The American Council for Patient Liberty on medical marijuana vending machines

BOSTON, Dec. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council for Patient Liberty focuses on patient and state rights where medical marijuana has been legalized.  The election season has ended and left the country with eighteen such states alongside Washington, D.C.  Also, states such as Colorado and Washington have legalized marijuana for non-medical purposes.  The reelection of President Obama is conducive to supporters of patient liberty if the current policy of acknowledging state rights is upheld and made permanent by modifying the Controlled Substances Act. 

With the recession ending and the economic recovery being the strongest in medical marijuana states, it is important that ancillary business grow without compromising the foundation of patient liberty.  Residents of Massachusetts have some issues to consider with the recent passage of Question 3, which grants the Department of Public Health of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a set of administrative rights over the medical marijuana program.

The foundation of patient liberty is built on those who rely on medical marijuana to provide relief from suffering to have a variety of options without being put through unusual hardship to be dispensed their medication.  If a person with a disability is to provide fingerprints at a vending machine for identity verification every time they visit a dispensary, the patient experience is diminished from the existing clinical workflow that high-end model dispensaries in California and Colorado currently provide.

In implementation, a new medical marijuana law must not be modified to reduce options for patients nor should the institutions that supply medicine take any steps that reduce the convenience factor for those in need.  Personal empowerment is a cornerstone of the movement.  Dispensing of medical marijuana using vending machines also provides fodder to opponents of the industry.

The American Council of Patient Liberty recognizes that there is a movement in this country by a small but vocal minority that is working to oppose state laws that direct the distribution of medical marijuana.  A prime example of this group is Maricopa County attorney Bill Montgomery and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne who have tried and recently failed to impede the implementation of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.

Opponents of patient liberty will find it convenient to use catchphrases such as "Marijuana available like candy in vending machines" to reframe the conversation away from individual liberty and into the realm of fear and youth corruption.  Prospective dispensary operators in Massachusetts only need to look to Arizona to see the extended delay that has occurred in the implementation of the AMMA.  The law was passed as Proposition 203 on the November 2010 ballot but operators have had to wait two years to get the first dispensaries open because of legal blockades by the state.  Lessons have been learned; best practices have been developed and are evolving.   Prospective dispensary operators in Massachusetts should get involved by contacting ACPL now.

Website: http://patientliberty.org/

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SOURCE The American Council of Patient Liberty