#Being a Diet Soda Junkie Puts You at Greater Risk of Weight Gain: Study Does ordering a diet soda with this meal compensate for the calorie overload?
Weve all seen it. Someone bellies up to the fast food counter and orders a Whopper with cheese,
appetite and food intake published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated. In fact, two recent studies found that being a diet soda junkie could actually put you at a greater risk of weight gain.
Normal weight people who drank 3 servings or more of diet soda a day at least 21 weekly servings were at almost double the risk for becoming overweight
according to researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San antonio. And people who consumed at least one daily serving of diet soda
a condition linked with diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, according to a recent study. The American Dietetic Association says theres no conclusive evidence that diet sodas directly cause weight gain,
Dr. David Ludwig director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Childrens Hospital in Boston, cites animal studies that suggest consuming diet drinks alone (not with food) can confuse
or disrupt the bodys ability to determine calorie content based on sweetness. As a result, the hyped-up sugar receptors could increase hunger and food intake,
Ludwig wrote in a commentary last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
For those who have health or other concerns and want to curb their diet soda habit,
But because emerging research suggests possible links between diet soda and metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, kidney problems,
said Colin Henderson, an associate professor at the University of Montanas College of Technology and a member of Dr. Bromenshenks oebee Alert team.
Dr. Bromenshenks team at the University of Montana and Montana State university in Bozeman, working with the Armys Edgewood Chemical Biological Center northeast of Baltimore, said in their jointly written paper that the virus-fungus
Dr. Bromenshenk said of the virus-fungus combo nor is it clear, he added, whether one malady weakens the bees enough to be finished off by the second,
or whether they somehow compound the others destructive power. oetheyre co-factors, thats all we can say at the moment,
Bees, Dr. Wick said, proved to be a perfect opportunity to see what the Armys analytic software tool could do brought. oewe it to bear on this bee question,
saw a television interview with Dr. Bromenshenk about bees. Mr. Wick knew of his brothers work in Maryland,
and remembered meeting Dr. Bromenshenk at a business conference. A retained business card and a telephone call put the Army
and that one answer in protecting bee colonies might be to focus on the fungus controllable with antifungal agents especially
One theory, Dr. Bromenshenk said, is that the viral-fungal combination disrupts memory or navigating skills
is a kind of insect insanity. In any event, the universitys bee operation itself proved vulnerable just last year,
and has other health benefits as well. Milk helps advance weight loss? Thats a surprise to most of us,
but that Vitamin d has other health benefits besides preventing skin cancer. Researchers from Ben-Gurion University (Israel), the University of Leipzig (Germany),
showed that the skin cancer fighter also helped contribute to weight loss. Beyond weight loss, research shows that Vitamin d may also protect against diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
Fat-free milk is recommended. This study Dairy calcium intake, serum Vitamin d, and successful weight loss, is published online (previous to print) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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#imove Apples Newest Venture, a Hybrid Car Apples imove concept car Apple is preparing to add yet another product
#Leading Drug Educator for Children is the Media According to Doctors Media still depicts smoking and drinking favorably.
according to one group of doctors. oewe are 65,000 pediatricians who are concerned vitally with the health of children,
said Dr. Victor Strasburger of the American Academy of Pediatrics, author of a new policy statement on children, adolescents, substance abuse and the media. oewith nearly half of kids at least trying smoking,
and with more than 400, 000 Americans dying every year from tobacco, the academy feels it is really time to ban all tobacco advertising.
On Monday, the academy published the policy statement in its journal Pediatrics, which also recommended limiting alcohol advertising
alcohol and prescription drugs. oeparents have gotten caught up with all the hard drugs cocaine, steroids but they fail to realize that tobacco
and alcohol are still by far the leading drugs among teenagers, Strasburger, also of the University of New mexico in Albuquerque, told Reuters Health.
According to the U s. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, about 46 million Americans light up. Relative to the population, that number is down by more than half since 1965,
although millions still get serious illness every year from smoking. One in five high school students smoked cigarettes in 2007, a number that has dropped also over the past decade.
Strasburger said banning tobacco ads and promotions in all media worked and had decreased smoking rates in other countries such as the UK and Australia. oeat its most fundamental level,
she told Reuters Health. But even if advertising is restricted, exposure to smoking is still common in the media.
and that the media have become one of the leading drug educators today, he said.
oea sample of 9-to 10-year-olds could identify the Budweiser frogs nearly as frequently as they could Bugs bunny. They also say advertisements for prescription medicines like the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra are far too common on television compared to ads for condoms,
and teenagers get the message that there is a pill to cure all ills and a drug for every occasion, including sexual intercourse,
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#High Fructose Corn syrup to be Rebranded as oecorn Sugar Would a Heavily Subsidized, Unhealthy Substance by Any Other Name..?
But perhaps the public will forget all about the health ills associated with the stuff
More and more, science is indicating that the body metabolizes HFCS differently from table sugar in a way that increases the risk of diabetes, liver disease, and obesity.
and glucose has more health consequences than the ones that humans have been consuming for for longer.)
Dr Todd Palmer of the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya and the University of Florida said:
Dr Palmer said. Its yet another example of how the little things run the world.
animal behaviourists say there is no evidence of rodent-phobia among any mammal. The discovery that elephants dislike ants came
when Dr Palmer and colleague Dr Jacob Goheen noticed elephants avoiding a species of acacia tree in the Kenyan plains.
Dr Palmer said. It seems that elephants simply do not like ants swarming up the insides of their trunks
#Tips on How to Germ-Proof Your Kitchen From Scary Foodborne Illnesses Most people cant help
It seems as if every time we turn around there is another outbreak of a scary foodborne illness.
This summers huge egg recall was the latest reminder that we do battle against dangerous pathogens like E coli and salmonella in our kitchens every day.
And expensive antibacterial soaps and washes, cutting boards and meat thermometers are promoted as tools of the trade for a germfree kitchen.
and cooking routines after she became ill with E coli that she and her doctors thought she got from bagged lettuce.
The 50-year-old novelist described her new routine: oei buy almost all my meat and produce from the local farmers market,
Every year, 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur, leading to about 300,000 hospitalizations and 5, 000 deaths.
Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system are most at risk for getting a severe or life-threatening case of food poisoning,
Survivors of serious cases can have long-lasting health issues like kidney problems. As more outbreaks occur,
the nation spent an estimated $152 billion annually on medical and lost productivity costs because of illnesses from tainted food, according to a recent study by the Produce Safety Project at Georgetown University.
because it changes the Food and Drug Administrations whole approach. The F. D. A can be more preventive to better ensure the food that arrives in our kitchens is said safe to begin with
oepasteurized eggs are the easiest way to deal with the risk said Dr. Michael Doyle with the Center for Food safety at the University of Georgia. Pasteurized eggs are heated in the shell to kill harmful bacteria
Dr. Doyle recommends removing and discarding the outer leaves. After washing your hands, rinse the inner leaves thoroughly.
a nonprofit advocacy group working to prevent foodborne illness. So use whichever you prefer or is on sale.
because pathogens can hide in the grooves. UNDERSTAND ORGANIC oeorganic doesnt necessarily mean safer, Ms. Donley said. oethe organic label means grown without pesticides,
it has nothing to do with bacteria and other pathogens. This became especially apparent in 2006,
and vegetables separate to avoid cross-contamination, wash all produce thoroughly and wash platters and other surfaces that come into contact with raw meat and poultry.
see or taste the bacteria that causes illness. Keep in mind this advice from the Center for Science in the Public interest:
Ms. Feist said. oebut they are more at risk of getting seriously ill from tainted food.
1. Canada Geese for endangering public health by soiling parks and lakes, stripping farmers fields and getting in the way of airplanes;
the information could help farmers better identify genetic variations responsible for disease resistance, drought tolerance and yield.
and additional strains of wheat need to be analyzed for the work to be truly useful,
Among the potential benefits of tougher strains of wheat: Lower prices for bread and greater food security for the worlds poor.
One reason for the size is that strains such as the Chinese spring wheat analyzed by Halls team carry six copies of the same gene (most creatures carry two.
Although the code may yet see use by genetic engineers hoping to craft pesticide-resistant strains of wheat,
Until now, breeders seeking to combine the best traits of two strains of wheat would cross pollinate the pair,
#Black Rice is the New Cancer-Fighting Superfood Black rice is low in sugar but packed with healthy fiber
and plant compounds that combat heart disease and cancer. Black rice revered in ancient China but overlooked in the West could be the greatest superfoods,
and plant compounds that combat heart disease and cancer, say experts. Scientists from Louisiana State university analysed samples of bran from black rice grown in the southern U s. They found boosted levels of water-soluble anthocyanin antioxidants.
Anthocyanins provide the dark colours of many fruits and vegetables such as blueberries and red peppers. They are
and prevent the DNA damage that leads to cancer. Food scientist Dr Zhimin Xu said:
Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries,
but with less sugar, and more fibre and Vitamin e antioxidants. If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran?
Especially, black rice bran would be a unique and economical material to increase consumption of health-promoting antioxidants.
Centuries ago black rice Was forbidden known as Rice in ancient China because only nobles were allowed to eat it.
biscuits and other foods healthier, said Dr Xu. When rice is processed, millers remove the outer layers of the grains to produce brown rice
But according to Dr Xus team, varieties of rice that are black or purple in colour are healthier still.
Studies linked some artificial colourants to cancer and behavioural problems in children. The scientists presented their findings today at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
#Top 10 Health Threats To Children#1 health concern is childhood obesity. Adults see obesity as the top health threat to children in their communitiesut not necessarily their own kidsnd many believe the problem is getting worse,
according to a new poll that asked respondents to rank 20 different health concerns. For the third year in a row, childhood obesity topped the list with nearly 40 percent of the 2,
064 adults surveyed ranking it as a oebig problem. Drug abuse (30 percent) and smoking and tobacco use (29 percent) rounded out the top three
When the results were broken down by race, black adults rated smoking as the top health threat to children,
followed by teen pregnancy and obesity. Hispanic adults cited drug abuse; obesity was No. 2. oeat the national level,
obesity as a problem is on par with youth smoking; both have rates similar to non-marijuana illicit drug use among teens,
said pediatrician Matthew Davis, director of the University of Michigan C. S. Mott Childrens Hospital National Poll on Childrens Health.
If marijuana use is included, teen drug use is a substantially more widespread issue than the other two. oehealth risks from all three are quite insidious, for the most part with the consequences felt many years down the road,
Davis said. The survey included adults who had children in the home and those who did not.
Though adults appear to recognize the problem, managing it at both the individual and community level remains a challenge.
Davis will moderate an upcoming Childhood Obesity policy forum at The University of Michigans C. S. Mott Childrens Hospital.
The top 10 health concerns for children: 1. Childhood obesity 2. Drug abuse 3. Smoking and tobacco use 4. Internet safety, 25 percent 5. Stress, 24 percent 6. Bullying, 23
percent 7. Teen pregnancy, 23 percent 8. Child abuse and neglect, 21 percent 9. Alcohol abuse, 20 percent 10.
Not enough opportunities for physical activity, 20 percent Via Chicago tribune Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati d
A growing body of evidence is suggesting that exposure to organophosphate pesticides is a prime cause of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD.
but critics attribute the increased incidence to over-diagnosis. Some attribute the increase to the greater use of pesticides.
The newest study, reported Thursday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, examines the effects of both prenatal and childhood exposure to the pesticides,
Epidemiologist Brenda Eskenazi of UC Berkeley and her colleagues have been studying more than 300 Mexican American children living in the heavily agricultural Salinas Valley.
and 5 years for attention disorders and ADHD, using the mothers reports, performance on standardized computer tests and behavior ratings from examiners.
While one expert suggests the animal might only be suffering from hypertrichosis, a condition once known as werewolf syndrome,
This could be a major headache for sugar beet growers and food producers. Sugar beets make up one-half of the U s. sugar supply.
and one resistant to Bayer Crop sciences Liberty herbicide (gluphosinate). They also found some plants that were resistant to both herbicides,
#The Childhood Goat Trauma Foundation The Childhood Goat Trauma Foundation was created in 1982 by a small group that originally came together as a an informal support group for problems that were the result of traumatic experiences at petting zoos
The Childhood Goat Trauma Foundation is the result of their dream. Through its programs and workshops, individuals from all walks of life have been able to live happier
without the ever-present ghosts of their personal goat traumas. Some have made even such progress that they have been able to put their traumas completely behind them
and rejoin mainstream society. No matter what the effects of your trauma, we can help you.
The effects of a childhood goat trauma vary widely from person to person, depending on the severity of their trauma.
Such problems as irrational fears, unexplained twitching, and insomnia could all have origin in a goat trauma.
The Childhood Goat Trauma Foundation is here to help anyone who has suffered a traumatic run-in with goats.
If you think that the foundation can help you please contact one of their counsellors.
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#China to Shut down 2, 000 Factories to Meet Their Energy-efficiency Goals Coal has made China the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
The vendors seem unperturbed about the possibility that they are breaking the law. oethe police wont crack down us its not guns or drugs
The Masvingo Provincial Veterinary Officer, Dr Ernest Dzimwasha, said there was nothing unusual about the incident
the health risks are lower. He acknowledges that in the west eating insects is a hard sell:
Research has identified concerns for the health of animals produced as a result of cloning. There is some evidence of premature births and deformities.
#Fewer Americans Moving for New Jobs Could Harm an Already Struggling Recovery Unemployed, James Tiffany, would take a financial hit
He and his wife, a physical therapist, moved here from New Smyrna Beach, Fla. about 50 miles away.
a nonprofit committed to improving the nutritional health of children around the world. He also created Aileron,
and places in the story a description of the Mayfair neighborhood in London where the protagonists live or a history of the Black death plague,
opening up a literary trove for the blind and the visually impaired who have had long only a thin selection of audio
Dr. Gary Small, director of the Center on Aging at UCLA and author of oeibrain, said Internet use activated more parts of the brain than reading a book did.
Dr. Colin Freeman from Sheffield University along with colleagues from Warwick University have figured it all out.
the results of this study could be advantageous in the medical field since human bones and teeth are made in a similar way as eggshells.
which people had died from food-borne illnesses such as e coli and CJD. But today Health Secretary Andrew Lansley will unveil a long-awaited white paper containing plans to abolish it as part of a bonfire of quangos.
The decision to reduce regulation on food companies will enrage doctors who only this weekend called on ministers to impose fat taxes on unhealthy food
-and cigarette-style warnings to children about the dangers of a poor diet. The Health Secretary was accused of being taken to the cleaners by food companies after announcing plans to ditch tough controls on salt
sugar and fat content-if producers agree to fund healthy eating campaigns. Junk-food companies admitted they had not yet been asked to provide any money.
saying the closure of health bodies would save £1billion a year in bureaucracy costs. So while the political debate rages, just what ARE British children eating?
in bulk they can cause long-term health problems BREAKDOWN OF THE BULGE Biscuits: The average British child eats 5, 840g a year Equal to:
#Shifting Trend in Luxury Purchases Buying Top Technology and Investing in a Lifestyle Experience The new luxury is about investing in a lifestyle experience that not only can help improve health
who at 56, is semiretired following a heart attack two years ago. oebut cooking healthy food is a big priority.
such as the Hundleys, the new luxury is about investing in a lifestyle experience that not only can help improve health
On weekends, the federal government physician from Albuquerque likes to do yard work and prune the fruit trees he has in his backyard.
Critics claim that financial speculation in food commodities has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths through malnutrition.
said Sibley whose town boasts of amenities such as a hospital, a nursing home, a bank, a newspaper and a pharmacy.
The departments of Treasury, Agriculture and Health and human services have proposed spending $400 million a year to bring grocery stores
The roughly 1, 700 residents of Bement, Ill. shopped in neighboring towns for about a year after their grocery closed.
said Sibley whose town boasts of amenities such as a hospital, a nursing home, a bank, a newspaper and a pharmacy.
The departments of Treasury, Agriculture and Health and human services have proposed spending $400 million a year to bring grocery stores
The roughly 1, 700 residents of Bement, Ill. shopped in neighboring towns for about a year after their grocery closed.
relieve anxiety and irritability from fatigue, and even diminish PMS symptoms. Another brand, Mini Chill, says that
But relaxation drinks are regulated not by the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Wahida Karmally, director of nutrition for the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Columbia University Medical center, said that
while melatonin is prescribed sometimes for jet lag, it affects other hormones. For instance, it can interfere with normal sexual development in children
Melatonin can also interact with prescription medications. Not all relaxation drinks contain melatonin or valerian
Doctors say there is no way to know, and that consumers should confer with their physicians before drinking a bottle which typically costs several dollars.
Dr. Karmally offered some alternatives: take a warm bath before bedtime, listen to relaxing music,
practice yoga, sip warm milk. oea cup of skim milk, she said, oeis about 25 cents.
Anyone who thinks it would be easy to get rich selling marijuana in a state where its legal should spend an hour with Ravi Respeto, manager of the Farmacy, an upscale dispensary here that offers Strawberry Haze, Hawaiian Skunk and other strains
Special July 12th live webcast to discuss emerging opportunities in marijuana industry. She will harsh your mellow. oeno M. B. A. program could have prepared me for this experience,
Officials there had decided that any marijuana-tinged consumables had to be produced in a kitchen in the city. oeyoud never see a law that says,
and taxing a for-profit marijuana Trade in California, medical marijuana dispensary owners work in nonprofit collectives,
but the cannabis pioneers of Colorado are free to pocket as much as they can as long as they stay within the rules.
when dispensary mania began last year, after President Obama announced that federal law enforcement officials wouldnt trouble users
where a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana was passed in 2000, hundreds of dispensaries popped up
and a startling number of residents turned out to be in oesevere pain, the most popular of eight conditions that can be treated legally with the once-demonized weed.
More than 80,000 people here now have medical marijuana certificates, which are essentially prescriptions, and for months new enrollees have signed up at a rate of roughly 1, 000 a day.
As supply met demand, politicians decided that a body of regulations was overdue. The states Department of Revenue has spent months conceiving rules for this new industry
ending the reefer-madness phase here in favor of buzz-killing specifics about cultivation, distribution, storage and every other part of the business.
as well as the District of columbia, that have medical marijuana laws. That is particularly the case in Rhode island, New jersey, the District of columbia and Maine,
Americans spend roughly $25 billion a year on marijuana, according to the Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron
which gives some idea of the popularity of this drug. Eventually, we might be talking about a sizable sum of tax revenue from its sales as medicine, not to mention private investment and employment.
A spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws says hedge fund investors
and an assortment of financial service firms are starting to call around to sniff out opportunities. oewere past the days
if marijuana will give men breasts, says Allen st. Pierre, the executive director of NORML. oenow, the calls are from angel investors
And given that this is all about medicine, what about doctors, some of whom have turned medical marijuana consultations into a highly lucrative specialty?
These and dozens of other questions are now being answered in cities like Boulder, an affluent,
whole-grain kind of college town where the number of dispensaries anywhere from 50 to 100, depending on
During a recent visit, it was clear that for every marijuana seller and physician who thinks that the rules are too strict,
murky or fluid, there are others who can hardly wipe the smile off their faces. oewhen
and saw that there were only four dispensaries in Boulder, and they were all right on campus,
co-owner of the Greenest Green and formerly a medical marijuana seller in Los angeles. oewe went into one and saw like 30 kids in the waiting room, and
Your first foray into a medical marijuana center is slightly disorienting, like breathing underwater during your maiden scuba dive,
The best of Boulders dispensaries display their product in the sort of glass cases found in jewelry stores or high-end bakeries.
although the names of the strains for sale will never be confused with chardonnay: Bubble gum, Sour Kush, Gods Gift, Grand Daddy Purp and Blue Skunk. oethis will throw you for a loop,
says Michael Bellingham, owner of the Boulder Medical Marijuana Dispensary, who is holding a jar of Jack the Ripper,
one of more than a dozen strains he sells. oeits very serious, very strong; it goes right to your brain.
Many have a long history with marijuana, and they remain lets just run with it rue to share their names.
One dispensary employee swears that his hippie parents christened him Onefree but he prefers to be called Dave
A few dispensary owners declined to be interviewed; many are still wrapping their heads around the idea that
marijuana remains a oeschedule I Controlled Substance, alongside heroin and L. S d. Most owners, though, were happy to show off their wares at retail,
and its stuff that has little in common with the Cheech-and-Chong era of this drug.
and a lot of dispensaries offer loyalty cards buy a lot, get some free. If smoking doesnt appeal, there are lots of pot edibles, like cookies, fudge, butter, candy bars, muffins,
The marijuana merchants in Colorado, like trailblazers in any business, had to make a lot of basic decisions
What should a for-profit medical marijuana dispensary look like, anyway? State law says that the cannabis has to be in oelimited access areas,
but as far as interior decorating mandates go, thats it. So theres variety. The Greenest Green looks like a bar in Amsterdam,
patients could oemedicate on the premises, with options that included a $5 hit of hash oil from an elaborate bonglike device called a skillet.
The Green Room has a Pottery Barn in Bohemia feel with an espresso bar and a separate room for a massage therapist.
Another, Dr. Reefer its the name of the dispensary and the trade name of the owner is proudly ramshackle,
in part because it hasnt been renovated thoroughly since a restaurant moved off the premises. oethis used to be a hot dog place called Whats Up Dog
says Pierre Werner, Dr. Reefer himself. oewhen Whats Up Dog closed, I moved in the very next day,
Mr. Werner, for the record, is not actually a doctor. Rather as he puts it with a note of pride and defiance, hes a oethree-time convicted felon for possession of marijuana with intent to sell.
That history, as well as his habit of standing near the side of the road and waving a huge Dr. Reefer sign at passing cars while shouting oecome get your meds,
makes other dispensary owners, not to mention some local politicians, wince. After all, theyre trying to create respectability maybe even some class and Dr. Reefers not helping.
If there is a historical precedent for whats now happening in Colorado, it could be the 1920s and the era of Prohibition.
During Americas dry age the federal alcohol ban carved out an exemption for medicinal use,
and doctors nationwide suddenly discovered they could bolster their incomes by writing liquor prescriptions. Pharmacies, which filled those prescriptions,
and were one of the few places whiskey could be bought legally, raked it in. Through the 1920s, the number of Walgreens stores soared from 20 to nearly 400.
Prohibition also enriched adventurous sorts at every level of booze production and consumption, from grape farmers and distillers to the owners of speakeasies.
More than a few in the marijuana business say they believe they are early entrants in a market that could be huge
which every person with a medical marijuana certificate can assign to a seller of choice.
The caregiver rights of each patient, as customers are known universally, allow a dispensary to sell the marijuana of six plants,
though the pot can be sold to anyone with a certificate. So the more caregiver rights a dispensary collects
the more pot it can sell. The second essential: grow your own. A pound of marijuana can be sold at retail for somewhere between $5, 500 and $7, 500.
To buy that quantity wholesale will cost about $4, 000. Grow it yourself and the same pound will cost just $750 to $1,
if you dont grow your own marijuana. But youll get 70 to 80 percent margins
A batch of regulations known as Amendment 1284, signed by the governor on June 7, is expected to put many dispensaries out of business,
treat dispensaries a bit like pharmacies and a bit like casinos. Felons will soon be prohibited from owning dispensaries.
Mr. Werner is selling the Dr. Reefer store. Twenty-four-hour Webcams will be trained on every growing facility and dispensary in the state.
There are restrictions on hours, new rules for licensing, labeling and on and on. Dispensary owners, generally speaking, arent complaining.
The more regulated the business becomes, the easier it will be to operate, says Ms. Respeto of the Farmacy.
The company, which was founded co by her father, has big ambitions: to become a medical marijuana dispensary franchise
and do for Super Silver Haze what Rite aid did for pills. The store in Boulder is actually the companys fifth;
there are three in California and one in Denver. oei used to manage Whole Foods stores on the East Coast,
instead is the 50-year-old woman who suffers from arthritis and this is her choice of pain medication.
The medical dimensions of this industry seem in perpetual tension with its stoner roots. All dispensary workers sound utterly sincere about the health benefits of marijuana,
and each has a story about an elderly man whose chronic back pain vanished when he was introduced to the healing powers of Sour Diesel.
These are true stories, and theres no doubting that pot helps a lot of people who are in genuine pain.
But when was the last time your pharmacy had a milkshake night? Selling oedosage controlled scoops of chocolate peanut butter ice cream?
Judging from three days of visits to a dozen places, the sweet spot of the dispensary demographic seems to be 20-to 30-year-olds, all of whom,
when asked, say they have an ailment insomnia, menstrual cramps or an assortment of painful-sounding bone problems. oei fractured a vertebra in my back,
Like every patient, Mr. Aten is courted assiduously with freebies by dispensaries who covet his caregiver rights. oemy guy used to give me a free half-ounce every month,
Mr. Aten first needed to pass a medical exam certifying that marijuana is appropriate medicine for him.
visit the office of Dr. James Boland, about nine miles outside of Boulder, in a strip mall in Broomfield.
In a matter of minutes, patients are greeted by a secretary, have notarized their papers by a notary public
which on this day has a TV playing an instructional video on making your own hash. oetoday,
I saw about 40 patients, but sometimes well have 100 patients come through here, Dr. Boland says,
sitting in his small examination room. He is dressed in dark green scrubs like a man on a work break from a MASH unit.
Until last year, he earned a modest income handling workers comp claims for a local furniture manufacturer.
Then he decided to enter medical marijuana full time, and he opened this place, which technically isnt a doctors office,
but a oemanaging/marketing firm called Relaxed Clarity. His employees are allowed to do what he cant show up in dispensaries to pitch his services.
And when patients arrive, they find a highly streamlined operation. Each examination lasts three to five minutes. oeall youre doing is answering the narrow question:
does this person have a condition that qualifies them? says Dr. Boland. oeand do they have anything else that would place them at risk for an adverse outcome
if they use medical marijuana? Yes to the first question, no to the second those are the answers about 90 percent of the time,
he says. And he stands by every one of those decisions. By the standards of a workaday medical practice, this is simple and headache-free work, according to Dr. Boland,
unless you count the hidden-camera TV journalists who have dropped by hoping to find misconduct,
or the lingering fears that if youre too liberal with your signature, the states medical board might discipline you.
A very small number of doctors approves a majority of certificates, and Dr. Boland is one of the most prolific of them All in one year alone,
working just three days a week at Relaxed Clarity, hes seen 7, 000 patients, each paying an average of $150 for a visit.
He takes out a calculator and does some quick arithmetic. Thats more than $1 million, grossed in 12 months. oetheres no waiting for an insurance company to pay you a fraction of what you billed,
Dr. Boland says. oeits just boom, you know, cash on the spot. So you can make a significant amount of money doing this.
Like the Farmacy, Dr. Boland hopes to take his medical marijuana business national, opening Relaxed Clarity offices in other states.
The lack of profits has been a source of stress for Ms. Respeto. Maybe as the industry matures, it will become more predictable and easier to navigate, less given to panicky phone calls about unforeseen U-turns.
Until then, the good news is that she is surrounded, day in and day out, by one of the best-known relaxants on earth.
The Future of Marijuana Uncovering the Opportunities July 12, 2010 Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati F
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