Mississippi medical marijuana patients, professionals on the look out for scams and other complications

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – It’s been nearly a full yr because the sale of medical marijuana was accepted in Mississippi. Though the product nonetheless isn’t accessible for buy, some sufferers who want the therapy are discovering the problems of the method to acquire a medical marijuana card. Scammers are additionally seeking to reap the benefits of the brand new business.

The medical hashish program in Mississippi requires sufferers have at the least one of many listed qualifying situations to buy the product. Lengthy Seaside resident Tommy Goldman suffers from a number of situations wanted for the therapy.

“I’ve persistent ache in my knees, and I’ve been identified just lately with Parkinson’s,” mentioned Goldman.

In Might, Kevin Webster, the proprietor of the group Experience to Wellness, mentioned in a WLOX report he would assist sufferers like Tommy Goldman by means of the method of getting medical marijuana for a payment of $199.

In September, Goldman took Webster up on his supply. After paying over the cellphone, he says Webster informed him to fulfill at a Gulfport lodge to fill out the wanted paper work for a medical marijuana card. When Goldman acquired there, nobody representing Experience to Wellness was to be discovered, and his makes an attempt to achieve Webster have been unsuccessful.

“I attempted calling him and haven’t heard something from him since I gave him the cash,” mentioned Goldman.

Experience to Wellness has a number of Fb pages saying it gives service in a number of states. No publish has been made on its Mississippi web page since July. The web site listed on the Fb pages isn’t an lively web site.

WLOX tried calling the numbers listed for Experience to Wellness and left messages, however nobody from the group returned the calls.

President of the Mississippi Higher Enterprise Bureau John O’Hara says there are complaints on Fb in regards to the group in Mississippi and Oklahoma. He says it’s all the time a good suggestion to analysis any firm earlier than paying cash for a service up entrance, particularly a more recent business like medical marijuana.

“That is making the most of Mississippi had simply handed legalizing medical marijuana, so all people is studying as we undergo this,” O’Hara mentioned.

The sufferers aren’t the one ones having to study. Dr. Philip Levin is one among solely 122 practitioners at present licensed by the State Well being Division to advocate the difficulty of medical marijuana playing cards in Mississippi.

“As soon as I began finding out hashish, I used to be blown away with how a lot good it does,” mentioned Levin. “As soon as I discovered how pure it was, how useful and the way innocent, I actually wished to assist my sufferers.”

Levin says the time dedication to see sufferers wanting a medical marijuana card is holding up practitioners’ curiosity to get licensed.

“It’s not a straightforward process,” mentioned Levin. “You must verify the medical information to ensure they qualify, it’s a must to do a drug display, a PMP, a bodily examination, do medical information and fill out the shape. I additionally will give the affected person one other 5-10 minutes of knowledge. So how will you run a clinic and spend 25 minutes on speaking to the sufferers to get them licensed only for the little bit of cash you’re going to make off of it?”

Cultivators have been making ready for months to ship out their merchandise to accepted dispensaries across the state. Levin says for purchasers to truly be in the stores these merchandise extra practitioners must be licensed. On the time this story was printed about 1,000 sufferers have been accepted to purchase medical marijuana within the state.

“The primary bottleneck proper now could be the certification,” mentioned Levin. “The growers have loads of product, they’ve been very profitable rising and the dispensaries are desirous to get the product to promote, however that in between step, the businesses which can be alleged to be certifying the product is having technical difficulties and that’s why we don’t have any product out but.”

For those who’re curious about medical marijuana and need to keep away from any problems, Levin says step one to take ought to be speaking to a trusted household physician.

“My suggestion could be to have your individual personal doctor both do it or refer you to somebody you understand and belief such as you would with any specialist,” mentioned Levin.

Levin expects the primary merchandise to be accessible for buy in early 2023. It will probably’t get right here fast sufficient for Tommy Goldman who simply needs aid for his ache.

“I’m going to be joyful after I get it as a result of it’s going to be authorized. That’s I all I would like, for it to be authorized,” mentioned Goldman.

You may see a listing of medical practitioners at present licensed to situation medical marijuana playing cards in Mississippi right here: https://www.mscannapatient.com/medical-marijuana-doctors-near-me/

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