Month: March 2020

As state and local governments across the U.S. shutter businesses and prohibit gatherings in an attempt to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical marijuana patients and advocates are urging policymakers not to close down cannabis dispensaries completely.

Such a move, they warn, would leave hundreds of thousands of patients stranded without access to medicine, and many would have no choice but to turn to the illicit market.

In an “emergency call to action” sent Monday to governors of legal medical marijuana states, Americans for Safe Access, a leading nonprofit medical cannabis advocacy group, asked the officials to take immediate steps to ensure that patients have access to products during a period of social distancing that has no clear end in sight.

The letter came the same day that San Francisco’s Department of Public Health ordered all dispensaries in the city closed, announcing that both storefront dispensaries and delivery services “are not considered an ‘essential business’” and will need to close as of Tuesday.

Other jurisdictions are taking more proactive approaches to meeting patient needs. In Pennsylvania, dispensaries are expected to remain open because they fall into the same classification as pharmacies. In Michigan and Illinois, officials have temporarily allowed curbside pickups at cannabis retail stores in order to allow medical patients and consumers access to marijuana while limiting the spread of the virus from person to person.

In its letter to governors, ASA recommends that policymakers take steps now to protect cannabis patients and ensure they have access to medical marijuana in coming months. It lists eight measures to put into place “immediately to ensure that patients do not have disrupted access to their medicine”:

1. Make sure that cannabis businesses that serve patients are considered “essential” businesses.
2. Instruct medical cannabis businesses on how they can make legal temporary changes to their business plans, including delivery and purchase limits, to accommodate patients and staff during the crisis.
3. Give tax relief to patients and businesses.
4. Allow cultivation and processing centers to stay open to ensure a steady supply of medicine in the future.
5. Extend the expiration dates of state-issued cannabis identification cards so that doctors and other health care providers can focus on COVID-19.
6. Permit authorized caregivers to serve additional patients during the crisis period.
7. Allow telehealth visits for new and renewing medical cannabis patients.
8. Allow dispensaries to deliver medical cannabis to qualifying patients and caregivers in vehicles parked in the dispensary parking lots.

ASA is also asking concerned citizens to write to their governors, insisting that patient access to cannabis be protected during the pandemic.

Medical marijuana patients “represent some of the states’ most vulnerable citizens,” ASA interim Director Debbie Churgai said in the letter. “We are calling on states to take precautions now to help ensure that patients have access today and that measures are taken to ensure that the supply chain is not interrupted.”

As officials scramble to determine which businesses can remain open during the outbreak, jurisdictions so far have taken a variety of approaches to marijuana availability, for both patients and adult non-medical consumers. In Massachusetts, medical dispensaries “have been advised they may consider the promotion and geographic expansion of delivery service,” the state Cannabis Control Commission said in a release last week, “and to remind patients of the ability to acquire up to a 60-day medical grade marijuana supply.

Dispensaries are to remain open in Puerto Rico, too, where the Department of Health announced on Monday that the medical cannabis industry will be excluded from the governor’s recent mandatory shutdown order there.

Parts of Colorado are also allowing dispensaries to stay open. Summit County, for example, will allow cannabis retailers to remain open, along with liquor stores, gas stations, banks, grocery stores and pharmacies.

And in the Netherlands, the country’s iconic coffeeshops are staying open, but they’re no longer social destinations. For the foreseeable future, only to-go sales are allowed.

In other areas such as Washington State, individual businesses have adopted policies designed to limit interaction between visitors and avoid spreading coronavirus. Lines have begun to grow on sidewalks as stores restrict the number of people inside at one time. To help speed transactions, businesses are asking customers to place orders in advance through online menus.

Complicating the social-distancing effort is the fact that delivery services remain illegal in the state for both medical and adult-use marijuana, forcing patients and customers to show up in person. Home cultivation is allowed only for state-licensed medical patients.

Other cannabis-related efforts have seen obstacles as COVID-19 spreads through the country.

In California, organizers behind a proposed ballot initiative to expand cannabis access (including filmmaker Kevin Smith and actor Jason Mewes of “Jay and Silent Bob” fame) have asked officials to let them seek signatures online rather than in person.

In Washington, D.C., organizers also want to be able to collect signatures online for a measure that would decriminalize certain psychedelics. And throughout the country, uncertainty and fears of prolonged quarantines have led patients and consumers to flock to retail outlets.

Featured image from Adam Melnyk/Shutterstock

This article has been republished from Marijuana Moment under a content-sharing agreement. Read the original article here.

The post Medical cannabis advocates to governors: protect patient access amid coronavirus appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm

While neither the Department of Health and Senior Services or any of the dispensaries they’ve licensed have confirmed opening dates, online sources speculate a mid-2020 launch of Missouri’s legal cannabis industry. Keep an eye on the DHSS website for the latest updates and regulatory news.

In the meantime, here’s what you should know about buying cannabis in Missouri.

What are the legal limits?

Patients and caregivers with a valid medical marijuana ID card issued by the DHSS may purchase and possess up to 4 ounces of flower and up to 8 grams of concentrates at a time, roughly a 60-day supply. 

Patients can also cultivate their own plants in their home. They can grow up to six flowering plants each, in addition to six male plants (that don’t flower) and six clones grown from clippings, up to 18 total. To home-cultivate, patients must apply and pay for a separate cultivation ID card. 

Individuals can obtain a medical marijuana ID card by receiving an official recommendation from a licensed, Missouri-based physician. This recommendation certifies that the patient has a qualifying condition that would be aided by medical cannabis use. Full details of qualifying conditions can be found on the DHSS website.

Patients must send the recommendation and completed application to the DHSS via its online application portal within 30 days of receipt. The application fee costs $25. A cultivation ID card costs an additional $100 and must be requested in the original application.

Patients may also designate a caregiver, who applies for a registered medical marijuana ID card separately. A caregiver is an individual the patient designates to purchase, possess, and administer medical marijuana on his or her behalf. A patient can assign up to two caregivers, and a caregiver can have up to three patients. 

Parents must provide consent for patients under age 18 to apply for a registration card.

In a caregiver/patient relationship, only one person may have a cultivator license.

How do I buy cannabis in Missouri? 

Patients and caregivers with a valid ID card can purchase medical marijuana from licensed Missouri dispensaries. As such, qualifying patients in other states will be unable to buy medical cannabis in Missouri though possession is allowed with an out-of-state medical marijuana card or equivalent.

Dispensaries will likely feature a limited supply of cannabis initially, as producers and cultivators received their licenses in January 2020 and need time to develop products for thousands of Missouri patients. 

Patients can buy flower (the smokable part of the plant), edibles, concentrates, vaporizers, tinctures, and topicals at their local dispensaries. 

Per Missouri law, dispensaries are required to charge a 4% sales tax on the sale of all cannabis products, in addition to any applicable state or local taxes.

Where can I consume cannabis?

Patients are prohibited from consuming cannabis in public and may only use medical marijuana in private. Public places include parks, bridges, sidewalks and streets, businesses, and schools.

Driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal and qualifies for similar impairment standards and punishments as other driving while intoxicated infractions.

What to expect my first time smoking?

The experience of a first-time cannabis consumer varies greatly. It depends on body chemistry, plant chemistry, and the consumption method used. 

When smoking cannabis for the first time, you may or may not experience a high depending on whether you’re breathing correctly. Inhale the smoke into your lungs, but don’t hold it for long. Start slowly, with one or two hits, and wait about 15 minutes to observe cannabis’ effects on your system. You can always smoke more if your symptoms remain.

If you get too high, remember to stay hydrated. Orange juice or foods with black pepper work well to temper the effects of THC, as do CBD products. The feelings will pass in a few hours.

How do I find my dose?

There’s no one-size-fits-all method to cannabis dosing — every individual’s physiology and tolerance varies and responds to cannabis differently. Dosing also depends on the consumption method in questions, as smoking and eating edibles can produce different responses, even with the same amount of THC. 

Some physician sources suggest that the correct dose is the lowest dose that works for an individual patient in the current moment. The common best practice is “less is more.” 

Start with a small amount, such as one or two hits of a joint or a 5-milligram edible, and allow an appropriate amount of time to observe the effects. You’ll know if a dose is enough or whether you should consume more based on how you feel. The trick is to wait and carefully observe. Edibles take up to two hours to affect your system while some people report feeling effects within minutes of hitting a joint.

Knowledge is power. Dispensaries are required to provide and display lab-test results for every cannabis product they carry. These labels will show precisely how much THC and CBD is in each product. You can also ask your physician or budtender for advice.

Different cannabis consumption methods

Missouri medical marijuana patients enjoy a wealth of options when it comes to cannabis consumption.

Flower

Flower is the smokable part of cannabis that has undergone a drying/curing process. Also called “bud,” flower is most commonly smoked via a smoking accessory such as a pipe, bubbler, or bong. Flower comes in a variety of strains typically described as sativa, indica, or hybrid. 

Strain classifications aren’t exact, as there’s no universal naming or effect-labeling convention in the cannabis industry. Ask your budtender, who can help you make an informed choice. Cannabis smoke often stimulates hunger, or gives you “the munchies”, depending on the plant and your body chemistry. You can usually control munchies by eating before smoking, distracting your appetite, or sampling different cannabis strains.

Prerolls

Flower can also be packed into prerolled joints, by far one of the most well-known methods of smoking cannabis. Many dispensaries have prerolls ready to purchase, saving patients the trouble of messing with papers and grinders. Joints are an easy-to-use choice for first-time cannabis consumers.

Edibles

Cannabis-infused foods are an effective and inconspicuous way to consume medical marijuana. Many dispensaries sell pre-packaged edibles like cookies, brownies, and many more food and drink options. Some producers create gluten-free, allergen-free, and vegan options.

While easier to consume, edibles are processed in the body somewhat differently than smoked cannabis. THC is processed in the liver, creating a much more potent and longer-lasting experience. It’s essential to start with a low dose, wait approximately 90 minutes to two hours, and then determine whether you need more. Edibles packages display THC doses in milligrams, allowing patients to choose doses effectively.

Concentrates

Concentrates or extracts are a highly potent method of cannabis consumption. Concentrates are cannabinoids extracted directly from cannabis flowers, resulting in a pure material that’s vaporized and inhaled. These forms of cannabis produce powerful effects and aren’t recommended for beginning users.

Some dispensaries sell vaporizers, handheld devices that contain cannabis oil, a heating element, and a battery. Missouri patients can vaporize cannabis oil and inhale the vapor discreetly, which makes vapes a good choice for patients who want to be unobtrusive. Vaping is also less harsh than smoking, which may better suit some patients’ needs.

Tinctures

Tinctures, sometimes called sublinguals, are concentrated extracts of THC in a carrier liquid like alcohol or oil that are placed under the tongue and absorbed in the mouth. They take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to kick in and are an excellent choice for discreet use and efficient self-dosing.

Topicals

Topicals are infused lotions, oils, salves, or creams designed to be applied directly to the skin. Topicals with lower levels of THC minimize the psychoactive effects.

Featured image by Tommy Brison/Shutterstock

The post A Guide to Buying Cannabis in Missouri appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm