MMA Rhode Island

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and looking for some insight on a few topics. First off, I am a 20 year old student at URI and I just moved into Bonnet Shores near campus after having lived in North Kingstown my whole life. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis last year and my condition is steadily worstening. I suffer from severe pain most of the time and basically my life sucks right now. To get to the point, I need to know of a doctor who is willing to sign my MMA forms. Ive already been to 2 rheumatologists and both of them would not. I think its wrong that a doctors personal beliefs can affect the way my health is treated. I've smoked weed many times and It has great benefits for helping the pain in my disease. I know some of you must be MMA card holders, and yes i've read the MMA several times and have been to every website pertaining to this matter in RI. I know someone out there has the abiltiy to help me.

I'm on the other side of the country, so I can't be too much help! I do know that the California Norml site has a list of friendly doctors, does RI Norml does have one too? You'd think that sort of thing would be a "no-brainer"!

Could you do me a small favor? I want you to click the link in my sig and make copies of the "Arthritis" section. I'd like you to give/send it to those uncooperative docs! Maybe they might learn something!

Next, take any of the studies that look good to you, print them, and take them with you to the next doc (if NORML doesn't come through). It might better your chances! Saying something helps is one thing. Saying it helps and backing it up with scientific studies is another. :thumbsup:

California may be chaotic, but I love the permissive system here! Cannabis is good for a wide variety of medical uses- major and minor. Creating artificial criteria (laws) for who can, or cannot, use this safe herbal medicine, makes our politicians into our doctors!

Good luck in your search! I'm sure someone will know and, rather than blurt it out for LEO to see, will give you some rep and the doc's name as a comment! (Lack of a PM feature is one on the few minor faults at C.com- but I understand the reasons for the policy.)


Granny :hippy:

get involved with RIPAC and they can help.

No they can't. RIPAC is USELESS on getting recommendation help. I know many people who have gone to see them, this guy plugs RIPAC on every site. Don't waste your time.

RIPAC Can help inform you on how to approach doctors on this subject where docs can "recommend" Medical Cannabis. There is over 275 doctors that have recommend cannabis in RI so there is no "Pot Doc" that does this. Your'e best bet is to talk with people from RIPAC and start a good relationship with a doctor. Just don't go in saying "I need Medical Marijuana!" You need to have a good relationship so you do not come off as someone wanting to smoke cannabis legally.
Bring in information for doctor on the potential of medical cannabis.
Keith

Obviously you are RIPAC, so you are at every meeting? Or most of them? Just give the guy a doctor that recommends it than.

I am not from RIPAC, but I try to attend these meetings and this is something that does come up. The answer that patients say is you need a good relationship and we need to inform doctors on how it is ok for them to recommend cannabis with no backlash on doctors that do recommend it.

We are only three years into this and things are moving along quickly for us. It is just one of these thing that I feel organization and the number of people working together can get us there even quicker. There is no other patient coalition in RI as of yet. So why knock a group that is trying to help. Shoot, we should work on starting a organization that does connect doctors to people that need medical cannabis.

Now your talking Keith.. I am not knocking RIPAC as people, I am sure they are good people. I am knocking the organizations ability to connect patients and doctors. SO when I see these people in here in pain, in need, and the answer about getting a doctor is talk to RIPAC, it annoys me. It annoys me because I honestly believe they have a better shot in forums, online or just asking friends about finding a doctor than they do going to RIPAC.
If this post were, What are my rights as a patient and where can I talk about mmj? I, myself, would say RIPAC, but when the only answer we see in these forums for finding recommendations is RIPAC it wears on me. So I think when I see that answer (talk to RIPAC) in every forum, it takes other people's want to help down a level, and the truth is,,,,, it isn't a good answer. People will read it and say, "ahh that persons all set, the guy told them talk to RIPAC." Lets just be honest that RIPAC hasn't been helpful in the area of which this post is subject to... Anyway, I am all for starting a coalition that helps patients find doctors, if we could figure out how to find these mysterious non pharma dependent creatures, they are very evasive.

Let's start a new thread for this idea. sound good?