Anyone in the medical marijuana industry in California for the past 3 years or longer has certainly learned the economic lesson of supply and demand. Prior to this explosion in the medical marijuana industry in the past 18 months, there were a few folks in the medical marijuana industry that dominated. They could charge whatever price they wanted because patients would pay for it…. because they were the only game in town. Makes sense. But with any opportunity you will have other folks get in the game to capitalize on the same opportunity. Compound that with POOR to NO regulation and you have what we now have in California; A fairly UNREGULATED industry with vague laws, a few threads of ethics and a LOT people in the game. READ ON….

In the past week I have had 3 patients come into my office for a medical marijuana recommendation who had previously received an invalid one from another doctor just that month. The reason this is happening is because:

1. The offices set up show and are closed 3 months later. Typically they are charging approximately $49 for a recommendation and collect as much money as possible and then close.

or

2. The clinic is not PHYSICALLY employing a medical doctor. 2 or the 3 patients were seen over skype on a computer screen and the doctor ultimately lost his medical license for falsifying completing a physical exam. READ ON…

Medical Marijuana law and policies are changing so fast these days. On day a city allows collectives/dispensaries the next day they are raided and gone. Good people are getting taken to court, patients are getting healed and politicians are floundering. HERE IS A WEEKLY ROUND UP OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AOUND THE COUNTY WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA… READ ON

A recent study performed by researches at McGill University in Montreal demonstrated a reduction in pain in patients who used medical marijuana. Here is the link to the article regarding the study.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20015148-10391704.html

Although the study had only 23 patients in its pool I think their findings align with my conversations with over 5000 patients who I have treated for chronic pain. READ ON…

Today I took care of a 58 year old women who suffered from Sjogrens Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis who had tried medical marijuana recently and found relief of her symptoms. Her arthritis mostly affected her hands and shoulders and required multiple drugs for pain management. She had been on Bextra then Vioxx then Celebrex but had to stop all of them because of kidney disease. She was at her “wits end” and wanted an alternative to help her get some relief and sleep throughout the night.

It is interesting how far some physicians will push the limits of the law to make a buck. Recently there have been a number of medical marijuana clinics that have opened where the doctor sees the patient over a video conference. You read that correctly. The doctor is in an office hundreds of miles away speaking to you over a computer. Make no mistake: the medical board of California clearly states that the physician must physically examine each patient that he/she recommends cannabis for.

In my two years as medical director of Medical Cannabis of Southern California I have not witnessed the all out assault on patients and caregivers than what is going on right now. It is so perplexing that I am not sure where to start in this post.

First I guess let me say that the overall leadership in the State of California is about as bad as it gets. We have the 8th largest economy in the world and are stuck with a budget deficit that is 19 billion! Our taxes on business and corporations are some of the highest in the country making California one of the last States that you would want to start a business. Our unemployment is one of the highest in the United States.

Today I evaluated a 54 year man who was suffering from chronic pelvic pain that he started having after receiving radiation treatment for his prostate cancer that developed 10 years prior. He stated that because he had developed bleeding as a result of taking too many NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like motrin he can no longer tolerate them. The other pain pills that he was prescribed cause chronic nausea and constipation. As a result he had been medicating with cannabis for the past 7 years with excellent results and wanted to become a legal patient.

As medical director of Medical Cannabis of Southern California I am intimately aware of the plethora of medical “clinics” (I use that term loosely) that patients can choose from to get their medical marijuana recommendation. A simple google search produces approximately 15 clinics on the first page for patients to choose from. For most patients they have no idea what to expect. Will they see an actual doctor? Is it in a safe area? Why the price discrepancy? The question that begs to be asked is: WHICH ONE SHOULD I GO TO?

As medical director of Medical Cannabis of Southern California I often evaluate patients who are taking Soma (carisoprodol) for muscle spasms. Typically they are frustrated because it not only is ineffective (for many patients) but they worry about being addicted and being on it for prolonged periods of time. Cannabis is a great alternative to Soma for patients who have muscle spasms.