The recent passing of Initiative 502 legalizing
the recreational use of marijuana in Washington State, will soon interject the
issue of marijuana into every Washington State citizens lives regardless of
whether they use the drug or not. There is a separate and independent law that
is set apart from 502 in medical marijuana provisions. The medical marijuana delivery business is
one of those industries that follow a very different set of rules than
Washington’s new recreational drug use law.
Kevin Phillips has been in the medical marijuana delivery
business since late 2011. Phillips started the delivery service after seeing
the benefits of medical marijuana first hand when his mother started using the
drug to relieve her symptoms from a debilitating affliction with Multiple
Sclerosis.
Phillips stated that the improvement he saw in his mother’s
quality of life when she started using medical marijuana inspired him to start
the Therapeutic Health Center - Medical
Marijuana Delivery Service.
Therapeutic Health Center gradually grew from one to ten
calls a day, within six months their call rate increased to 15 to 25 calls per
day.
Patient’s illnesses ranged from chronic pain, fiber
myalgia, and stomach problems to life threatening illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis,
and Parkinson’s
disease.
Phillips first consulted a lawyer before opening his
business - in order to become aware of any legal challenges he might have to
face to achieve his goal of starting a medical marijuana delivery service. He
was surprised to find that there were very few if any obstacles in his way to
legally distribute medical marijuana to authorized patients in Washington
State.
All that was required legally to start his business was a
standard retail pharmacy license for a nominal fee. Phillips also informed
local law enforcement of his intentions, and also the local Chamber of Commerce
as well.
Therapeutic Health Center pays city, state, and federal taxes
on all medicinal marijuana sales to patients. Prior to the changing of the
medical marijuana laws in July of 2011, medical marijuana businesses were
allowed to operate as Non- profit agencies, and were not required to pay taxes
on marijuana sales. Sales were called donations rather than purchases to
legally distribute medical marijuana and avoid tax issues.
Philips stated that he is not worried about the recent
legalization of small amounts of recreational marijuana infringing on his
profit margins. The legal amount someone can carry on their person is 1 oz.
recreationally, compared to being able to possess one and a half pounds of
marijuana medically in a 60 day period.
Authorized medical marijuana users are allowed to grow up to
15 marijuana plants, while growing
marijuana for the general public is still illegal.
Anthony Pieper has been a medical marijuana delivery driver
for Therapeutic Health Center for over a year now. Pieper used to be a member
with Therapeutic Health Center as a patient and asked the owner of the company
for work one time while purchasing marijuana from T.H.C. Delivery Service; six
months later he was surprised by a phone call from Phillips asking him to come
to work for them as a driver.
Pieper is a Gulf War veteran who left the military in 2008,
according to Pieper; he had been traveling around trying to find his new niche
in civilian society after serving his country. Pieper stated that he found that
niche in helping people with debilitating medical conditions get medicine they
truly need to relieve their suffering when he took the driving job with
Therapeutic Health Center. “Helping people who need it is what it is all about,
“said Pieper.
When asked what kind of security precautions the drivers use,
and what the protocol for being robbed is, Pieper stated that drivers carry
licensed concealed fire arms to protect themselves, and that new patients first
deliveries through the service are not allowed after 8 PM.
Pieper also
reiterated that as far as he has encountered, patients are honest, friendly,
and have actually called the driver in most cases when something is left behind
by accident – including money and product left behind by mistake.
Pieper also pointed
out that they have the entire patient’s information already processed in their
computers, so it would be very foolish for a patient to be involved in robbing
them. The police are immediately notified in cases such as robbery or theft
of medical marijuana.
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