Low-income patients in Berkeley, California may be in luck next August. The city is offering a unique benefit to qualifying individuals. Patients with a valid prescription for medical marijuana and earn less than $32,000 per year (or $46,000 per family) will be able to get free pot from one of the city’s dispensaries. According to a law passed unanimously by the city council, these dispensaries are required to set aside two percent of their medical marijuana for low-income residents.
Many people recognize marijuana as a legal medicine and don’t want to keep people in need unable to obtain medication that can improve their quality of life. Darryl Moore, Berkeley City Councilmember explained, “The city council wants to make sure that low-income, homeless, indigent folks have access to their medical marijuana, their medicine.” Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said, “There are some truly compassionate cases that need to have medical marijuana, but it’s expensive. You hear stories about people dying from cancer who don’t have the money.”
Not everyone agrees with this new program though. Head of the International Faith Based Coalition, Bishop Ron Allen, shared his thoughts, “It’s ludicrous, over-the-top madness. Why would Berkeley City council want to keep their poverty-stricken under-served high, in poverty and lethargic?”
California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, and many people rely on something called “compassion” for help with their medication, another form of free marijuana that approximately one percent of patients have already received since 1999. The chief operating officer of the Berkeley Patients Group explained, “We do this on our own, so we certainly welcome the city mandating that all dispensaries create these sorts of programs.”
While many agree with the many benefits of medical marijuana, it doesn’t come cheap. An ounce can cost patients $400. For individuals without jobs, it makes it impossible for them to get their hands on it to help manage their conditions. There are high hopes that this new program will bring much needed relief to qualifying individuals in need.
Many people recognize marijuana as a legal medicine and don’t want to keep people in need unable to obtain medication that can improve their quality of life. Darryl Moore, Berkeley City Councilmember explained, “The city council wants to make sure that low-income, homeless, indigent folks have access to their medical marijuana, their medicine.” Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said, “There are some truly compassionate cases that need to have medical marijuana, but it’s expensive. You hear stories about people dying from cancer who don’t have the money.”
California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, and many people rely on something called “compassion” for help with their medication, another form of free marijuana that approximately one percent of patients have already received since 1999. The chief operating officer of the Berkeley Patients Group explained, “We do this on our own, so we certainly welcome the city mandating that all dispensaries create these sorts of programs.”
While many agree with the many benefits of medical marijuana, it doesn’t come cheap. An ounce can cost patients $400. For individuals without jobs, it makes it impossible for them to get their hands on it to help manage their conditions. There are high hopes that this new program will bring much needed relief to qualifying individuals in need.
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