I have Arthritis in my hands, painful in the winter, better in the summer...I place a bet now I wouldn't be able to get a card from my Dr.....I don't think it's as easy as the forum makes out, and I'm in L.A. We have no signs up in my town, but we have private solicitors going door to door, you think that's safe...10 foot pole.

Irene, you do not need a card anymore since you can buy it as recreational now so all you need to do is go to the store that sells it. I even saw some product in CVS the other day and the name was CBD. I did not read all the packaging but CBD is the substance that can be used to help with things like your arthritis and it is sold without the substance/chemical in marijuana that makes you high. There are lots of people who claim it really helps with aches and pains. I do not have any aches or pains so i have not tried it myself. You can try it without being concerned your brain will change and make you do things you do not want to do.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I have Arthritis in my hands, painful in the winter, better in the summer...I place a bet now I wouldn't be able to get a card from my Dr.....I don't think it's as easy as the forum makes out, and I'm in L.A. We have no signs up in my town, but we have private solicitors going door to door, you think that's safe...10 foot pole.

I think you might be surprised Irene. My doctor brought it up to me as an option for my chronic insomnia (which I declined because a-I don’t like the side effects of the drug, mainly that I tend to eat junk food if I take it and b-my insomnia is due to travel and obviously I’m not going to fly with it).

There are so many reasons it can be prescribed from headaches to PMS to arthritis to anxiety that you don’t need to “lie” to get a card.

That said I doubt anyone is going to go out of their way to go through this process if they have no interest in the product and just want the $30 fee. So clearly the shop is only going to appeal to a subset of shoppers.

My hypothesis is that they won’t have difficulty filing the shop. The preaching, politicalization, moralizing, and insinuation that anyone who is participating in the industry in a legal manner is doing so unethically is just a reflection that it is a new industry that has been criminalized in the past. I’m sure the same was true for those who drank alcohol back in the years immediately post-prohibition.

Regarding Seattle is Dying. Yes - Seattle has some significant social problems right now and the city seems sadly paralyzed by not knowing what to do to fix the problems we all acknowledge are there. But I don’t think the pot billboards are the reason why Seattle is Dying.

@SteveSoCal wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

I am definitely not shaming people for using marijuana.

The shaming part wasn't aimed at you, Sandy. Just the herb part....

Phew.

We have all the billboards on my side of town, Irene. Sunset Blvd is lined with them.

I'll ask about item for Arthritis, since I am getting the onset of that as well. And I'll see if it comes in brownie form.....

Used to love brownies lol.

I am liberal and my real concern not getting card from Dr., is how do I know it's from a good source and what's in it...but Steve, I trust you, and if I get high, you have to take me home... No harm in a Brownie, right.
Can one still drive, I remember years ago at a party in our home, a friend brought some good stuff over and I laughed all night, 1st. and only time taking it, but I certainly couldn't drive and moved very slowly....while my ex went to sleep. Still not doing the job, want a reliable place. I'll have to come to Sunset and see what's going on.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

Can one still drive?

Driving under the influence of any drug is not recommended or even legal in many cases...but CBD products don't have the same effects as THC. I would recommend to try it out at home and not when driving anywhere, however.

The whole point of legalization IS knowing the source, and making it safe to purchase. These products are branded and the companies have a desire to protect their brand. Think about the scare years ago when aspirin products were found to be tainted.

If a dispensary is selling ineffective or incorrect products, they and the manufacturer are going to be held responsible. I'm going to the location in Beverly Hills so I have high expectations (if you'll pardon the pun).

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I am liberal and my real concern not getting card from Dr., is how do I know it's from a good source and what's in it...but Steve, I trust you, and if I get high, you have to take me home... No harm in a Brownie, right.
Can one still drive, I remember years ago at a party in our home, a friend brought some good stuff over and I laughed all night, 1st. and only time taking it, but I certainly couldn't drive and moved very slowly....while my ex went to sleep. Still not doing the job, want a reliable place. I'll have to come to Sunset and see what's going on.

.

The whole point of the industry in the states is providing a safe product. My husband is a chemist in the industry and has worked for several labs (get ready to laugh and make jokes) in quality control. They test all the cultivated product both before and after formulation to make sure the items are safe and free of unnecessary chemicals, etc. the marijuana used in products in dispensaries is not street marijuana. It’s grown in controlled environments (everywhere he has worked) inside to keep it free of contamination. The standards are totally different in every state but in the several he has worked in they have really been strict.

I am lost now as to what is being discussed.

Hemp based CBD does not have enough THC to get you high. No one has ever overdosed on CBD that is hemp based. Some people will not benefit from using CBD or otherwise benefit differently. Just like some people are more or less sensitive to any supplement. THC is not proven to improve the affects of CBD.

Marijuana based CBD is full of THC and costs significantly more. As already pointed out, in states where pot is legal: just like alcohol or any prescription that can impair you, you can not legally drive when impaired. It is for home use.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I have Arthritis in my hands, painful in the winter, better in the summer...I place a bet now I wouldn't be able to get a card from my Dr.....I don't think it's as easy as the forum makes out, and I'm in L.A. We have no signs up in my town, but we have private solicitors going door to door, you think that's safe...10 foot pole.

My boyfriend, at the ripe old age of 40 has had horrendous psoriatic arthritis since his teens, and every cocktail of pain killers, steroids, etc etc etc (sorry, my drama got the best of me with the etceteras lol) but the only thing that works is weed. We're in this limbo phase in NJ where it's gonna be legal, but each town, one by one is banning dispensaries in their town. They just now said they'd lower the rate to get a card from $200 to $100 and added 6 more "valid reasons" to need weed.

It's way past time for alternative treatments to be available to everyone and to not be so alternative. Since this is isn't exactly the forum for this, I'll leave it at that, buy I could go on for days about this to the right audience.

@Jenny Cassada wrote:

It's way past time for alternative treatments to be available to everyone and to not be so alternative.

It's shocking to me how varied the laws and/or experiences are from state to state...and even from town to town. Irene lives less than 30 minutes from me (without traffic) and our community experiences are almost completely opposite.

That said, I performed this shop yesterday and can't say enough good things about it. For the MSC it's great pay, a very solid reimbursement and the report took less than 1/4 of the time I would spend on a restaurant...yet the product received is more than a month's supply.

The store blew me away. It's like an alternative Apple store. Glass storefront with iPads on each table that give you product info. Really friendly and welcoming staff. Nothing remotely shady about it at all.

@Irene_L.A. I would urge you to check it out for the education, even if you don't take the assignment. It's right in the heart of Beverly Hills, almost across from the Ivy, where celebrities are hob-nobbing over lunch and I'm getting a CBD education in full view of it. Creams, ointments, whatever you need...all commercially available.

It's kinda like the adult novelty shops where you don't have to buy intoxicating products if you don't want them. You can go it, get an education and leave with a nice pair of pot leaf socks if you don't need any product. I went for the dark chocolate covered espresso beans in case anyone is interested @SoCalMama....

I bought CBD oil for skin but have not tried it yet. It's very dry where I live, and I am willing to be a guinea pig for certain products-- on my own dime. I take my chocolate covered coffee beans plain because "my" coffee that the beans adorn is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo rich and yummy. *plans next trip to yummy coffee place*

Back to your regularly scheduled thread now.

@Steve... I'll go to The Ivy for lunch with a friend and check it out, yes it will be an education...love the Ivy and I'm overdue Everything on Melrose swings.....thx.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2019 12:10AM by Irene_L.A..

I live in MA where recreational and medical use is legal. I have a medical card for ADD (and prior cancer related treatments). I rarely take advantage of it, because quite frankly, I don't enjoy being high. However, I have 4 adult kids aged 18, 21, 25 and 27 and honestly, I'd prefer they used cannabis than alcohol. I do not supply it to them or purchase with my medical card, but if I had to pick a drug of choice for them, I'd prefer MJ.

We do schedule shops for recreational & medical marijuana in Washington and Oregon and I do not have a moral dilemma with it. We also have no problem finding very qualified, educated shoppers that write fantastic reports after their shops. I do not think they are actually getting high while performing the shops.

I think we need to change the way people think about CBD/THC. It's far less dangerous and has far fewer life threatening implications than alcohol.

@Lorri Kern KSS wrote:

I think we need to change the way people think about CBD/THC. It's far less dangerous and has far fewer life threatening implications than alcohol.

...and yet we send people to drink on assignments every day.

Shoppers are not partaking while in the dispensary, and I would never consider showing up under the influence for any job.

My shop was accepted with no questions or modifications, and got a perfect score. It probably took me longer than normal since I am so used to the F&B format, and had to get to know these new standards. I have another one scheduled for next month an expect it will go faster.

Steve, thanks for the report. Did your shop require a medical card or was it a recreational dispensary? (The one I saw on the board in NYC from the MSC famous for lengthy fine dining reports was for medical only.)

@NinS wrote:

Steve, thanks for the report. Did your shop require a medical card or was it a recreational dispensary? (The one I saw on the board in NYC from the MSC famous for lengthy fine dining reports was for medical only.)

It's legal in all forms in CA. Nobody needs a card. You just have to be over 21.

@NinS it's the same store as NYC but no cards required here, so they are standard retail shops. I imagine the shop/experience would be identical with a card. In CA the only difference is the Excise tax on recreational use, so I guess the reimbursement goes further with a card.

What I heave learned from the experience is that just like bars, there are "dive" dispensaries and upscale ones as well. This client is particularly upscale and was a positive/educational experience.

[www.newyorker.com]

There is not enough appropriately gathered and compiled information regarding how safe the substances are, and in what dosages, and under what circumstances, and for whom, and for how long, and what happens for anyone when these substances are utilized by persons who also use other types of medications. Is it different for developing brains than for adult brains? What about younger adult and older adults? It would take years-- decades!-- to compile this information. There is anecdotal information, though. Due to individual differences, the anecdotal information should be followed up with the necessary research so that we can know if this is likely to be appropriate for us and/or to help us (if we have a need for it). The needed research might go so far as to determine whether any people should not use this at all. At that point, I hope that we all are free of shaming and stigmatizing users and non-users and not even care about their reasons to use or not to use.

Does this affect how I feel about the shop? No. All business have a right to conduct quality control for their activities. Qualified shoppers should decide for themselves whether or not to try this shop. They might be great at it! They might hate it! What if they respond, "Meh." What if the current shops evolve over time? This is the industry, and we are free to explore shop opportunities.

@Lorri Kern KSS wrote:

I have 4 adult kids aged 18, 21, 25 and 27 and honestly, I'd prefer they used cannabis than alcohol.

The CDC's page is here: [www.cdc.gov]
That's pretty sad if you're okay with your kids getting high. I'm glad mine don't get high or drunk. Neither is acceptable, but at least the effects of alcohol are comparatively short-lived.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2019 01:59PM by iShop123.

@iShop123 wrote:

@Lorri Kern KSS wrote:

I have 4 adult kids aged 18, 21, 25 and 27 and honestly, I'd prefer they used cannabis than alcohol.

The CDC's page is here: [www.cdc.gov]
That's pretty sad if you're okay with your kids getting high. I'm glad mine don't get high or drunk. Neither is acceptable, but at least the effects of alcohol are comparatively short-lived.

Whoa.. let's not take this out of context. I'm not "ok" with them getting high. I said I'd prefer one type of high over the other, as it is proven that alcohol causes throat, stomach and liver cancer , liver damage (cirrhosis), etc., etc. Plus most DUI automobile accidents are caused by alcohol, not cannabis.

I am not "OK" with them doing either. I'd prefer they did nothing at all, but it's not realistic, is it? I love a good glass of wine, a nice cocktail or a dram of whiskey once in a while.

Most young adults (and us 50 year olds also) imbibe occasionally. I just think cannabis is less dangerous. Trust me, I don't encourage either. Just making a point about preferences, because if they ARE going to imbibe (and they all do), I'd like them to be safer about it. I happen to love them a lot.

It was brought up previously in the thread, but this point is important enough to bring it back again: We really don't know that much about what the real, especially long-terms affects (negative and positive) of marijuana are. Because of the federal regulations against it, there have not been many long term studies. Both sides of the legalization argument often lose sight of this during their debates. Living in Washington, we've many many state initiatives regarding the drug over the years and I tend to read about, pretty much everything, that involves my vote. Here is my take:

* Marijuana is a drug: It alters the chemical balances in the body - especially the brain. Just like any drug, this can have both positive and negative impacts.

* Recent medical research has suggested that it can be a positive treatment for pain, seizures, and some palsies. However, we have not been legally allowed to conduct studies on how the drug affects humans long enough for medical science to have come to specific conclusions. Moreover, the long term affects of usage are still not known.

* Marijuana does have addictive properties. However, just as different folks react differently to different substances, some folks find it to more (and less) addicting than others. Overall, most medical studies suggest that it is less addictive than alcohol, nicotine, and most illicit drugs.

* Marijuana does make you high and, as a result, folks can use it to reduce stress. Some folks use it as an "escape" to avoid stresses in life and the drug can help remove the impetus to do important things (such as getting a job). However, again, different folks are affected differently. I have known folks who use it regularly and are perfectly functional adults. I have know others who have allowed it to ruin their lives. Of course, more medical testing is needed to determine how much of this negative effect is due to the drug itself and how much is caused by other factors in a person's life.

* Marijuana *can* be a gateway drug. (Folks who enjoy the "high" can become curious/intrigued by what sorts of "highs" are available with other drugs.) However, it is not one for everybody.

* The effects of marijuana seem to be more extreme for teenagers than adults. This is likely due to the fact that marijuana is mood-altering and teenagers' brain development is not yet complete. Again, more medical studies are needed.

* We do have some recent studies that show that driving under the influence of marijuana is dangerous.

Personally, though it is legal here, I do not partake. I have no need to put a drug with unproven long-term affects into my body for which I do not have a medical need. I'm pretty happy person without such extra influences on my state of mind. I also do not smoke and rarely drink (despite really liking good beer). Were I to have medical needs that could be met by using marijuana, I would be willing to use it if recommended by my physician - just as I would more traditional medicines.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2019 09:00PM by MFJohnston.

@Lorri Kern KSS wrote:

They ARE going to imbibe (and they all do),

No, they don't "all do." Interesting that you think so, though.

I grew up in the 60's where Haight Ashbury and pot had it's birth. I had graduated from high school and heard much about it,and was afraid, went to college then work at 20 yrs. I never went to Haight as I was frightened of any drug and the mess it was there, not what I wanted. I'd have a drink after work on Friday night in the financial district, mostly to meet the cute guys coming in to unwind from Charles Schwab. Some may try it, especially in college, many do, some get addicted and move on to other drugs. I have a friend here that's son started smoking pot, nothing serious, met the wrong crowd and is now on Heroin because it's cheap....he's on the street. I know a few on it, my nephew being one. The dangers are there, and we never know what it may lead one to. Having a social drink is no comparison unless you are an alcoholic. I know it effects the brain over the years, on occasion, I'd say o.k., but can one control it once they discover the feeling and like it. Myself and my daughter along with the Doctors that she works with are studying Alzheimer's and pot is one thing that does effect the brain, as does mercury, sugar, genetics and more.
For the use of certain desease like seizures, with a Dr.s care, I agree it may help, for people in a great deal of pain, it does take stress away, it's not a cure, but a help. Let's not make it out to be the wonder drug, it is what it is. I agree with everything MFJ say's above.....

@iShop123 wrote:

@Lorri Kern KSS wrote:

They ARE going to imbibe (and they all do),

No, they don't "all do." Interesting that you think so, though.

I think she was talking about HER children. Not all children.

Irene -You need CBD oil which is regulated, you do not get high. I know many people who use it for sleep, much safer than sleeping pills or any pills for that matter. CVS will be selling CBD oil soon.
The shops selling pot are regulated, not grown in Mexico. Best to grow your own in your back yard if that would make someone feel safer. I'm pretty sure it is a weed.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2019 09:31PM by shopper8.

@shopper8 wrote:

...much safer than sleeping pills or any pills for that matter.

I don't wish to be argumentative, but this is one of those things that is not yet adequately studied. We don't *know* that this is true.

I get ads selling CBD oil and to tell the truth, I'd rather take Aleve for my Arthritis pain, it's bearable now, but worse in the winter, so I'm just not experimenting,
I've never smoked or taken any drugs and I eat well. I believe the oil helps some, but I'm not that far in need. I believe with the research done they can find help for pain, maybe when it gets worst, we'll see. I don't want to get dependent on anything....even a man..lol

There are a ton of people with their medical marijuana cards, and probably tons more getting them every day.

The shops I've seen are super easy. The stores these days are clean, really strict about security, etc.

Are you required to purchase marijuana? I'm not sure that a card would be required to purchase paraphernalia, so that could be an option. You can get that at any head shop without a card.

I don't even use marijuana but it's definitely part of our future in the US.