TELL THE PRODUCERS TO LOWER THEIR PRICE, ASK DOH TO MAKE THEM LOWER IT!

[sunthenovice]

Without question I would support and sign a petition and I am grateful to everyone who is involved in trying to organize in the best interests of the patients.

sunthenovice Reviewed by sunthenovice on 10-02-2010. TELL THE PRODUCERS TO LOWER THEIR PRICE, ASK DOH TO MAKE THEM LOWER IT! The DOH is accepting recommendations for the next 10 days on what the patients would like to see happen in the program, lets ask them to have oversight on what the Directors are paid, and for the DOH to require producers lower the prices for patients. Tell your current producer that you will not pay these inflated prices anymore and if they won't lower their prices that you will simply grow your own, if they won't serve the people, lets put them out of business by not giving them any Rating: 5

[MimbresValley]

Hey Guys, I would love to help with the petition, you all know how I feel about the matter,
Sun my contact info is in my profile. hit me up on yahoo!:thumbsup:

[alfonso2002]

Weird Alfonso.
How do you feel about the petition idea?
I personally know 4 patients, and myself.

Hope it can be worked out to do it Yes I will do what I can.

[xsnoder]

Of course you have my support. I am going to add my contact info to my profile.

[alfonso2002]

thanks for getting involved.hope we can do something.

[MimbresValley]

Howzit Sunthenovice,
Pleace contact me, my info is provided in my profile under "contact info":thumbsup:

I attended and testified at the DOH hearing last week. I understand there will be people who will disagree with my testimony which I am reprinting below. I don't pretend to have all the answers. For those who have a different point of view I'm willing to listen and engage in civil discourse. Ultimately, I believe that if the patients in this program are united, we have the power to influence both the DOH and the licensed providers. If at some point in time that means a boycott of the LNPP's, so be it.


As a patient in the Medical Marijuana Program, I thank you for allowing my voice to be heard. I ask for your patience as my condition is such that I only leave my apartment on rare occasions due to the severe and overwhelming anxiety I experience in public. To speak in a forum such as this pushes me far beyond what I would call a comfortable mental or physical state. I would ask that you excuse me if I stutter, stammer, or am unable to complete my statement.
While I have read the changes proposed by the New Mexico Department of Health regarding the Medical Cannabis Program, I regret that I have not had the opportunity to research the impact of these proposals to where I would feel competent addressing them in a lucid and productive discourse. Fortunately for all involved, there are others present who have studied the proposals at length and will speak more eloquently about these topics than I. This much I will say: What the Department of Health is proposing in giving the Secretary what appears to be all-encompassing determination regarding nearly all aspects of the Medical Cannabis Program is at best shortsighted and at worst, criminal.
So if I have nothing to add to this discussion, you may ask what would compel me to leave the safe environment of my home in Albuquerque to attend this hearing? My response is this: I am here to support the patients in this program of which I am one. I am here to support those patients who due to severe and debilitating conditions are unable to attend in person. I am here to support those patients who canâ??t afford their medication due to the unreasonable costs of the product. While it is easy to point to the New Mexico Department of Health as the villain in the price gouging for legitimate medication, the licensed producers are just as culpable in this charade. I know there are groups who help individuals who canâ??t afford medication and I thank them for that. But we must have significantly lower prices for ALL patients. Instead we have the Department of Health and licensed providers fighting over who is going to get what part of the patients money. As in many cases, non-profit is a misleading term. In addition to addressing the financial and covetous deportment of the DOH at this hearing, we should be debating salary limitations on the providers in order to effectively lower the cost of medication for ALL patients.
I have been in this Program for nearly one year and I canâ??t afford my medication. I am currently on disability from my chosen occupation. I am not receiving nor am I asking for ANY state or federal assistance. Neither the State of New Mexico nor the Federal Government pay one dime of my disability income. If I were to buy Medical Cannabis through the approved dispensaries I would not be able to pay my rent or feed myself. The fact is, one ounce of Medical Marijuana purchased through the approved providerâ??s costs more than one monthâ??s rent for me.
I would like to believe that between the Department of Health and the licensed providers there are some human beings who are involved in this program for altruistic reasons. But I will state unequivocally, that both entities primary interest is to make money off the backs of patients in the program. Anyone who has done research into the growing of marijuana knows that the percentage of profit margin for providers is potentially far beyond what is morally acceptable when it comes to patientâ??s medication. If they say this is untrue then they are either incompetent or liars. But what I find most insulting is that I received no less than two emails from each licensed provider in New Mexico pleading for my attendance at this hearing to support their positions. In other words, you asked me and every patient in the New Mexico program to come and support you while you financially rape me and my brethren.
Let me be clear. I support the patients. I condemn the DOH for the temerity to suggest these new proposals, which to a political layman such as myself, appear to grant total and unfettered control of this program to one person or committee without a modicum of oversight or grounds for appeal. And to the providers, you should be embarrassed to think that as patients we are naïve enough to support your self-serving agenda.
Shame on both of your houses for taking advantage of my brothers and sisters who through no fault of their own canâ??t defend themselves against the machinations of this system.

Thank you

[medical420mama]

I am spending all day working on my letter to the DOH so yes i will join in on the fight. My contact info should be viable in my profile if not let me know and i will fix it.
We all need to stand up ( as much as we can) and fight...fight for what is rightfully ours... Respect. If we just sit around and do nothing then nothing will ever change. I was unable to attended the meeting but i was there is spirit and heart.

We may have family that we can call on to when we are having a bad day but we are the only ones that really know what it is like to wake up in our painful bodies. Lets join arms and make our voice heard. Its up to us to make a change.

[sunthenovice]

To everyone. I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner but I am quite overwhelmed with various issues that are draining my time. This issue is very important to me and I'm doing everything I can. I'll do my best to contact several of you in the next 24-48 hours. In the meantime I have spoken to my brother who is director of a non-profit organization in New Mexico. His work has nothing to do with Medical Marijuana but he has been the director of his organization for over 20 years and has vast experience with non-profits and the State of New Mexico. He has suggested to me that we focus on asking the State: 1. What is the average financial surplus for the licensed providers. Because they are non-profit these financial records should be public. 2. We should contact the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government who my brother believes are a well funded group with attorneys who would help answer questions regarding what the State & providers can and can't do. Here is the link:Helping enforce government transparency in New Mexico 3. Another website that could be helpful is GuideStar nonprofit reports and Forms 990 for donors, grantmakers and businesses which is where all non-profits are required to disclose what is called a 990 Financial Disclosure Form.

Again, my knowledge of the laws are limited but I'm working at getting up to speed. I can't recall if the State has given the providers expemption from posting these financial records for privacy reasons but if they have then I think the aforementioned NM Foundation for Open Government could be vital. We are not asking for the providers names etc...but there is no reason they should have their financial records protected because they are still non-profit.

I have to run. I promise I am doing all I can to help but I am struggling with assorted issues that limit me.

I am going to post this in other appropriate threads so as many people as possible can read it. peace.

[coolslayer]

We have been fighting for a year and a half to get more producers approved in able to get more medicine to the patients. Now you want them to go out of business at the expense of hurting patients.
If your issue is the price, then I believe the more producers we have and the more medicine available will drive the price down. If I am remembering accurately from the DOH's statistics read at the meeting this week, the average price in the latest report is $13 per gram and some were sold as low as $9.
We need to work hard to move this program forward. The future will work itself out.
Welcome to the forum.

Good points,but the converse of this is that other states have LOTS of producers and the prices are still high there......just saying.