cannabisnews.com: Pot Scarcity Peeves Patients Pot Scarcity Peeves Patients Posted by CN Staff on October 25, 2002 at 15:41:36 PT By Richard Johnson, Paul Froelich and Chris Wilson Source: New York Post A mysterious marijuana shortage in New York has gotten so bad that local medicinal pot groups are begging for an emergency supply of reefer from out-of-state sources. According to a board member of the New York City Medical Marijuana Buyers Club, the shortage has gotten so desperate that two cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy have had to be re-hospitalized because they ran out of the weed. "There's almost no pot around at all. None," the source tells PAGE SIX's Ian Spiegelman. "There is a very small amount of hydroponically grown marijuana available, but it's incredibly expensive." Ultra-potent hydroponic pot runs about $400 an ounce. More common commercial blends cost a mere $100 to $150 per ounce. The medical marijuana club represents about 150 severely ill people who treat their symptoms with cannabis - which is still illegal in New York State, even for terminal cases. The typical patient uses about two ounces a month, and cannot afford the price of the luxury bud. "We sell it at cost, but the stuff that's around now is too expensive even at cost," a club member said. Club members are reaching out across the U.S. "We're e-mailing other buyers' clubs, requesting that because of the emergency situation people come and donate small amounts." The lack of herb has been attributed to everything from the arrest of 25 corrupt officials in Mexico last week to heightened security on East Coast highways until the sniper case arrests. "Because of all the police activity, people do not want to come up the Interstate with large quantities of marijuana," says the source. "They're too scared." And New Yorkers just lost out on a botanical bonanza yesterday when two men in upstate Herkimer were busted for possession of 150 pounds of the forbidden weed. The shortage appears to be strictly local. Keith Stroup, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, says, "I buy marijuana regularly and I haven't had any problems." Will the city's potheads really have to pack up and move to Humbolt County? Fred Gieger, unit head at the DEA's New York field office, says, "We have no indication that there is any marijuana shortage." The NYC Medical Marijuana Buyers Club plans to hold a rally at City Hall on Halloween, in honor of club member "Uncle Donny," who died last week of kidney failure that had nothing to do with his smoke intake. Source: New York Post (NY)Author: Richard Johnson with Paul Froelich and Chris WilsonPublished: October 25, 2002 Copyright: 2002 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.Contact: letters nypost.comWebsite: http://www.nypost.com/DL: http://www.nypost.com/gossip/pagesix.htmNORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on October 25, 2002 at 21:03:09 PT Bite me, Post I can say, without any pangs of guilt whatsoever, that I hope the people at the NY Post get cancer and die very painfully after years of wracking chemo. That's what they deserve after vociferously editorializing against all MJ reform, while joking about potheads and people dying of cancer at the same time.What are they thinking? The 'cancer patients' are US! They're you, and me, and your mom, and my grandpa, etc, etc, etc, they're normal people right up until the doctor feels the lump.Oh well. Another day in narcissitic, I-don't-care-about-you-because-you're-not-me US of A..... [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Toad on October 25, 2002 at 20:04:22 PT Commercial Blends "More Common Commercial Blends Cost A Mere $100 to $150 per ounce." I think blending different buds into joints would be great. I didn't realize it was so common. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by CongressmanSuet on October 25, 2002 at 20:00:37 PT: Living just 90 miles from NYC... I have often wondered about the NYC club, if it was viable for me to make the trip down there to get a safe supply. Its true, there is no shortage where I live, just pie in the sky prices for what is really not bad weed. Want a shortage, move to WV where the only thing to be found is dirt, and high priced dirt at that. I did almost 7 years there, and 90% of my supply came from Ohio, home of some really incredible bud. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on October 25, 2002 at 15:54:57 PT Talk about potential for back fire. "...two cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy have had to be re-hospitalized because they ran out of the weed." [ Post Comment ] Post Comment