Lebanon
As a hospice and palliative care nurse, he started helping patients apply for their own state-issued cannabis identification cards in December. Then, he found out that his spinal cord injury qualifies him for a card of his own, making Ross the first New Hampshire resident approved to purchase both medical marijuana for patients and himself.
He was also the first in line at Temescal Wellness in Lebanon, as the nonprofit dispensary opened its doors for the first time on Sunday.
“I feel like I’m part of a brand new exciting world,” Ross said. “It’s kind of surreal.”
The Lebanon dispensary is the third to open in the Granite State as part of 2013 legislation legalizing marijuana use for medical purposes. Sanctuary ATC opened in Plymouth, N.H., late last month, and Temescal began operations at another location in Dover, N.H., on May 5.
Under the law, patients with a state-issued identification card are allowed up to two ounces of medical marijuana, and only those with a card are allowed in the dispensaries.
About 15 people gathered outside Temescal’s Lebanon branch, a nondescript office building off of Route 120, for the Sunday opening. Each was asked for their card and a second form of identification before being ushered into an indoor waiting room.
Anthony Parrinello, Temescal’s executive director, said a total of 30 people made their way through the dispensary throughout the day.
“It’s a great feeling that we’re going to be able to turn all the time and energy that we’ve been employing to open our facilities to now just focusing on patients,” said Parrinello, who welcomed each patient in.
Since the Dover dispensary opened, he said, people have come back to tell him they’re now sleeping for the first time in years. Some patients are no longer suffering from migraines, too, he said.
The state Department of Health and Human Services issues identification cards for those suffering from cancer, HIV, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury or other severely debilitating or terminal medical conditions that interfere with daily activities, according to DHHS.
Elizabeth Cavalletto, 32, was one of the first patients out the door on opening day. The Lempster, N.H., resident suffers from lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the immune system attacks tissues and organs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“I had not smoked ever really in my life, but tried it and found it really helpful,” Cavalletto said.
When she spoke to her rheumatologist about applying for a card, Cavalletto said, her doctor was immediately helpful.
“There was absolutely no having to convince him,” she said.
Other than a miscommunication about the photo requirement, the state process was also simple and easy, Cavalletto said.
“I think it’s fantastic,” she said. “I don’t have to be nervous that I’m going to get busted in my own home.”
Obtaining an identification card was a more troublesome process for others.
“We did all the steps ourselves. All the doctor did was sign and send back stuff,” said a Charlestown man who declined to provide his name.
He said his physician incorrectly signed paperwork a few times, and the state made him begin the application process all over again. He sent his first application on Jan. 2, and finally received his card on March 31.
“It’s just new, so it’s a hassle,” he said.
Although those in line were purchasing marijuana legally, some were still worried about the social stigma of using the drug. One 70-year-old Lebanon woman said she worried some people in her assisted living home would react negatively.
“Where I live they’re 80 and 90 years old, and they didn’t grow up with it like I did back in the 70s,” she said. “They just didn’t do it (and) they don’t understand it.”
When more people apply for cards, she expects some of the stigma to go away.
As of early May, the state has approved more than 600 applications for registry cards and received more than 800 applications, according to the Concord Monitor.
Besides a computer glitch that postponed opening, Brett Mills found visiting the dispensary went smoothly.
“It was more or less what I expected. Kind of like a doctor’s office feel to it,” said Mills, 32, of New London.
In the upcoming months, Temescal has promised to add more to its offerings, including more patches and pills. Mills said he’s looking forward to seeing the shelves fill out and trying different products.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I’ve been anxiously awaiting this day.”
As a care provider of two people registered for Sanctuary ATC and another two registered to purchase cannabis in Lebanon, Ross said the dispensaries are “totally different” operations.
Patients in Plymouth are all invited to consult with a staff doctor before going on to a cafe-like dispensary room where they can smell different products, said Ross, the hospice nurse.
He’s excited to see how the dispensaries’ different effects the products have on his patients and intends to track what works best for different symptoms.
He’s also looking forward to using cannabis to relieve pain.
“I’ve still got to go run home and hide in my closet to try my medicine,” Ross joked.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.