The Life and Times of an OMMP Patient

I spoke with a very nice lady at the OMMP office today about the whereabouts of my renewal card. I’ve been a cannabis patient in Oregon since 2010. Cannabis saved my life when it put my rheumatoid arthritis in clinical remission. This happened within three months of medicating with more concentrated forms of cannabis which I formulated in my kitchen.

Last year, my cannabis card was late, but the OMMP extended my year by an additional month so I was fine with that. This year, I sent my renewal application along with the $200 fee in May, receiving a letter back dated June 6th saying that everything was fine and I would be receiving my renewal card, with the letter serving as a temporary card for 30 days from the date of the letter. The problem is, as of today, it’s two weeks past the 30 day window. So I called them.

Apparently they’re processing applications received the week of May 16th. I think mine was received the week after that, so apparently it will be another three to four weeks before I get my card. Well, cards because I’m also my own grower, so I receive two cards, a patient and a grower card. Even though the letter indicates 30 days, I’m actually covered longer because my application is in their queue. Not that the letter says anything about that, but the woman at the OMMP assured me that this is so. And I have her name. So it is what it is.

I was also told that I could submit my renewal application up to 90 days in advance of my renewal date which I will do in the future so that I beat the apparent rush. But why this is taking so long is beyond me.

Patients have certainly had to deal with some uncertainty since legalization happened. Dispensaries, which I tend to stay away from because I grow my own, are being used as recreational outlets until they actually open. Cities and counties have been given the opportunity to ban cannabis outlets and farms without a vote of the people as was originally stated in the law that I voted for.

So instead of legalization unfolding smoothly, all sorts of nonsense happened along with something called a listening tour and now patients are in the middle of all of this mess trying to figure out if there’s any cannabis for them at dispensaries or if there will be any for dispensaries to even sell if the larger farms don’t get the go-ahead. And at this juncture, unless they’re going to grow in a greenhouse, it’s probably too late for any new cannabis crops to begin.

All they had to do was implement the will of the voters. I thought that legislators understood this concept, but not so much I guess. And in little blue Oregon. Never thought I would ever see that here.

I thought my vote mattered, and I thought paying $200 for a couple of pieces of paper would actually result in my cards showing up on time. I mean, they could send me a letter. That took time, an envelop, a stamp, printing time, computing time to find my name and then hit print. If they’re taking the time to do that, why not print out the cards, slip them in the envelop and forgo the letter?

They might even save some taxpayer dollars in the process and make a patient compliant and happy in the process.