Nation's first medical marijuana center to open in Phoenix

by Jim Cross/KTAR (February 2nd, 2012 @ 5:00am)

Armed security stands guard outside of the Compassion First Caregivers center near 7th Avenue and Deer Valley Road.

Inside are special tents and lights used to grow medical marijuana.

That center will be the headquarters for almost 50 caregivers and hundreds of patients who need medical marijuana.

"Caregivers will grow the marijuana on behalf of the patients," said Kendrick Speagle with Compassion First. "We have cultivation experts on staff to provide technical assistance to caregivers."

Speagle said that after years of medical marijuana facing legal hurdles in Arizona, it's a great sense of relief to be opening February 18th.

"We've finally reached the point where patients can get the help they so badly need," he said.

Speagle said most of the controversy surrounding medical marijuana has been the blending by some that recreational marijuana usage and medical marijuana is the same when it is certainly not the case.

"People with legitimate, verifiable medical conditions should be able to exercise their decisional autonomy in choosing the medication that is best for them," he said.


Last 5 Comments

  • Reply Abuse Vote
    A step in the right direction
    SpaceRig
    I personally believe in the total legalization of Marijuana but this "medical marijuana" game we're now playing is a step in the right direction (for you non history buffs out there, this is nothing new. Alcohol was sold legally by doctors throughout prohibition). Maybe someday we can all stop pretending that a plant that hurts nobody, that you can't OD on, that's not physically addictive is a worthy of the billions of dollars we waste every year trying to fight the use and distribution of it.
  • Reply Abuse Vote
    Really Dumb
    Jshope
    Now that we are being forced into ObamaCare, working Americans will be forced to pay for "sick" people to get high. When productivity continues to decrease and addictions rise, the taxpayers will be forced to pay for the increase care that the drug users will need. Don't claim this is an increase in liberties. This is one more chain on the people that are already carrying this decaying society.
  • Reply Abuse Vote
    Really?
    Mallard
    This just in: People are issued addictive painkillers. Film at 11. This just in: People using Xanex should not drive. LOL. Wait... one more.. This just in, Man with broken arm uses morphine. Mary-Ju-Ana is just a hideous drug. Never mind the legal drugs we make to do what this gateway plant does. LOL Folks out here just crack me up with their ignorance.
  • Reply Abuse Vote
    Republicans Should be for Mary Jane
    horboy80
    Republicans should be for the legalization of marijuana. What do Republicans stand for? Smaller government. By legalizing MJ you would have less need of so many government employees who work in the DEA, justice department, judges, lawyers, prisons, ect ect ect. They also want less taxes. Well by legalizing MJ and taxing it, the people who do not smoke will be paying less taxes as well as the lower amount of taxes from the smaller government.
  • Reply Abuse Vote
    Redundant. Everyone of the two dozen
    Michoacan
    people I know who have MM cards have been finding ample supplies from day one. Not always legal sources, but the don't ask, don't tell LE response seems to be largely in play for card holders.
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