COLORADO: Medical Marijuana Registry Program Update

Medical Marijuana Registry Program Update

(as of February 28, 2009)

In the November 2000 general election, Coloradoans passed Amendment 20, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) was tasked with implementing and administering the Medical Marijuana Registry program. In March of 2001, the State of Colorado Board of Health approved the Rules and Regulations pertaining to the administration of the program, and on June 1st, 2001, the Registry began accepting and processing applications for Registry Identification cards.

Statistics of the registry include:

• 6,796 new patient applications have been received to date since the registry began operating in June 2001. Thirty-four (34) applications have been denied, 14 cards have been revoked, 145 patients have died, and 1,175 cards have expired, bringing the total number of patients who currently possess valid Registry ID cards to 5,428. The renewal rate is 57%.
• Seventy-one percent of approved applicants are male.
• The average age of all patients is 36. Currently 4 patients are minors (under the age of 18).
• Sixty-two counties (95% of counties) in Colorado have registered applicants. Forty-nine percent of patients reside in the Denver-metro and Boulder area, with the remainder of patients found in counties throughout Colorado.
• Patients on the Registry represent all the debilitating conditions covered under Amendment 20. Severe pain accounts for 87% of all reported conditions; muscle spasms account for the second-most reported condition at 23%.
• Fifty-nine percent of patients have designated a primary care-giver (someone who has significant responsibility for managing the patient’s care).
• Over 600 different physicians have signed for patients in Colorado.

Please see the tables below for a complete listing of all statistical information.

As of June 14, 2004 care-givers are no longer issued cards.

As of January 25, 2008 only a portion of the patient’s social security number appears on their registration card.

As of October 27, 2008 all applications, renewal and changes to the Registry must be submitted via mail and include a legible photo copy of the patient’s Colorado Identification. Faxes and emails will no longer be accepted.

As of December 1, 2008 all changes to the Registry must be signed by the patient making the change in blue ink.

The Amendment requires that an application be approved or denied within 35 days of receipt by CDPHE. Currently, the Registry is issuing ID cards within three weeks of receipt of a complete application.

In addition to administering the Registry, CDPHE has been charged with accepting and reviewing petitions to add conditions to the current list of debilitating medical conditions/symptoms. To date, four petitions have been received, one for Parkinson’s disease, one for Asthma, one for Anxiety and another for Bi-Polar Disorder. All petitions were subsequently denied due to lack of scientific evidence that treatment with marijuana might have a beneficial effect.

There have been three marijuana-related convictions of patients on the Registry, and no physicians have experienced federal reprisals. However, reluctance to participate due to the inconsistencies between state and federal marijuana laws has been expressed by doctors and patients alike.

Another barrier to participation on the Registry may be the cost. No general funds have been designated for this program, and the Amendment allows CDPHE to collect fees to cover the administrative costs of administering the program. Currently the fee is $90, and is evaluated annually by CDPHE. The fee was lowered from $110 on June 1, 2007.

Numerous questions have arisen regarding interpretation of statutory language. The law does not clearly state where marijuana plants may be grown or if two or more patients and/or care-givers may share one growing space. Statutory language also places certain burdens upon local and state law enforcement officers, such as the requirement of keeping alive plants that are confiscated until a resolution is reached (i.e. a decision not to prosecute, the dismissal of charges, an acquittal, etc.).

Table I: County Information

County	Number of Patients	Percent of Patients
Adams	365	7%
Alamosa	7	<1%
Arapahoe	421	8%
Archuleta	17	<1%
Baca	6	<1%
Bent	3	<1%
Boulder	517	10%
Broomfield	47	<1%
Chaffee	32	<1%
Cheyenne	*	*
Clear Creek	14	<1%
Conejos	*	*
Costilla	*	*
Crowley	5	<1%
Custer	8	<1%
Delta	51	1%
Denver	686	13%
Dolores	6	<1%
Douglas	153	3%
Eagle	41	<1%
El Paso	604	11%
Elbert	17	<1%
Fremont	52	<1%
Garfield	42	<1%
Gilpin	26	<1%
Grand	32	<1%
Gunnison	29	<1%
Hinsdale	3	<1%
Huerfano	36	<1%
Jackson	*	*
Jefferson	637	12%
Kit Carson	*	*
La Plata	88	2%
Lake	26	<1%
Larimer	569	10%
Las Animas	17	<1%
Lincoln	*	*
Logan	9	<1%
Mesa	139	3%
Moffat	5	<1%
Montezuma	21	<1%
Montrose	63	1%
Morgan	8	<1%
Otero	25	<1%
Ouray	9	<1%
Park	57	1%
Phillips	4	<1%
Pitkin	6	<1%
Prowers	*	*
Pueblo	95	2%
Rio Blanco	5	<1%
Rio Grande	5	<1%
Routt	14	<1%
Saguache	11	<1%
San Juan	*	*
San Miguel	11	<1%
Sedgwick	*	*
Summit	69	1%
Teller	63	1%
Washington	*	*
Weld	232	4%
Yuma	4	<1%

* Indicates fewer than three patients in each category

Table II: Conditions

Reported Condition	Number of Patients Reporting Condition	Percent of Patients Reporting Condition**
Cachexia	109	2%
Cancer	193	4%
Glaucoma	72	1%
HIV/AIDS	94	2%
Muscle Spasms	1,221	23%
Seizures	214	4%
Severe Pain	4,737	87%
Severe Nausea	1,139	21%

**Does not add to 100% as some patients report using medical marijuana for more than one debilitating medical condition.

Table III: User Characteristics

Sex	Percent on Registry	Average Age**
Male	70%	36
Female	30%	38

** The overall average age of all patients is 36 years old.

(Source: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hs/Medicalmarijuana/marijuanaupdate.html)