Medical Marijuana Vending Machines

It was bound to happen, especially in California! We have vending machines for almost everything these days--coffee, soda, chips, sandwiches, ice cream, bubble gum, postage stamps, condoms, newspapers, and marijuana. Marijuana??? (That's correct--according to a CBS News Report, aired January, 2008, there are now medical marijuana vending machines.) I recently wrote an article for Associated Content about the abuse of medical marijuana in California. (Please see the link at the end of this article.) I wrote about the legal, quaint little pot shops on the corner, known as dispensaries (or marijuana clubs). All that is required to obtain the drug legally, is a doctor's note. The vague wording of California's Proposition 215, a law passed over 10 years ago, not only allows those suffering from the pain and nausea of AIDS or cancer to legally acquire the cannabis, but also includes "any other illness for which marijuana provides relief." (That could include almost anyone in pain.)

Now, in addition to the storefront pot shops, there are going to be medical marijuana vending machines. Anytime Vending Machines will be available 24/7 in standalone rooms, with ever-present security guards. The machines resemble ordinary soda vending machines, with numbers to press for the product of your choice-wild cherry, OG Kush, Purple Haze, White Widow, Indica, Grandaddy Purple and many other brands and flavors. There's also a place for the money, and a slot at the bottom to pick up the purchase. (It is vacuum sealed for freshness.)

Herbal Nutrition Center, a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, will be entering uncharted territory, beginning this week. Patients will be allowed to purchase their prescriptions from a vending machine. And it won't just be medical marijuana. They can also purchase pain medication, antidepressants, and even Viagra. All patients will go to the dispensary first, present their prescriptions, and then pick out their favorite pot, or other medically necessary drug. As part of the procedure, patients will be fingerprinted and given a special access card. If they need to access the store after hours, they will simply scan their prepaid credit card, containing their profile and dosage, to get into the store, (similar to the new hotel key cards), and will then be greeted by a security guard, and fingerprinted with a scan, to make sure that they are the owner of the card. As they move toward the medical marijuana vending machine, a camera photographs them, they choose the drug they want, and off they go. The owners claim that use of the machine will make purchases safer, more convenient, and most importantly, a great deal cheaper. Because of lower overhead, savings are passed on to the patients. There will be two of the PVMs (prescription vending machines-also known as AVMs) opening in the Los Angeles area at this time, but it is likely that very soon there will be many more available in California.

However, as mentioned in my previous article, it is still illegal to purchase medical marijuana under federal law, and as a result, the feds often raid the medical dispensaries, tearing the place upside down, and sometimes arrest the owners. (Most often they just seize the assets.) For the law to be helpful to those who really need the drug, the federal and state laws need to match. Also, as in any business involving drugs, there is a criminal element. Unfortunately, instead of growing the cannabis themselves, many vendors are actually buying it off the black market, providing millions to criminals.

All forms of medical marijuana are being hawked, from cookies, to brownies, to pizza, to medicated BBQ chicken breasts, and even chocolate milk. The sale of medical marijuana has become a lucrative commercial endeavor for many. The dispensaries look like old apothecaries, with glass showcases of the generally high quality prescription weed. Additional offerings are hash, muffins, pot lollipops, pot candy bars, pot peanut butter, pot ice cream, and pot sodas. There are even "breath strips" with pot on them.

Medical marijuana use is beneficial to many people suffering from constant pain, nausea, etc. It is legal for medical marijuana patients in Calilfornia, to possess a half-pound of weed. Special agent, Sarah Pullen, of the Los Angeles DEA explains, "We don't differentiate between those who use state law to dispense marijuana, and those who traffic in marijuana on the street. Marijuana is marijuana is marijuana."

It is evident that a great deal of abuse takes place, and some people just want to get high. Obliging doctors have made getting a prescription note a very easy task. Because marijuana is still a controlled substance, and not legal, even in a medicinal form under federal law, the doctors are hesitant to write the prescriptions on their personalized pads. Some medical advisory boards have threatened to suspend the doctors' licenses, so this is risky business, in relation to their careers. They will often use a Word document, and print it out on the computer. The evaluation and note are good for one year, and costs about $150.00. The estimated number of statewide medical marijuana users in California is about 250,000. And wouldn't you know it--the visit isn't covered by medical insurance. But not to worry-some doctors often run a special money back deal. If they don't approve you-your visit is free!

Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3752777n
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/13390669/the_great_california_weed_rush/2
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/556293/the_abuse_of_medical_marijuana_in_california.html?page=3