A Cannabis Buyers Club

[Solidly-here]

A California Cannabis Buyer's Club.


A fellow Forum member PM'd, and asked me to describe what a Buyers Club is. First, and foremost, it is a Store which sells Medical Marijuana to people who have been "Certified" by an MD as having a qualifying illness.


At most Clubs, the Buds they have are beautiful. Each Strain is clearly marked on each Baggie, or Jar, or Prescription bottle. They have knowledgeable Sales Clerks; every Clerk is also a Certified patient. I get to find out (if I care) what their favorite Strains are.


In 1996, the California voters (by a HUGE margin) voted to make Marijuana legal for use as a Medicine. This means that recreational use is still against California law (but possession of less than one ounce, quite a bit of Pot for most of us, is a Maximum $100 fine).


Many illnesses are included in the list of Qualifying illnesses (Big ones, little ones, and the catch-all, Chronic Pain). If you have one of these problems, you CAN see a Doctor, and ask him to sign a Marijuana Recommendation (sort of like a Prescription). If he signs the Recommendation, then you are allowed to buy, possess and smoke marijuana, without being pestered by any Law Enforcement officers in California. In fact, recently the DEA (who run around enforcing the Federal Drug laws) stated that they are not going to bother most Medical Marijuana users (and just go after the VOLUME dealers).


This signed Recommendation is my get-out-of-jail-free card. If a cop finds me with Marijuana, I just show him my Recommendation. After inspecting it, he should just leave, and leave me with my Marijuana.


Soon after the Med Pot Initiative passed, the Oakland Cannabis Buyer's Cooperative opened. It was a Marijuana Supermarket (now it's just an ID and paraphrenalia store). To make it easy to tell who has a Valid MD's Recommendation, they decided to issue ID cards (Club Cards); they still provide this service. I bring-in my Recommendation; they verify that it's real; then they issue me an OCBC ID card. This card will allow me to enter any of the 100-or-so Cannabis Buyer's Clubs in California.


Each Buyers Club is unique. One in San Francisco is Really tiny. The whole area for customers is about 6 feet deep, and 12 feet wide. But most are good-sized. Some of the Buyers Clubs allow people to smoke (Vaporize) right there; they are in SF and Berkeley. Most Cities (including Oakland) prohibit smoking on the premises.


I will describe one, in Berkeley. I walk up to the Front Door. I am greeted by a Guard. He inspects my OCBC Club Card; it's my picture, and it's not expired. "OK, go right in." I meet a guy on a computer. He enters my Club Card number in the computer. Bing! I have already registered at this Buyers Club. "You may go in." I walk through a room full of people taking their Medicine. Mmm. What a wonderful combination of smells. I walk past a Counter; they sell Rolling Papers, bongs, Vaporizers ... they also give you free Rolling Papers to use there, bongs to use there, Vaporizers to use there, grinders to use there. They provide free coffee, tea and bottled water. Usually there is a tray of free munchies (veggies, dip, ...).


I keep walking. I go through the door to the back. There's another guy at a computer. I show him my Club Card. He punches it in there. "OK, you can get in line." There is a 30-foot glass case, just chock-full of different Strains of marijuana. There are about 5 Sales Clerks. On the back wall, there is a large blackboard. There are about 30 Strains listed. They are sorted into 5 classifications (their rating system).


When it is my turn, I walk up to the Counter. I ask about a Strain. The Clerk grabs a bowl of it, with about an Eighth in it. I can smell it, play with it (but NOT eat it). "Hey, I want an Eighth of that." She brings me 2 or 3 Eighths to choose from. Hmm. This one has the Biggest nuggets. "I'll take this one." Then, I ask about another one (or 5 if I like). Another Fun bowl. "I'll take an ounce of this one." I pick out my favorite looking one.


If I want to buy a "tainted" candy bar, or some Brownies, I ask to see some. She opens up the Refrigerator, and brings over a Mounds bar, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (with slight name changes), Double Chocolate Brownies, Caramel Cups. If I want some Tincture (THC mixed in Brandy, or other liquor), I ask to see what they have. Hmm, peach flavored brandy. Give me two of those. They usually have at least a couple kinds of Hash (Black and Green). "Do you have any Hash Oil today?" Yes, these 3. "OK, one of these."


"Is that all?" yes. She adds it up on the adding machine. They accept cash and Credit Cards. "Here, put it on my Mastercard." I sign the slip. "Thank you." "Oh, thank you."


I carry my Medicine back out into the Smoking Room. I take a couple minutes plugging in my Vaporizer HeatGun, and stringing the cord to my table. If I want a Grinder, I go over and borrow one. Then I scrunch up some of my new Strain. The smell in that Room is awesome, especially about noon-time. I love to smell all of the different Strains. I take my sweet time getting my first bowl ready.


I fire up my Vaporizer. I kick back for an hour or so. Someone may come over and ask about my Vaporizer. I explain about it, and offer them a Hit or two. I get a cup of bottled water. Being here is Great. I am real safe here. I can smoke in peace.


Each Buyers Club has its own personality. In fact, most owners go out of their way to make theirs Unique. In San Francisco, especially, some of them are weird. There are 43 Buyers Clubs in San Francisco; I've been to about 15 of them.


One of them had its Pot in 1-gallon Sun-Tea jars; "how much do you want? half a hand-ful?" I walked in the door of one, and there were 2 women, sharing a Joint, and both breast-feeding. San Fran is pretty casual. One was obviously owned by gays; clothes-optional pictures all over the walls. One had 8 different kinds of Bread, including Zucchini bread and Date bread. At LEAST one will deliverMarijuana to your home.


I am sure glad to live in California ... home of the Cannabis Buyers Clubs.Edited by: Solidly-here

[Rivet_Head]

Wow...that sounds soo good!


Now I'm thinking of moving there.


Question: If you don't have any illnesses, how hard is it to get a Marijuana Recommendation? Can you fake one?

[Solidly-here]

If you don't have an Illness . . . GET one.


The way the Med Marijuana certification process works is: You go to a Doctor. You tell him why you think that you need Pot as a Medicine. If the Doctor agrees that Med Pot might help you, then he will sign the Certificate.


If you have absolutely NO illness (or Chronic pain), you will have an up-hill battle to be Certified. I have heard of SWIMs who have complained of Mental problems, and said that Pot helps them. But, besides that, I do not know what a certain Doctor may do. Maybe you should consider going to Medical School, so you can Certify yourself.


Buyers Clubs are frequented by a lot of older people. Each time I go, I see at least a couple of 70-year-olds (and at least half are over 40). And one day I met a 94-year-old lady, and I had a delightful time with her. It was so cool. She was taking Monster Hits off of a Gravity Bong. I let her try my Vaporizer. She said that a Bong REALLY works for her . . . what a Sweetie-pie.Edited by: Solidly-here

[polloloco001]

you go to specific doctors. i wont list them here but they are easy to
find by googling. it costs 150 bucks for the consultation thing and
most people get approved. you can say you have chronic pain of some
kind, anxiety, or insomnia if you dont really have something legit like
cancer or glaucoma. it expires after a year.

[insanity]

the key is not to go to the clubs, but go to the people who supply the clubs yumm. so many choices.

[Solidly-here]

Most Buyers Club growers ONLY sell to the Clubs.


The California Med Pot law gives certain growers freedom from police intervention. If a particular grower ONLY sells to Clubs, he is covered by the law. If he sells to Clubs AND others, he is not very safe. Cops still nab Drug Dealers (well, at least once in a while).


And, if you did manage to find a dual-purpose grower, chances are he would only be growing one Strain (maybe 2). A (successful) Buyers Club grower finds a Strain which grows well for him, and usually grows that ONE. How much Fun would it be to smoke the exact same Strain every time?


Some Clubs will not buy from a dual-purpose grower. They need a steady supply of Pot, and they don't want to be involved in a possible Pot Garden bust. Instead they have the grower sign a Contract, promising to sell all he makes (except for personal use) to the Club.