The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced changes to the Commonwealth’s Medical Marijuana Dispensary program in a Wednesday press release, including the requirement for all patients to obtain an electronic certification from a physician and register for the Medical Use of Marijuana Program.
Additionally, the release stated, this new process will grant licenses to registered marijuana dispensaries similarly to the way in which they grant licenses to pharmacies.
The new application process will be instated on May 15 and will rely on a rolling basis to ensure higher expectations for patients, the release stated. The old process, which was originally authorized in 2012, caused delays in dispensaries and inconvenienced patients in need.
Scott Zoback, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services, said the new process will be overall more efficient.
“I think what’s important here is that the process that was revamped under the last administration was long, it was confusing and it was not transparent enough,” he said. “This new process is going to be quicker, more efficient, more transparent.”
Zoback also said that on May 15, patients can expect to see a more streamlined and straightforward application process that has clear expectations for things such as background checks.
“We’re constantly evaluating the program, and this new administration really took a hard look at what happened last year and ways to improve,” Zoback said.
Applicants currently need to have electronic certification and must be registered with the Medical Use of Marijuana Program in order to obtain medication. Zoback said that the new process will also change how applicants are judged upon applying.
“Specifically, one of the big changes from last year is that this application process will operate on a rolling basis while maintaining high safety and suitability standards, and that will allow applicants to be judged to be sure that they meet standards [rather] than be judged as a group,” he said.
The release stated that the Department of Public Health has issued two Certificates of Registration to date, one in December 2014 and one in April 2015, to Alternative Therapies Group and New England Treatment Access, Inc., respectively.
Additionally, the process will only be required for new applications and not the previously certified registered marijuana dispensaries, the release stated.
Several residents and students said that they support less regulation of marijuana in general.
Emma Newcombe, 27, of Allston, said the idea of creating a new process is something that she would get behind.
“The idea of it becoming more efficient, even if it takes a little bit longer, is something I would support,” she said.
Melyssa Cantor, 24, of Allston, said improving the process is important for those who have ailments that can be treated with marijuana.
“It’s important to help the people who actually need medical marijuana get it rather than people who just kind of want it,” she said. “If they have kind of a quickened process for those people, then that’s great.”
Taylor Juretic, a sophomore in Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said using marijuana shouldn’t be penalized, and access to it should be easier.
“There are things that are way more harmful out there, and it’s silly when people get thrown in jail for smoking a plant,” she said. “Also, if they could tax it, it could resolve so many issues.”
