Doctors and patients could decide who gets medical marijuana under draft Mass. rules

[Eugene]

Source: Boston Globe

Doctors and patients could decide who gets medical marijuana under draft Mass. rules

03/29/2013 12:35 PM

By Kay Lazar, Globe Staff

Draft rules for medical use of marijuana in Massachusetts, issued Friday by the state Department of Public Health, largely leave it up to doctors to decide which patients will qualify for treatment with the drug.

Patients must have a debilitating condition -- defined as causing weakness, wasting syndrome, intractable pain or nausea, or impairing strength or ability and limiting major life activities -- and the regulations list qualifying conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and ALS. But the rules also would allow doctors and their patients to decide what other conditions would qualify patients for treatment.

The 45 pages of rules also would require applicants wishing to open a medical marijuana treatment center, known as a dispensary, to be a nonprofit and to operate their own cultivation and dispensing facilities. No wholesale distribution of marijuana products would be allowed, the department said in a news release.

“This allows for uniform seed-to-sale control and maximized security,” the release said.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.boston.com/whitecoatnotes/2013/03/29/doctors-and-patients-could-decide-who-gets-medical-marijuana-under-draft-mass-rules/BGIADLbsh9BA45LUGFqB3M/story.html

[tridim]

1. I like seed (clone) to sale, but the restrictions on conditions are lame

It amazes me that epilepsy and anxiety issues aren't on the list. Do some research lawmakers.