{"id":7896,"date":"2017-12-02T02:28:09","date_gmt":"2017-12-02T02:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com?p=2875779&amp;preview_id=2875779"},"modified":"2017-12-02T02:28:09","modified_gmt":"2017-12-02T02:28:09","slug":"maryland-patients-long-wait-finally-over-as-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-open-for-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/maryland-patients-long-wait-finally-over-as-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-open-for-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryland patients\u2019 long wait finally over as medical marijuana dispensaries open for business"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/maryland-patients-long-wait-finally-over-as-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-open-for-business\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"large-10 large-centered small-12 columns\">\n<div class=\"entry-meta-date\">Published: Dec 1, 2017, 3:33 pm \u2022 Updated: Dec 1, 2017, 7:28 pm<span class=\"single-comments-link\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"byline\">By <strong>Brian Witte<\/strong>, <em> The Associated Press<\/em><\/p>\n<p>ROCKVILLE, Md. \u2014 Maryland began the sale of medical marijuana to residents in pain on Friday, ending years of delays by embarking on a program that features some of the most liberal policies in the nation on who can qualify for cannabis products.<\/p>\n<p>Dozens of people stood outside a licensed dispensary, Potomac Holistics, where owners began making sales soon after receiving their first shipment Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>William Askinazi, one of the owners, said people who work at the store were euphoric that the day had finally arrived. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can tell there\u2019s a buzz, and we\u2019re excited for so many reasons,\u201d Askinazi said. \u201cWe\u2019re giving care to people who need it.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/12\/01\/maryland-medical-marijuana-patients-faq-doctors-dispensaries-products\/93762\/\">Maryland medical marijuana FAQ: Where to buy, products, doctors and more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Maryland approved its first medical marijuana law in 2013. But the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/08\/15\/maryland-medical-marijuana-growers\/86100\/\">effort stalled<\/a> because it required academic medical centers to run the programs, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2016\/10\/14\/maryland-medical-marijuana-patients-waiting\/65335\/\">none stepped forward<\/a>. The law was changed in 2014 to allow doctors certified by a state medical cannabis commission to recommend marijuana for patients with debilitating, chronic and severe illnesses.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/maryland-patients-long-wait-finally-over-as-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-open-for-business.jpg\" alt=\"maryland marijuana sales first day\" width=\"1000\" height=\"666\" class=\"size-full wp-image-93829\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Customers, at top, wait for cannabis outside Potomac Holistics in Rockville as medical marijuana sales begin in Maryland on Dec. 1, 2017. The owner promised that no one in line would go home empty-handed. (Jahi Chikwendiu, The Washington Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A long line of people cheered late Friday as sales began.<\/p>\n<p>Denise Broyhill was among the first in the door to buy marijuana tablets. She said she was upbeat and relieved after years of delays by authorities in making medical marijuana available in the state. A resident of the state capital city of Annapolis, Broyhill also said she hoped for good results managing the pain from a neurological condition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very excited to try it and relieved to get through the whole process after waiting so long,\u201d Broyhill said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long time, but I\u2019m looking to have some good pain management.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the initial rollout was initially expected to be limited due to available supply, Askinazi said he expected to see between 600 and 1,000 patients over the next three days.<\/p>\n<p>Patrick Allison, of Annapolis, was also among the first in line. He said he suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that causes inflammation of the spinal joints that can lead to severe, chronic pain and discomfort.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEBATE: Dozens of people lined up for the opening of one of Maryland&#8217;s first medical marijuana dispensaries. But some nearby businesses aren&#8217;t thrilled about the new neighbor. Full story at 5 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nbcwashington?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@nbcwashington<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/k3SoRQvUP7\">pic.twitter.com\/k3SoRQvUP7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AimeeCho4\/status\/936702898905501696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 1, 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s about time,\u201d Allison said. \u201cI live in chronic pain. You wouldn\u2019t know it to look at me, but I\u2019m about an eight right now on a scale of one to 10, head to toe. The only thing that works for me is marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David Johnson, of Frederick, said he was relieved that he could now have access to medical marijuana to ease pain from nerve damage. He said he\u2019s tired of driving in pain to pharmacies in search of opioids.<br \/>\u201cIt\u2019s been a nightmare,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is a godsend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Medical marijuana will be available for any condition that is severe in which other medical treatments have been ineffective, and if the symptoms \u201creasonably can be expected to be relieved\u201d by marijuana.<br \/>Patients with a chronic or debilitating medical condition that causes severe appetite loss, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures or severe muscle spasms also can have access, as well as people with glaucoma or post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn Maryland, there are very liberal qualifying conditions,\u201d Askinazi said.<\/p>\n<p>Even further, Maryland will allow not only physicians but nurse practitioners, dentists, podiatrists and nurse midwives to certify patients as eligible to receive marijuana. People authorized to recommend the use of medical marijuana will be able to do so for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/09\/06\/how-to-get-medical-marijuana-in-maryland\/87388\/\">patients from other states<\/a> who come to Maryland for treatment.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2016\/10\/14\/legal-marijuana-laws-by-state-map-united-states\/62772\/\">More than half of all U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia<\/a>, have legalized a comprehensive medical marijuana program, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/maryland-patients-long-wait-finally-over-as-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-open-for-business-1.jpg\" alt=\"maryland marijuana\" width=\"1000\" height=\"675\" class=\"size-full wp-image-93830\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A security guard at Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Cumberland, Maryland, waits for people to arrive. (Ricky Carioti, The Washington Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .row --> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>Maryland medical marijuana patients lined up as dispensaries opened in a state that has some of the nation&#8217;s most liberal qualification policies. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5630,6813,77,5577,5667,6858,46,56,9,6833,5019,1,3,61,1736],"tags":[5633,6818,2655,5580,5673,6860,2629,2636,6835,5022],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7896"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7896\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}