cannabisnews.com: 17 Groups Seek To Dispense Marijuana
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17 Groups Seek To Dispense Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on June 26, 2010 at 04:24:31 PT
By John Richardson, Staff Writer
Source: Portland Press Herald 
Maine -- Seventeen groups hope to be among the first to open nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries in Maine, state officials said Friday.Maine's Department of Health and Human Services received 29 license applications from those groups before the deadline at 2 p.m. Friday. Some submitted multiple applications in hopes of operating more than one dispensary, or at least increasing their chances of operating one.
The submission of applications is a major step toward implementing the law passed by Maine voters last fall. It calls for a dispensary network to enhance access to the drug for registered patients with illnesses such as cancer and AIDS.A state review panel hopes to move fast, and will score the inch-thick applications over the next two weeks based on business plans, convenience of location, experience, patient education, quality control, security, staffing and other factors.The licensing division of the DHHS plans to award the licenses for the state's first eight dispensaries on July 9."Once the selections are made, the successful applicants will be able to go forward with proposals, finding sites, permitting, hiring people," said Catherine Cobb, director of the licensing division. "It will be a while before they actually have marijuana to sell. If they got right out of the chute, they could start growing operations quickly and within four months" be ready to serve patients.The DHHS will select one dispensary operator in each of the state's eight public health districts. York and Cumberland counties will each have one dispensary.There are six applications for the license to operate in Cumberland County, six for the license to operate in York County, and six for the license to operate in the district that covers Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties.On the other hand, there is just one application to operate in the Aroostook County district.Applicants for Cumberland County's dispensary, which is expected to operate in downtown Portland, are The Green Market Inc., Primary Organic Therapy, the Northeast Patients Group, the Maine Patient's Center, the Maine Wellness Group and the Southern Maine Medical Clinic.Some of the groups are made up of patients and caregivers who already grow medical marijuana on a small scale. Others are suppliers who have experience growing and selling medical marijuana in California and other states.Each applicant had to pay a $15,000 fee, although groups will get $14,000 back for any unsuccessful applications.After dropping off multiple copies of the thick applications in binders, cardboard boxes and accordion folders on Friday, many of the applicants said they were hopeful, and tired."My job has been working on this," said Tim Smale of Vienna, who applied for the western Maine district under the name Remedy Compassion Center.Smale said he and his wife, Jenna, spent nine months in California to learn about the industry.Igor Rakuz and Brendan McGann of the Maine Wellness Group said the decision to apply to run a dispensary was personal, because both are medical-marijuana patients. They said they pulled several all-nighters perfecting their applications for the Cumberland, York and midcoast districts."I'd love to see someone's application even touch ours," said Rakuz.Luke Sirois of Rangeley, who applied for licenses in the York, central Maine and western Maine districts, also was optimistic."There's no one, I believe, that's as motivated as we are," said Sirois.Voters approved medical marijuana dispensaries in November, making Maine the fifth state -- after California, Colorado, Rhode Island and New Mexico -- to have such a system.Leslie Bridgers of the Morning Sentinel contributed to this report.Source: Portland Press Herald (ME)Author: John Richardson, Staff WriterPublished: June 26, 2010Copyright: 2010 MaineToday Media, Inc.Contact: letters pressherald.comWebsite: http://www.pressherald.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/2aF2DlxNCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on June 26, 2010 at 12:28:59 PT
Hope
You are fine. We had company so I didn't see your post until now.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by Hope on June 26, 2010 at 10:40:16 PT
I'm afraid I might not be making much sense.
You should tell me... so I can be quiet and recover.You could discuss it with me... or just say, "Hope, it might be time for a nap.":0)And then....I'll get mad and come to my properly rageous self.Or maybe take the nap.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by Hope on June 26, 2010 at 10:32:59 PT
"right out of the chute"
I like that expression, too.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by FoM on June 26, 2010 at 10:21:30 PT
Hope
Yes it is amazing. It's not fighting to be heard and understood but working out the details so it can work!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by Hope on June 26, 2010 at 09:56:50 PT
It's amazing to watch this completely new thing...
this new business and aspect of life.... a good aspect... I believe, come to life, be born, literally, or sprout up, and to see it grow and bloom and flourish. It is a good thing. It may impossible for some people to see the great good of ending cannabis prohibition, yet. But it is a "Great Good". They will eventually see it, unless, of course... much like now... they refuse to see it until the end of their days.You prohibitionists are so scared of losing some of your income.... the "potential output of your employees" and that you might not have such luxurious life if you can't keep up the production of the slaves. That's what you're most afraid of. Don't worry... the "Pot Heads", "Dopers", "Druggies" that use cannabis will still do your work for you! They'll just be a little more careful, deliberate and thoughtful about it. It'll still get done and you won't have to get your hands all dirty.Just let them live and be free ... and without having your head stuck up all their business all the time.Law suits?Treat people right and you won't have to worry about lawsuits. Bet you didn't know that. When you treat people right as general policy... it's easy for everyone to see when something "frivolous" comes up.
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on June 26, 2010 at 09:38:33 PT
It's amazing to watch them seem come to life
and bloom and grow.It was... pretty much impossible to imagine it at one time. Lots of it a lot of us might not like. 'Too this' or 'too that'.It's amazing to watch the business aspect of it come to life. To grow and bloom. It's huge. Huger than most of us could ever have imagined. It's amazing. Absolutely amazing. More amazing even than I'd imagined. Different...too from my original imagining of it, little that it was, but still amazing and beautiful. It is the beginning of the end of the draconian and foolish prohibition of cannabis.""Once the selections are made, the successful applicants will be able to go forward with proposals, finding sites, permitting, hiring people," said Catherine Cobb, director of the licensing division. "It will be a while before they actually have marijuana to sell. If they got right out of the chute, they could start growing operations quickly and within four months" be ready to serve patients."
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by Hope on June 26, 2010 at 09:27:39 PT
"Gear up"
I love that expression.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 26, 2010 at 06:26:59 PT
Just a Note
I hope everyone is enjoying this slow time of year. It's beautiful where we live today. It won't be long until we gear up for the Fall. Have a great day everyone!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by FoM on June 26, 2010 at 04:53:33 PT
Related Article From The Bangor Daily News
29 Nonprofits Applying To Distribute Medical MarijuanaJune 26, 2010URL: http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/147047.html
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