Cannabis clinic captivates Kalispell crowd
Tammey Strickrodt points out some pipes to her husband, Jack, at the Outlaw Inn on Tuesday afternoon. More than two dozen booths, mostly with local vendors, were set up while the Montana Caregivers Network put on a public clinic for people to enroll in Montana’s Medical Marijuana Program.
Hundreds of people on Tuesday attended the Kalispell stop of the Montana Caregivers Clinic, designed to educate about and provide resources for medical marijuana enthusiasts.
Jason Christ, executive director of Montana Caregivers Network, the nonprofit group that organized the clinic, said that by 2 p.m., almost 300 people had visited the Outlaw Inn to learn about medical marijuana laws, meet with one of two doctors, apply for medical marijuana cards and chat with local caregivers, who provide the drug to cardholders.
Christ said he founded the organization after he had trouble getting information on medical marijuana after being diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition.
In its nine months in existence, the nonprofit has raked in “millions,” Christ estimated, but he said he has not taken a cut.
“I’m not going to make money off people’s suffering, that’s sick,” he said.
Christ said the proceeds pay the salaries of the 20 full-time Montana Caregivers Network employees, help fund community events, aid in “fighting for patient rights” and put on caregiver clinics.
Tuesday’s clinic was one of a series of five this week ranging from Billings to Missoula. A previous clinic was held in Kalispell in January.
Potential patients can pay $150 ($100, if low income) to see a physician (hired for the event) and get recommendations that day. Christ stressed that the physicians weren’t in the business of diagnosing medical conditions, but rather providing an alternative treatment for pre-existing ones.
And although medical records were recommended, they weren’t required.
Asked how the group safeguards against healthy individuals who might try to take advantage, Christ said there are the same safeguards in place as with any other medication.
“These people do not come here to try out a new drug,” he said, “they’re at the end of their rope.”
Russ Bokar, who manufactures organic THC capsules called Canna-Caps, agreed. “People who seek to use this for recreational purposes should seek elsewhere,” he said.
His was one of about 30 booths lining the buzzing convention center, displaying everything from pamphlets on the medical properties of cannabis to samples of different marijuana strains to pipes to products such as candles and lip balms made from the drug. There also were marijuana cookbooks and even cannabis butter.
Information about marijuana-related services, such as insurance and growing equipment, also was available.
Potential patients lined up to get applications for medical marijuana cards and could ask an attorney questions about the law.
At times, the wait for a physician was more than an hour.
Marijuana and marijuana products were not for sale.
Staffers helped applicants fill out paperwork for the cards, which then must be mailed to the Department of Public Health and Human Services.
The process can take months.
On March 11, the Caregivers Network mailed more than 2,400 physician statements to Helena. Marijuana was approved for medical consumption in 2004, but only recently have patent and caregiver numbers exploded.
At the last official count on March 7, there were almost 11,000 cardholders statewide.