04/06/2011 4:43AM Pacific Time
How in the h*ll was he let off and also able to open a second & third dispensary business, one in his own name, and the third with a partner, both at the same address as his partnership business Change which is also still in effect?
AND his current website states:
http://www.spokane420rx.com/about_us.html
About Us
Spokane’s Finest Medical Marijuana Dispensary
We are a friendly professional environment, serving the
needs of Spokane and surrounding areas.
Founded April 20, 2009
Owned and Operated by Noe Zarate
No other name mentioned!!
pixelmation on April 08 at 11:47 a.m.
What happened to the following “partnership” business laws in this whole case against Change, only charging Chris with a misdemeanor and Noe A Zarate absolutely nothing, and Scoot Shupe was their fall guy?
25.05.120
Partnership liable for partner’s actionable conduct.
(1) A partnership is liable for loss or injury caused to a person, or for a penalty incurred, as a result of a wrongful act or omission, or other actionable conduct, of a partner acting in the ordinary course of business of the partnership or with authority of the partnership.
(2) If, in the course of the partnership’s business or while acting with authority of the partnership, a partner receives or causes the partnership to receive money or property of a person not a partner, and the money or property is misapplied by a partner, the partnership is liable for the loss.
[1998 c 103 § 305.]
A General Partnership is composed of two or more persons (usually not a married couple) who agree to contribute
money, labor, and/or skill to a business. Each partner shares the profits, losses, and management of the business, and
each partner is personally and equally liable for debts of the partnership. Formal terms of the partnership are usually
contained in a written partnership agreement.
You should always use caution when entering a business arrangement. You should use double caution if you are entering
a business venture with another person. The Uniform Partnership Act (1997) describes how a partnership is formed in
Section 202 (FORMATION OF PARTNERSHIP) as, “the association of two or more persons to carry on as co-owners of
a business for profit forms a partnership, whether or not the persons intend to form a partnership.” Thus, by default, under the law of partnership, two individuals carrying out a business together will most likely be characterized as doing
business under a partnership, and partnership rules will apply. Written articles of formation, government licenses,
registration, and other formalities that are required for other business entities are not required to form a general
partnership. Two people doing business together will be deemed to be doing business under a partnership by default.
Partners in a partnership are personally liable for the liabilities of the partnership, liabilities of their own, and for the
liabilities created by the other partners (that were incurred during the course of partnership operation). That means that
you may have to pay for your partner’s mistakes. Given the liability exposure of the partner’s personal assets, it may be wise
to consult your attorney for advice on how to set up a limited liability entity.
Byrdie714 on April 08 at 12:14 p.m.
‘Zarate’—sounds like a Mexican cartel name….LOL!
pixelmation on April 08 at 12:33 p.m.
For reals! Didn’t even cross my mind but you are so right that Zarate does sound like a drug cartel name…lol
John_Fever_Richmond on April 08 at 12:52 p.m.
Noe A Zarate is a CA transplant working as a paralegal in Russ VanCamp’s office. IMHO VanCamp is a POS who is married to a psycho anti-abortion protester Theresa Lindley. Knowing firsthand that his daughter Sara does meth, one can only guess at what this nice little alliance is up to!!!
pixelmation on April 08 at 12:57 p.m.
“A Spokane County jury recently convicted former dispensary owner Scott Q. Shupe of three drug felonies for his work at Change, the first commercial dispensary to face criminal prosecution in the state. ”
Scott was a partner/co-owner with Zarate & Stevens not the sole owner, what misrepresentation here in the media!
IMHO, he was set up due to a tip from a neighbor’s relative that was/is a police officer and therefore to cover his butt, Zarate (who knew Scott’s route and vehicle make/model) called the OR authorities so that Scott was used as a scapegoat. Again, that is my opinion only and my right of freedom of speech to express my feelings/opinions on this matter.
I try to only state facts but I had to interject this theory, which is not mine alone, many who know this whole case also feel the same way…where is Zarate in all of this? Oh yeah, he is still running all three businesses at the same address as stated above and can been seen by going to that address and by going to his business website…
pixelmation on April 13 at 12:19 p.m.
(TO: force_vector on April 07 at 4:12 p.m.
Drug dealers with a store front peddling “medicine”. Get outta here with that bs.)
I have been using MMJ for about a year for FMS/CFS. To be honest I never thought it would and I was not a fan of getting high on weed because I feel it makes people not want to do anything, until I started meeting people who smoked for their pains and worked just fine all day long! I quit to see how it would affect me, if not make me feel better off of it - WRONG - and now I am suffering SO VERY BAD even with upping my normal meds.
I am not an all day smoker/eater, just mostly in the eve and before bed, but am now considering it to get off my meds.
Tue I went to support Scott Shupe and his lovely wife Sara in front of the court house from 12pm until the sentencing was over, approx 4:45-5 pm, holding signs, walking around and I also made sure to sit a couple times in hopes it would soften the hard blow I knew was coming for me. It hit me so hard after the rally on our way home that my teeth where chattering, not because I was cold. This happens when we push ourselves beyond our body’s limit. It was well worth it to me to be there to support Scott & Sara.
Most people do not know this but Sara has RSD and her mother who lives with them has Lupus. Did you know that Scott was poisoned as a child and almost died from prescribed medication, therefore he is allergic to most meds and deathly afraid to even consider taking anything medication wise outside of MMJ? I bet you had no idea, did you? People point their fingers and accuse before knowing the whole story. You are privy to your opinions, as that is your right, as it is ours that are being helped by using MMJ. He can’t even handle people taking meds in front of him due to what happened to him. Bet you didn’t know he also suffers from Tourette Syndrome, not the outbursts but the spasms and directness that most who have it only have (some have tics also).
There are many people who use MMJ, including those who have fought for YOUR freedom, whom cannot afford nor are not able to grow for themselves, that depend on the Dispensaries. We do NOT want to have to buy our medicine in a dark parking lot from someone who has no idea of the difference between medical grade and crap shoot stuff or if there is something in it from the fertilizer that would make us sick or that could be laced with something else.
MMJ is so much better for your body and not all MMJ makes u feel high like most assume plus not all MMJ patients smoke it anyways, there are many other ways of using it!
Alcohol is way worse, causes people to die and kill others….meds from the doctors also have done the same. I want to have a healthy liver, if you don’t mind, as do many other health conscience people.
The A.M.A. and pharmaceutical companies are killing us slowly and I’m tired of filling their fat wallets while I slowly and painfully die from their drugs. MMJ is not a drug, it is not manufactured; it is a natural herb the Creator gave us to use as medicine as has been used since ancient and Biblical times. It grows naturally and is processed naturally. Nothing is added to it though it needs to dry and cure in order to smoke it or make editables, tinctures, oils, rubs, etc.
People you need to educate yourself on facts and not by just what the media, your doctor or your friends tell you, just like with anything else.