Question regarding Dispensary rules, etc.

I do not live in Colorado but I will be going there in March for a pre-op work up for my second brain surgery that will take place in Denver. I have a chronic medical condition and I have had non-stop (literally every second of the day) headaches since 2006. I don't bother taking the prescription drugs that they give me any more because they don't work. Two years ago, I went to California and tried a "lozenge" type form of marijuana called Canni-Sooth. Prior to this I had never use any sort of marijuana and frankly I was not expecting much but to my surprise, the lozenge not only worked but I had 3 solid days that were pain free, off of that one dosage. It was frankly a miracle.

Unfortunately I do not live in a state that has legal marijuana and the only form available here is smoking ( I don't smoke) and I am not really comfortable dealing with the criminal element that is the main purveyor of drugs here, so I have not tried it since that one time in California. The surgery that I am going to have is INCREDIBLY painful and will only arrest my current deterioration it will not prevent the chronic headaches.

At this time, I am so desperate for relief that my family is actually considering purchasing a cheap foreclosed home in some BFE town, prior to the surgery just so that I can get residency and get a prescription and get the lozenge form of marijuana. However, this seems like an extreme measure when I have no way of knowing if the first time the lozenge was merely a fluke or whether it would actually work for me longterm. It is kind of a waste to go through if it's not really going to give me the relief I need, since of course, whatever money we spend on this place will never be recouped.

I realize this is probably a rude question, but I really need to know: How strict are the dispensaries regarding residency for selling? If I bring in my patient history (extensive), would they be willing to let me "shoplift" a lozenge if I left 3 times the amount on the counter? I really want to try it at least once more before we go through all the hassle of finding a cheap place, just so I can have an address.

I realize this is probably a really outrageous thing to be asking the forums and I hope you realize I don't mean to be rude, but I am really desperate, and I am really not looking forward to this surgery knowing that the pain meds will not work.

Any help that you can give me would be appreciated and I hope you realize I am sincere and not attempting to cause trouble or anything with my questions.

As much as we would like to help, we can't. We'll politely ask you to leave if you ask to make an illegal purchase in our Center. The law is the law. We are fortunate to be able to operate and selling illegally is just that. Illegal.

Sorry A.R.

Thanks that's pretty much what I figured. At this point, I'll just hope to meet someone in the doctor's waiting room with a card. And yes I know you all are fortunate and people like me who are trying to get around the rules must make you nuts, but frankly I blame the stupid rules and the stupid government. I had never even had the urge to try marijuana until I got hit (at age 30 ) with this illness. And now I am a freaking criminal having to sneak around and worry about laws just so I can have one freaking day without a headache. Makes me insane.

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah, it sucks that the logic fails the ones that could benefit the most. Like yourself, we have others that ask "how do I know it will work, without trying it first." You can't even legally try it until you go through the hassle of seeing a doctor and then sending money off to the state. I think CA is a little easier than CO, but that doesn't help your situation.

One point to note, is that if you can establish residency and provide the needed identification [from below], as soon as you get your papers and payment mailed to the state you are eligible to purchase for 35 days while waiting for your red card.

Required ID:
PROOF OF IDENTITY AND COLORADO RESIDENCY
One (1) of the following:
 Colorado Driver’s License
 Colorado ID
 Temporary Colorado Driver’s License
 Temporary Colorado ID

Or two (2) of the following:

Minimum of one (1) from the group of IDs below -
 Out of State Driver’s License
 Out of State ID
 Passport, Military ID (copy of front and back), Tribal ID

And a minimum of one (1) from the group below -

 Proof of Colorado Employment (paycheck stub/W-2)
 Copy of a utility, medical, or cable bill. (The mailing address on all bills must match address on application. For utility and cable bills, the service address must be in Colorado.)
i. All documents must be currently valid when received at the Registry. Damaged, expired, or tampered IDs are not valid.
ii. Proof of residency materials must be current, within 60 days of the date the Registry receives your paperwork.
iii. At least one (1) of these documents must show the patient’s date of birth

good luck...

Yeah I looked in to trying to rent a place or just find someone who lives in Colorado that I know who would let me pay their cable bill for a year to get the utility in my name but I don't think I have enough time (and I don't know anyone who lives in Colorado). I do know some people in Michigan but they require a driver's license only (no utility bills) so they are trying to see if they know anyone with a card who could purchase for me. I can also purchase a foreclosed cheap ass house in detroit for like five bucks and get the meds there I am just worried I am running out of time for all this travel before surgery and would be easier to do it all in Colorado. Colorado however has less foreclosed dirt cheap houses and I don't have anyone to scout for me there or ask questions to, like I do in a couple of other states, it just means more driving.

Oh well, hopefully it will work out somehow.

it is not hard to get a CO drivers license. that's the simplest way. become a resident for a couple months. cripes, just move here or somewhere decrim if mj is the only way to be healthy.

And if a lozenge works, likely most edibles would work. if you can get weed at home, take a half gram of *good* smoke, grind it a fine powder, and fry in a tablespoon of butter on med-low, not letting it burn, but just slowly cook for 15-20 minutes. Then, fry something in it. An egg is convenient, or a pancake or rice.. I like to use some hot sauce or syrup to cover the weed flavor, but that's a quick and dirty edible that should work.

I am guessing you didn't bother to actually read the entirety of my post where I said I don't exactly have a lot of time, I am trying to get this prior to surgery, so "moving there" for a couple of months isn't going to work. Even if I wanted to pack up my entire life and move there, the altitude and the cold are would actually worsen my condition, so that isn't really a possibilty either. I appreciate the recipe, but post surgery eating anything is pretty much out of the question due to the heaving that will result so I really need something dissolves without me having to choke down food.


To anyone else, I realize that the list includes utility bills, but what about just plain rental agreements? I mean if I rented a place in someones home and signed a rental agreement that included an address, would that suffice or do the utilities have to be in my name?

A valid lease can be used to verify residency. If you have a lease that shows you have a Colorado address, you should be good to go.

Thanks Denver Relief. We did the math and realized that renting a hotel room suite with kitchen for two months during the post-surgery recovery period was going to end up costing us about the same to rent a small studio apartment for six months so we are going to go ahead and do that, a futon and a TV and we are good to go. As the lease will work, I don't have to worry about waiting for a utility bill to arrive, so hopefully I'll be able to get the script and the meds before the surgery.

Thanks again for all your help, it is much appreciated and hopefully I will be seeing you soon in person.