Legal Weed

So today, for the second time, I became legal. Here is the process I went through to get my medical marijuana ‘license’.

The first thing I needed to do was find a place to get an evaluation. I searched around for a bit and saw prices for examinations all the way up to $150! I heard that 420 Evaluations Oakland did them for $50 and wanted to check them out. I printed out the coupon below and jumped on my bike for a quick ride to 27th and Telegraph.

The place is a barren room with about 20 chairs all facing a large TV that was playing some really stupid ‘urban’ comedy. About 5 people we sitting there filling out forms. I gave the receptionist my coupon and drivers license and she handed me a short medical form to fill out.

NOTE: You must be a California resident to a receive California doctor’s recommendation (ie: your ticket to buy dank). The receptionist asked if my license had the correct address. I told her it did not and gave her a different one. I doubt they will give a recommendation if all you have is an out-of-state ID. I suppose if you brought in a US Government ID that was not state identified (like a Passport) you might be OK. I plan to find out soon 😉

The form took about 5 minutes to fill out. I wrote down that my symptoms were that I could not sleep and had slight back pain. I claimed everything else about me was fine and that I was not taking any medications. I handed the papers back to the receptionist and waited for about 5 minutes before I was directed to visit with the doctor.

The doctor was super nice and non-judgmental. She just wanted to make sure everything was OK with me. She asked why I never took an X-Ray for my back pain and I told her it wasn’t that bad. I only really notice it when I am going to sleep. My real issue is with sleep. She asked why I can’t sleep and I said I have a hard time turning my brain off and that when I lay in bed thinking I feel the pain in my back.

She politely suggested I see a therapist about my stress. She also thought I might ask my regular doctor to look at my back a bit more.

She then asked me how I like to take marijuana and I confided in her that I prefer the lozenges. She was very firm about one thing: I don’t want you smoking marijuana! Edibles are great if you like them and they help you. If you must smoke – use a vaporizer!

She then came over and listened to my heart, signed the paper and thanked me for my time. All in, the entire examination experience from when I walked in the door until I left took less than 20 minutes.

With my new paper in hand, my next stop was the Berkeley Patients Group. I love these guys. They are super knowledgable, friendly and offer a compassionate service. I explained that my last recommendation had expired and I was returning after a year of absence. The receptionist seemed genuinely happy to hear I was returning and handed me a “green ticket”.

I got in line and was standing at the counter within 3 minutes. (At their old location I remember waiting much longer on weekends and around the 1st and 15th of the month.) After a nice chat about what I was looking for, I was directed to a lozenge option that I had not tried before called CBD-OOS.

Finally we are able to offer a high-CBD low-THC edible for those looking for relief without distracting psychoactive effects.

That is music to my ears! Yeah! I bought two packs, one strawberry and a tangerine. For good measure, I also bought my old faithful: the lemon-flavored Canni-Soothe. I always like to keep a cone around for guests so I picked up a Purple Kush Cone. Bouquet: Soft pine and a sweet, grapey taste on an earthy foundation. Taste: Grape and fruity with a hint of hash. Nice!

As I was paying I displayed the “green ticket” and was greeted with a “Wow! You didn’t tell me you had a green ticket!!” My server bounced over to a big box and brought back a clear bag which contained a rewards card pre-loaded with 200 points (winning!), a magnet for my fridge and a free cone. “Free is good, yes?” Yes it is. Most definitely!

I rode home with my stash and clocked my time. All-in, including the ride to the doctor and the purchase of my medicine… I was home in less than one hour. Not bad. Not bad at all. While it is nice to get delivery service, I really enjoy going to the store and picking out my medicine for myself.

Legal is good. Yes, it is. Most definitely!