Audio By Carbonatix
Yesterday, the meeting of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s MMJ advisory committee got off to a rocky start, when a time change nearly prevented advocates from commenting. But Jill Lamoureux, an advisory committee member and owner of Boulder County Caregivers, feels steps forward were still made.
Despite some tense moments, including the expulsion of advocate Robert Chase for interrupting the session following the public-comments period, the committee voted in favor of adding education and consultation on medical-marijuana use to the current definition of caregiver. In addition, the caregiver waiver process was broadened. In the past, patients had to provide evidence that they’d be harmed if a caregiver wasn’t given a waiver. But the committee now recommends that benefits the patient will enjoy if the caregiver receives a waiver will also be considered.
These recommendations will go before the Board of Health in April, so they’re not yet set in stone. Nevertheless, Lamoureux sees them as positives.
As she puts it, “Given everything that’s going on right now with rule-making, with 1284 [the main MMJ regulatory law] and 1043 [a new cleanup bill], there continue to be small victories and movement forward for patient and caregiver rights.”
More from our Marijuana archive: “Medical marijuana firm’s cost to comply with regs (and explain to officials what it does): $8K.”
