The Rhode Island medical marijuana program: an exploratory study

On January 3, 2006, the Rhode Island General Assembly enacted legislation that mandated the Department of Health (DOH) to implement a program to register qualified patients and their caregivers to allow possession and cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana for personal use for statutorily defined illnesses and debilitating conditions. This study was designed to describe the formulation and implementation of the program; identify stakeholder expectations and perceptions of the program; identify patient's expectations prior to enrollment; and identify patient's perceived experience of the enrollment process. The study findings indicated that 309 different practitioners had certified 980 patients was an indication of a level of program effectiveness meeting patient needs; that there was no indication that patients had been arrested or prosecuted for participating in the program; and that despite ongoing concerns with consistent access to marijuana, patients were pleased that the program existed.