Michigan - Buddies grew it. Friends sold it.
When Greg Sweatland first tried pot in the 1970s, he knew where to get it.
Back then, he did not care much about marijuana because he did not consider the drug a possible medicine.
Now, as a new medical marijuana patient with chronic back pain, Sweatland, 52, of Brooklyn, has no idea where to get the drug. To help Sweatland and others, staff at The Medical Marijuana Clinic in Jackson recently launched a network designed to connect registered caregivers and patients.
"We're new at this ourselves," said his wife, Barbara Sweatland. "I didn't even know what a caregiver does until they explained it to me."
Two weeks ago, Sweatland sent paperwork to the Michigan Department of Community Health to participate in the state's medical marijuana program. He is waiting for approval from the state to start using the drug he hopes will help ease chronic pain from a broken back six years ago and keep him away from a cocktail of prescription drugs.
"I've been taking pain meds for six-plus years –MS Contin, OxyContin, Vicodin – all of them are very addictive drugs," he said. "With medical marijuana, it's a natural herb. ... I think it's a safe alternative to prescription drugs."
Under the Michigan Marijuana Act, passed by voters in November 2008, patients with chronic pain, glaucoma, cancer, AIDS/HIV, multiple sclerosis and other conditions may register with the state to legally grow and smoke marijuana as treatment. Caregivers may also register with the state to grow marijuana and supply it to up to five patients.
Since the law took effect in April 2009, the state has received 16,028 applications, approved 8,395 patients, registered 3,487 caregivers and denied 2,663 applications.
The Medical Marijuana Clinic's private and confidential network is aimed at matching marijuana patients with caregivers who can supply their medicine. The clinic writes recommendations for qualifying patients to use marijuana as medicine, but has previously had little interaction with the patient afterward, said Joe Monahan, director of the clinic.
"We got to the point where patients would ask us, 'Where can I find a caregiver?' We don't know. We're a clinic," Monahan said. "It's come time for that question to be answered. ... The purpose of the network is to help patients find the right caregivers and to help caregivers find patients who will benefit from what they do."
Monahan first shopped around the idea of a network to patients and caregivers in January at the Marijuana Caregivers Cup Expo in Ypsilanti. He said the response was positive and a few caregivers have already signed up.
The network is open to any registered patient or caregiver in the state. Patients may join the network for free. Caregivers must pay a $35 annual enrollment fee to stay in the network's database and $200 for each connection the network makes.
The clinic is bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and will not release a patient's name or contact information to caregivers unless the patient signs a waiver and consents, Monahan said. When the clinic finds a potential patient/caregiver match, staff will call the patient first, describe the caregiver, and then call the caregiver to connect the two.
David Rockwell, a caregiver in Jackson, said the network will help patients looking for caregivers connect with quality individuals. When he registered as a caregiver in November 2009, he did not have a problem finding patients. He supports the network, but has not joined. He worried about the confidentiality of the network.
"Who controls the list?" he asked. "Time will kind of tell."
Under the law, doctor and state records are confidential, including the state-maintained list of registered patients and caregivers. The state health department may only confirm whether a registry card is valid to law enforcement. Anyone violating the confidentiality of the medical marijuana program could face jail time and fines.
Monahan said his clinic's network will not be searchable by law enforcement and will be treated with the same level of security as medical records.
Sweatland, who went to the clinic two weeks ago, said without the network, he would not know where to start. The only caregiver he knows lives in Saginaw, too far to drive, and he does not want to buy marijuana off the street.
His wife, who does not have a patient or caregiver card, hopes the clinic can find her husband a caregiver in the area. She wants to learn more about different ways people use marijuana as medicine. Some people smoke it, she said, but others use a vaporizer, eat it, take it in a pill form or use an oil made with marijuana.
"I've been looking for alternative methods for him other than prescriptions. We're not sure if this is going to work or not, but we're hoping," she said. "If we can control the pain with the medical marijuana, then we can get him off the pills."
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: Jackson Citizen Patriot
Author: Aaron Aupperlee
Contact: MLive.com
Copyright: 2009 Michigan Live LLC
Website:Medical Marijuana Clinic in Jackson forms network to help connect registered caregivers with patients
When Greg Sweatland first tried pot in the 1970s, he knew where to get it.
Back then, he did not care much about marijuana because he did not consider the drug a possible medicine.
Now, as a new medical marijuana patient with chronic back pain, Sweatland, 52, of Brooklyn, has no idea where to get the drug. To help Sweatland and others, staff at The Medical Marijuana Clinic in Jackson recently launched a network designed to connect registered caregivers and patients.
"We're new at this ourselves," said his wife, Barbara Sweatland. "I didn't even know what a caregiver does until they explained it to me."
Two weeks ago, Sweatland sent paperwork to the Michigan Department of Community Health to participate in the state's medical marijuana program. He is waiting for approval from the state to start using the drug he hopes will help ease chronic pain from a broken back six years ago and keep him away from a cocktail of prescription drugs.
"I've been taking pain meds for six-plus years –MS Contin, OxyContin, Vicodin – all of them are very addictive drugs," he said. "With medical marijuana, it's a natural herb. ... I think it's a safe alternative to prescription drugs."
Under the Michigan Marijuana Act, passed by voters in November 2008, patients with chronic pain, glaucoma, cancer, AIDS/HIV, multiple sclerosis and other conditions may register with the state to legally grow and smoke marijuana as treatment. Caregivers may also register with the state to grow marijuana and supply it to up to five patients.
Since the law took effect in April 2009, the state has received 16,028 applications, approved 8,395 patients, registered 3,487 caregivers and denied 2,663 applications.
The Medical Marijuana Clinic's private and confidential network is aimed at matching marijuana patients with caregivers who can supply their medicine. The clinic writes recommendations for qualifying patients to use marijuana as medicine, but has previously had little interaction with the patient afterward, said Joe Monahan, director of the clinic.
"We got to the point where patients would ask us, 'Where can I find a caregiver?' We don't know. We're a clinic," Monahan said. "It's come time for that question to be answered. ... The purpose of the network is to help patients find the right caregivers and to help caregivers find patients who will benefit from what they do."
Monahan first shopped around the idea of a network to patients and caregivers in January at the Marijuana Caregivers Cup Expo in Ypsilanti. He said the response was positive and a few caregivers have already signed up.
The network is open to any registered patient or caregiver in the state. Patients may join the network for free. Caregivers must pay a $35 annual enrollment fee to stay in the network's database and $200 for each connection the network makes.
The clinic is bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and will not release a patient's name or contact information to caregivers unless the patient signs a waiver and consents, Monahan said. When the clinic finds a potential patient/caregiver match, staff will call the patient first, describe the caregiver, and then call the caregiver to connect the two.
David Rockwell, a caregiver in Jackson, said the network will help patients looking for caregivers connect with quality individuals. When he registered as a caregiver in November 2009, he did not have a problem finding patients. He supports the network, but has not joined. He worried about the confidentiality of the network.
"Who controls the list?" he asked. "Time will kind of tell."
Under the law, doctor and state records are confidential, including the state-maintained list of registered patients and caregivers. The state health department may only confirm whether a registry card is valid to law enforcement. Anyone violating the confidentiality of the medical marijuana program could face jail time and fines.
Monahan said his clinic's network will not be searchable by law enforcement and will be treated with the same level of security as medical records.
Sweatland, who went to the clinic two weeks ago, said without the network, he would not know where to start. The only caregiver he knows lives in Saginaw, too far to drive, and he does not want to buy marijuana off the street.
His wife, who does not have a patient or caregiver card, hopes the clinic can find her husband a caregiver in the area. She wants to learn more about different ways people use marijuana as medicine. Some people smoke it, she said, but others use a vaporizer, eat it, take it in a pill form or use an oil made with marijuana.
"I've been looking for alternative methods for him other than prescriptions. We're not sure if this is going to work or not, but we're hoping," she said. "If we can control the pain with the medical marijuana, then we can get him off the pills."
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: Jackson Citizen Patriot
Author: Aaron Aupperlee
Contact: MLive.com
Copyright: 2009 Michigan Live LLC
Website:Medical Marijuana Clinic in Jackson forms network to help connect registered caregivers with patients
