![]() Comments from six different dispensaries include: Reiman’s study frequently cited their relationships with staff as a positive factor. In their comments, patients tended to note the helpfulness and kindness of staff and the support found in the presence of other patients. The most important factors for patients in choosing a medical cannabis dispensary were: feeling comfortable and secure, familiarity with the dispensary, and having a rapport with the staff. Patients who use the dispensaries studied uniformly reported being well satisfied with the services they received, giving an 80% satisfaction rating. The study found that “medical cannabis patients have created a system of dispensing medical cannabis that also includes services such as counseling, entertainment and support groups, all important components of coping with chronic illness.” She also found that levels of satisfaction with the care received at dispensaries ranked significantly higher than those reported for health care nationally. Reiman’s study cataloged the patients’ demographic information, health status, consumer satisfaction, and use of services, while also considering the dispensaries’ environment, staff, and services offered. ![]() of the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley examined the experience of 130 patients spread among seven different dispensaries in the San Francisco Bay Area. The social support patients receive in these settings has far-reaching benefits that is also influencing the development of other patient-based care models.Ī 2006 study by Amanda Reiman, Ph.D. Recognizing the isolation that many seriously ill and injured people experience, many dispensary operators chose to offer a wider array of social services, including everything from a place to congregate and socialize to help with finding housing and meals. ![]() While dispensaries provide a unique way for patients to obtain the cannabis their doctors have recommended, they typically offer far more that is of benefit to the health and welfare of those suffering both chronic and acute medical problems.ĭispensaries are often called “clubs” in part because many of them offer far more than a clinical setting for obtaining cannabis. Councilmember Marian Washburn told her colleagues that “as you get older, you know people with diseases who suffer terribly, so that is probably what I get down to after considering all the other components.” It was a similar decision of social conscience that lead to Placerville’s city council putting a regulatory ordinance in place. “In the finding the council made to justify the ordinance, they say ‘have safe and affordable access’.”Īnd Mike Rotkin, the longtime Santa Cruz elected official, said that this is also an important matter for his city’s citizens: “The council considers it a high priority and has taken considerable heat to speak out and act on the issue.” Oakland’s city administrator for ordinances, said safe access to cannabis is “very important” for the community. Some of them require medical marijuana to offset the medications they take for HIV.” Jane Bender, mayor of Santa Rosa, says, “There are legitimate patients in our community, and I’m glad they have a safe means of obtaining their medicine.” Likewise, Abbe Land, mayor of West Hollywood says safe access is “very important” and long-time councilmember John Duran agreed, adding, “We have a very high number of HIV-positive residents in our area. A pro-active healthcare-based approach can effectively address problems before they arise, and communities can design methods for safe, legal access to medical marijuana while keeping the patients’ needs foremost.” As Nathan Miley, former Oakland City councilmember and now Alameda County supervisor said in a letter to his colleagues, “When designing regulations, it is crucial to remember that at its core this is a healthcare issue, requiring the involvement and leadership of local departments of public health. Many elected officials around the state recognize the importance of dispensaries for their constituents. ![]() Patients in urban areas with no space to cultivate cannabis, those without the requisite gardening skills to grow their own, and, most critically, those who face the sudden onset of a serious illness or who have suffered a catastrophic illness – all tend to rely on dispensaries as a compassionate, community-based solution that is an alternative to potentially dangerous illicit market transactions. ![]() For many people, dispensaries remove significant barriers to their ability to obtain cannabis. Safe and legal access to cannabis is the reason dispensaries have been created by patients and caregivers around the state. Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Help Sick And Suffering Patients ![]()
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