12 Plants or 8 Ounces

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HALL’S EXPERIENCE is not unique. Accompanied by Doug Sanders (not his real name), yet another volunteer, I headed to Mission Valley’s Medimar Clinic. Under the direction of physician Kenneth Johnson, the clinic has been under scrutiny since April 2007, when two high school students were issued medical cards.

Located on the third floor of an open-air office building, the clinic bore no resemblance to a medical facility. The green lettering of the clinic’s sign had peeled off, leaving only “IMAR” exposed on the tinted window.

Filtering into the hallway were 15 patients, wearing T-shirts and trucker hats with slogans like “Bros Before Hos” and “A good wave is a terrible thing to waste.” Afros and dreadlocks were the ’dos of choice, highlighted by a collision of tattoos and body piercings. Decorating the door were stickers reading “Legalize it” and “THC.”

Behind a faux-wood desk sat Aaron and Chuck, assistants of Dr. Johnson. As marijuana activists, they spoke passionately about cannabis and the rights of California residents. Those in the waiting room nodded in agreement as if they were the chosen leaders of the hemp revolution.

One patient asked, “How much weed can I grow on my property?”

Chuck handed him an information packet on Proposition 215 and explained, “In North County, you don’t need to lock your marijuana in a greenhouse. It is your right to grow 12 marijuana plants on your property, and your landlord can’t say a damn thing!”

Nodding in agreement, the patient added, “Renewing my card is more of an insurance policy than anything else. If I’m high all day long, I want to make sure I’m legally protected.”

As I sat beside volunteer Sanders, I watched as he filled out the three-page medical packet. He had no proof to verify his nonexistent condition. The paperwork requested the name of a primary care physician; Sanders wrote, “Don’t have one.”

Shortly thereafter, he was ushered in for his consultation. Dr. Johnson appeared to be in his mid-sixties and was dressed in black pants and a blue shirt. In his office were a desk, two chairs, a scale and a bookcase filled with green medical files. During Sanders’ five-minute visit, he claimed to be suffering from chest pain, caused by years of smoking.

“I did not think Dr. Johnson would give me the recommendation,” says Sanders, “especially because I was complaining about chest pain.”

Dr. Johnson took Sanders’ blood pressure, told him about Proposition 215 and handed him a signed Physician’s Statement and Recommendation.

“The doctor said I can have 8 ounces of cannabis on me at any given time,” says Sanders. He paid the $125 evaluation fee and was handed an informational packet and a Medimar medical card, valid for one year. The packet included a list of three walk-in dispensaries and 20 delivery companies that serve patients through out San Diego County.

AFTER REVIEWING THE LIST of recommended dispensaries, Sanders and I visited San Diego’s Answerdam. Curtains covered the windows, and floor fans dispersed the pungent smell of marijuana. Cameras were aimed at the door, and informational packets littered the coffee table. In charge of Answerdam was Ed, who met us in the waiting room and asked for our medical cards.

Sanders, who had forgotten his new medical marijuana card, was ordered to leave the premises immediately. This left me alone with Ed. On the desk were 12 glass bottles containing different types of marijuana. Some acted as sedatives and others as stimulants. To my left was a rotating pastry shelf, displaying everything from hash brownies to reefer Rice Krispies treats.

After taking a whiff of the samples, I settled on the minimum purchase possible, an eighth of an ounce. For this mango-flavored marijuana, I paid $70, plus $20 for my co-op membership and $30 for an assortment of marijuana treats. Five minutes later, I was headed home with a bag full of marijuana products. The whole process had been remarkably simple. Even more, it had been entirely legal.

How much power does the medical-marijuana movement have? On January 24, the California Supreme Court dealt a blow to supporters. The court ruled an employer has the right to fire workers found using the drug —even if it was legally recommended by a doctor.

“No state law could completely legalize marijuana for medical purposes, because the drug remains illegal under federal law,” wrote Justice Kathryn Werdegar.

But medical-marijuana proponents vow to fight onward. According to Dr. Jimenez, the determination of cannabis advocates is relentless.

“It is something we’re very passionate about,” he says. “We’re not going to go away.”

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