The citizens of Colorado who have been denied or rejected for Medical Marijuana Licenses are respectfully requesting reconsideration of the recent decision to deny patients who were seen by Physician’s Assistants or Nurse Practitioners.  Whereas the Department of Regulatory Agencies has previously given authorization to PA’s and NP’s to recommend Medical Marijuana, we feel it is incumbent upon the CDPHE to consider this and rather than denying patients and forcing them to wait the mandatory 6 months, to reject those patients so that they may be seen and reapply immediately. 

One must also consider that seriously ill patients who need Marijuana as medicine may find it easier to access the black market, and thereby the CDPHE would be directly pushing people to the illegal Marijuana trade in our community.  Why punish the patient for the mistake of regulators and thus service providers? The CDPHE should take responsibility for its lack of foresight in this matter, and its recent interpretation of the constitution that constricts the practice of licensed Physician’s Assistants and Nurse Practitioners.  Keep in mind that these same medical professionals can perform most medical tasks, from prescribing Oxycoton, a highly addictive and destructive pain killer, to resetting a broken bone. The double standard and discriminatory practice is maddening to those affected by the decision. 

The CDPHE has made criminals out of the 4,200 patients it either rejected or denied, and gave no apology for taking 4 months to process their applications which is also a violation of their own laws. Under the current decision, patients must wait 6 months before reapplying which means they will either suffer needlessly or find other, less safe ways to access cannabis.  The CDPHE should change the denials into rejections so people can reapply now.