DC Medical Marijuana Patients Forum
D.C. Department of Health to Educate Prospective Patients in Upcoming Town Hall Meeting on District Medical Marijuana Program.
Forum and survey will help gauge patient needs and guide their participation in new program.
Wednesday December 12, 2012
7:30 PM
National City Christian Church
5 Thomas Circle NW
Washington DC, 20005
Metro buses 52, 53, and 54 stop in front of the Church.
3 blks from McPherson Square Metro [Blue/Orange lines,
5 blks from Mt. Vernon Square [Green/Yellow lines])
5 blks from Farragut North (Red line)
Press Release – 11.27.2012:
Washington, D.C. – District voters overwhelmingly passed the Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative nearly 15 years ago in 1998, but after passing several hurdles the law will finally go into effect early next year, only weeks away.
In anticipation of this quickly approaching milestone, the country's leading advocacy group, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), and its D.C. chapter are hosting a meeting with the District Department of Health for a Town Hall forum to answer questions about implementation of the law.
Patients, in particular, will benefit by finding out how they can speak to their doctor about medical marijuana therapy, and whether they are qualified to become patients under the new program.
The D.C. Medical Marijuana Patients Forum will feature ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer and Dr. Feseha Woldu from District Department of Health, and will cover such topics as:
-What conditions are eligible for medical cannabis therapy?
-How an eligible patient registers with the Department of Health?
-How registered patients are expected to acquire medical marijuana legally in the District?
-How patients can work with the local government to make the program work best for District residents?
"It's important to have medical marijuana patients, the ones most affected by the law, be directly involved in the implementation process," said Steph Sherer. "Patients should not only begin a dialog with their doctors about medical marijuana, they should also clarify their needs and contribute to the development of the program — this is one of their chances to do that."
In addition to the December 12th Town Hall forum, patients will have another opportunity to assist with the implementation of the program through an online patient survey that is being conducted by ASA.
The survey asks prospective patients about their current knowledge and previous experience with the therapeutic use of marijuana. Survey data is collected confidentially and only anonymous survey results will be shared with the Department of Health as well as local medical marijuana cultivators and providers so they can best tailor and modify the program to suit the needs of District patients.
The survey can be accessed at:
http://www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DC-survey.
After a Congressional ban was lifted in 2010, implementation of the D.C. medical marijuana law began in earnest.
First, the District Council approved a new law and set of regulations, which allowed the Department of Health to start accepting proposals for the production and distribution of medical marijuana. Now, more than two years later, with six cultivators and four dispensaries granted conditional permits, the program is close to operational, and the ability of local patients to utilize the District's medical marijuana law is finally in sight.----The Legalization of Medical Marijuana for Medical Treatment Amendment Act of 2010, the Mayor's Order Establishing the District of Columbia Medical Marijuana Program, and the Final Rulemaking: District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Title 22-C Medical Marijuana, establish a regulated medical marijuana program in the Nations Capital. The District of Columbia program establishes protections to DC residents who suffer from medical conditions that might benefit from the therapeutic use of Cannabis. Patients must enroll with the DC Dept. of Health to be protected under District law. Patients who enroll in the program will be able to purchase medicine from a licensed Dispensary, allowing for safe and legal access under District law. The DC Department of Health is tasked with overseeing the overall operation of the program, including: the registration of patients and caregivers, issuing of non-transferable photo identification cards, providing forms of recommendation to patients primary care physicians, maintenance of protected records, and enacting disciplinary actions such as the suspension or revocation of licenses and registration.Qualifications for Registration: To qualify for a patient registration identification card, an applicant shall: (a) Be a bona fide resident of the District of Columbia at the time of application and remain a bona fide resident during treatment with medical marijuana;(b) Have a qualifying medical condition or be undergoing a qualifying medical treatment;(c) Have a signed, written physician's recommendation for the use of medical marijuana meeting the requirements of this chapter; and(d) If the qualifying patient is a minor, the signed written consent of his or her parent or legal guardian. Qualifying Medical Conditions: • HIV.• AIDS.• Cancer.• Glaucoma.• Conditions characterized by severe and persistent muscle spasm, such as Multiple Sclerosis.• Conditions determined through rulemaking (by DC Dept. of Health) that are: debilitating, chronic or long-lasting, and for which there is scientific evidence that medical marijuana is less addictive or more effective than ordinary treatment.----If you are a District patient who is interested in enrolling in the program, please contact your primary care doctor immediately and begin the conversation about receiving the recommendation needed to enroll.District law protects patients who receive a recommendation, from their primary care physician, for the therapeutic use of marijuana for treatment of a qualifying medical condition. A recommendation is not a prescription. A physicians recommendation for the therapeutic use of marijuana is protected free speech, upheld by the US Supreme Court in Connant v. McCaffrey and Connant v. Walters. Doctors CAN: • Discuss, fully and candidly, the risks and benefits of medical marijuana with patients.• Recommend (or Approve, Endorse, Suggest, or Advise, etc.), in accordance with their medical judgment, marijuana for patient use. • Record in their patients' charts discussions about and recommendations of medical marijuana.• Sign a government form or otherwise inform state or local officials that they have recommended medical marijuana for particular patients.• Testify in court or through written declaration about recommending medical marijuana for a certain patient.• Educate themselves about the medical benefits of marijuana, its various clinical applications, and different routes of ingestion.Doctors CANNOT: • Prescribe medical marijuana. This includes writing a recommendation on an Rx form.• Assist patients in obtaining marijuana.• Cultivate or possess marijuana for patient use.• Physically assist patients in using marijuana.• Recommend marijuana without a justifiable medical cause. ----Americans for Safe Access is the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA works to overcome political and legal barriers by creating policies that improve access to medical cannabis for patients and researchers by engaging a multifaceted strategy that incorporates public education, impact litigation, grassroots development and advocacy, media campaigns, and direct support services. www.SafeAccessNow.orgSafe Access DC is the DC Chapter of ASA, a grassroots community group of concerned patients, doctors, caregivers, and citizens in advocating for the legal and safe access to medical cannabis for patients in Washington DC. Please contact us for information regarding the District Medical Marijuana Program! http://dcsafeaccess.org/email: SafeAccessDC@yahoo.comSafeAccessDC@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SafeAccessDcTwitter:https://twitter.com/safeaccessdcDC Patient Survey:http://www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DC-surveyPress Release for December 12 2012 Patient Forum:http://americansforsafeaccess.org/dc-department-of-health-to-educate-prospective-patients |
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