Pubdate: Sat, 26 Feb 2011
Source: Journal Tribune (ME)
Copyright: 2011 Journal Tribune
Contact:  http://www.journaltribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1074
Author: Dina Mendros
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/topic/Dispensaries
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

LEAF OF RELIEF

Biddeford's Medical Marijuana Dispensary Set to Open in March

BIDDEFORD - Bill Harnden's life has been one of almost constant pain. 
He was born with degenerative disc disease and has chronic, 
intractable back pain from the five fused discs along his spine. He 
also had a non-malignant tumor on his brain stem removed, which has 
caused significant pain in his neck. Although the 60-year-old man 
from Auburn had worked in financial management, he had to give up his 
job in 2007 because of his condition.

To manager his pain, Harnden was taking eight doses of the painkiller 
Tramadol every day, which left him feeling sedated most of the time.

That was until June, when Harnden began using marijuana to ease his pain.

"It worked, nothing short of miraculously," said Harnden. "It's given 
me a new lease on life. Thanks to the medical marijuana, I'm more 
energetic. I lost 55 pounds."

Harnden has also cut down his dosage to one pain pill a day and 
eventually plans to cut out Tramadol completely.

"I encourage those, if they think it could help, to give it a try," 
he said of medical marijuana.

Harnden said he became interested in the drug from the publicity 
surrounding setting up new dispensary system in Maine after voters 
approved a referendum in November 2009.

Marijuana for medical use has been legal in Maine since 1999, but it 
had been an informal delivery system and patients wanting to use the 
drug found it difficult in a number of ways.

Under the new system, administered by the Department of Health and 
Human Services, the drug should be easier to access from the eight 
dispensaries, one in each of the state's public health districts, 
that are set to open sometime this year.

A dispensary in Frenchville is just "days away from opening," said 
John Thiele, the program manager for the Department of Health and 
Human Services' Maine Medical Use of Marijuana program.

In Biddeford, Canuvo Medical Marijuana Dispensary, on Well Spring 
Road, is expected to open for business in March.

The process to get to this point has been challenging, said Glenn 
Peterson, CEO of Canuvo. Many view marijuana primarily as a 
recreational drug, so getting the necessary approvals to locate in a 
community has been difficult, he said.

Some members of Biddeford's Planning Board and City Council said they 
simply didn't like the idea of the drug being sold in the city and 
were against allowing a dispensary. However, the state law regulating 
dispensaries prohibits any outright ban of such a business.

Peterson sees a large part of his job as educating the community 
about medical marijuana. He said he wants to assure those who think 
that Biddeford will become a drug haven with easy access to marijuana 
that this won't be the case. The laws regulating who is allowed to 
purchase the product and requiring security measures to protect 
against theft are very strict, said Peterson.

Only those suffering from at least one of eight medical conditions - 
including cancer, glaucoma, and being HIV positive - will be allowed 
access to the herb.

Even for those who qualify to use marijuana in the treatment of their 
illness or condition, the process is not easy. A physician must send 
a form to the state saying the use of marijuana would help the 
patient. This can be difficult to accomplish, said Peterson, because 
of the stigma marijuana carries.

Once a patient finds a willing physician, he or she must pay $100 and 
file an application with the state, which will keep track of those registered.

After receiving their state registration card, a patient has three 
choices: Growing the herb themselves, finding a caregiver who will 
grow it for them, or purchasing the drug through a dispensary.

Before being awarded permission to open a dispensary, Peterson was a 
caregiver and Bill Harnden was one of his clients. From treating 
Harnden and others, Peterson said he has seen the benefits of using 
marijuana as a treatment for pain and other diseases and conditions.

The start-up of the dispensaries is tricky, said Peterson. When 
registering, each patient must indicate how he or she will get the 
drug, but the dispensaries can't start growing the plants until they 
have specific clients. From there, it takes about four months to 
grow, harvest, cure and dry the marijuana.

Security around the facility will be tight, said Peterson. A video 
camera will be installed outside the entrance and those entering the 
facility will be buzzed in, according to Peterson's wife, Sage, who 
is also working on the project. There are video cameras in other 
areas of the facility as well, she said.

Regulations regarding record keeping for how much is grown and sold 
are strict, she said, and only a small amount of the drug will be on 
site, secured in a vault.

Those operating dispensaries have the option to grow the plants on 
site, but the Petersons are planning to open their growing facility in Gray.

As to how many will use the dispensaries once they open, Glenn 
Peterson is making no predictions.

"That's the big question," he said.

According to Peterson, 1,000 people have applied for registry cards 
to use marijuana for medical use and 600 have been granted so far.

In addition, 80 doctors have written recommendations for their 
patients to use marijuana, said Peterson.

"That's a good sign," he said. "They see the credibility of this."

There is significant need for marijuana for medical use, he said, and 
the need will grow as doctors, patients and society in general become 
better educated about its benefits.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom