I am a 78 year old retired law enforcement administrator of
limited physical mobility (can’t drive; use walker to walk) and limited
financial ability ($1,311 monthly). I am struggling with a number of
medical conditions, including chronic lymphoid leukemia, insomnia, PTSD,
chronic pain and peripheral neuropathy, degenerative lumbar disease,
loss of appetite, major recurrent depression and bilateral knee vascular
calcification. I have a medical marijuana use card because marijuana
provides me with significant relief in managing the effects of these
conditions.
I am grateful for this law, because using marijuana makes a huge difference in the quality of my life.
However, my ability to make ongoing use of marijuana is severely hampered and compromised by the requirement of law (a) that I must shortly pay profit-making costs to “gougers” rather than be able to grow my own, and (b) that every year I must pay $150-$250 to have a doctor write me the same letter s/he wrote for me last year.
Who is gouging me? First, members of the Legislature; second, owners of only eight dispensaries permitted by law to sell me marijuana.
The Legislature could fix both of these problems. First, all legislators have to do is continue the current situation, where I or a caretaker can lawfully grow what I need without paying anybody anything. Why should dispensary owners be able to rip off the public like Big Pharma does? Capitalism is one thing but just plain ripping off sick people makes me – well, sick!
Second, all legislators have to do is eliminate the annual part of the annual fee. Charging an initial fee for administrative purposes may be justified (but not unless they have a sliding scale based on income) but what justifies the gouge year in and year out?
In order to qualify for a medical marijuana card the law lists several medical conditions. They are all chronic! Is your AIDS going to go away? Yeah, when you die! How about glaucoma? Yeah, when you die! How about my leukemia or the chronic pain from peripheral neuropathy? Yeah, when I die! (It is going on two decades now.) So what other than gouging justifies charging me $150-$250 year in and year out for conditions that aren’t likely to go away?
Please, write, email, call or otherwise contact your state legislator and demand that they “cure” this unnecessary “disease!”
Lanric Hyland is a resident of Kapaau
I am grateful for this law, because using marijuana makes a huge difference in the quality of my life.
However, my ability to make ongoing use of marijuana is severely hampered and compromised by the requirement of law (a) that I must shortly pay profit-making costs to “gougers” rather than be able to grow my own, and (b) that every year I must pay $150-$250 to have a doctor write me the same letter s/he wrote for me last year.
Who is gouging me? First, members of the Legislature; second, owners of only eight dispensaries permitted by law to sell me marijuana.
The Legislature could fix both of these problems. First, all legislators have to do is continue the current situation, where I or a caretaker can lawfully grow what I need without paying anybody anything. Why should dispensary owners be able to rip off the public like Big Pharma does? Capitalism is one thing but just plain ripping off sick people makes me – well, sick!
Second, all legislators have to do is eliminate the annual part of the annual fee. Charging an initial fee for administrative purposes may be justified (but not unless they have a sliding scale based on income) but what justifies the gouge year in and year out?
In order to qualify for a medical marijuana card the law lists several medical conditions. They are all chronic! Is your AIDS going to go away? Yeah, when you die! How about glaucoma? Yeah, when you die! How about my leukemia or the chronic pain from peripheral neuropathy? Yeah, when I die! (It is going on two decades now.) So what other than gouging justifies charging me $150-$250 year in and year out for conditions that aren’t likely to go away?
Please, write, email, call or otherwise contact your state legislator and demand that they “cure” this unnecessary “disease!”
Lanric Hyland is a resident of Kapaau
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