In another apparent attack on the medical marijuana industry, President Obama’s administration announced today its intent to shut down ALL California medical marijuana dispensaries in the next 45 days.    They are taking an 180 degree approach to previous statements he made about respecting states rights and dispensaries that are compliant with California law. Watch [...]

I have been seeing patients in the medical marijuana industry for the past 4 years full time.   During that time I have visited and spoken to a LOT of dispensary owners and general managers about the “aches and pains” of running a medical marijuana dispensary.   Recently I sat with someone who has been [...]

As the medical marijuana industry evolves patients can become increasing confused by misinformation being spread by people in the industry hoping to capitalize on that very information.   Various medical clinics and dispensaries are giving patients inaccurate and incorrect information.  In this blog I am going to discuss the most common myths/lies that are being [...]

This blog is going to walk you through the steps of getting a medical marijuana card in Orange County, California. Step 1: Determine if you have a qualifying diagnosis Most patients think medical marijuana can only be recommended for dying patients or those with severe disabilities. In California, that is not the case. The most [...]

For the past 3 years I have worked full time in the medical marijuana industry. I have evaluated over 12,000 patients and spent long hours helping patients figure out the best medical marijuana dispensaries to get their medicine. During this time I have had the opportunity to speak to many dispensary owners and spent hours [...]

Recently I had a discussion with a local medical marijuana dispensary owner who was telling me about the difficulties he is having staying competitive in the dispensing business. The City of Long Beach has decided to regulate and tax marijuana dispensaries. They recently finalized new zoning which has eliminated many of the existing ones. They also are putting in writing how much medical marijuana dispensaries are to be taxed and what annual fees they need to pay… READ ON

As cities try to come up with a standard ordinance that regulates how medical marijuana dispensaries operate the same questions comes up every time: Should dispensaries be taxed over and above what they would normally pay?

I emphatically say NO. READ ON…

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I am often asked by patients how to find the best collective to purchase their medicine.