Misconception an obstacle to opening medical marijuana facility

Chicago attorney Alex Thiersch said the biggest obstacles the company has faced in its attempt to secure a license to open a medical marijuana dispensary are misinformation and misconceptions.“Obviously, it’s natural to associate marijuana with potheads or Bob Marley and the Grateful Dead. Most people immediately envision a storefront with giant marijuana leaves and bongs for sale,” he said. “The fact of the matter is that these stereotypes are inaccurate and don’t recognize how far the industry has come and how much research has been done to show that marijuana can truly benefit patients in need of care.”Of his intended customers, Thiersch said, “The people purchasing medical marijuana are patients. They are, unfortunately, very sick and have no intention of committing any crime. All they want is to alleviate their pain and control their condition. Obviously, there may be someone who contradicts this, but there are state and police controls to diminish those instances.”Thiersch reminded that in Illinois, “only patients with serious debilitating conditions qualify for obtaining a marijuana card. The list of chronic and terminal conditions includes diseases such as cancer, HIV, Parkinson’s, ALS and epilepsy. These are patients who need help controlling their conditions, and who have decided, in conjunction with their doctors, that marijuana can help them.”Thiersch added, “Illinois’ medical marijuana program’s rules are much more conservative than rules in states like California, Colorado, Washington, and Arizona. By far, Illinois’ medical marijuana will be the strictest in the nation. For instance, ‘general chronic pain’ will not qualify someone for a card. This point bears emphasis because 94 percent of all medical marijuana patients in other states are certified for chronic pain.”“Unlike California, where anyone can walk into a dispensary, talk with a doctor for five minutes, receive a card and then purchase marijuana, doctors in Illinois will be heavily regulated,” Thiersch said. “No doctors will be associated with dispensaries in Illinois, and in order to approve cards for patients, they must have an existing, established relationship that has included other treatments and a pain management plan.” As for concerns about the potential for crime related to having dispensaries, Thiersch pointed to studies that refute that point.“A Regent University study found that while crime increased overall in Denver between 2008 and 2009, crime was reduced in areas within 1,000 feet of dispensaries, including a 37.5 percent drop in disorderly conduct,” Thiersch said. “Additionally, a survey by the Los Angeles Police Department found that while 20 percent of banks filed robbery reports in 2009, only 5 percent of dispensaries reported robberies during the same period.”As for medical marijuana’s benefits, Thiersch said he could “point to hundreds of articles and studies that have proven the efficacy of medical marijuana, but I doubt that those objecting to Salveo’s dispensary plans would believe them.”Thus Thiersch said, “I literally beg everyone to watch the documentary on CNN by Dr. Sanjay Gupta called “Weed.” Dr. Gupta is one of the most respected physicians in America. He, too, was against medical marijuana, until he took the time to study the issue and learn the facts. He is now one of the industry’s strongest proponents.”“Those people shouting from the rooftops about how crime will go up and how marijuana will be everywhere are flat out wrong,” Thiersch said. “I wish they would actually take the time to learn about the issue before they complained so loudly.”Tags: Elgin, Medical Marijuana

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Misconception an obstacle to opening medical marijuana facility