Demand

[BigAl]

I would like to become a caregiver because I like to grow things, is there a demand? I am looking at it from an econmic point of view. Some posts here say patients should learn to grow there own. I would like to be helpful, I believe in the cause, but also have a desire to make some money, legally of course. What do you all think! And can you be a caregiver without medicene to start with?

[Guest jburnsrubr]

if by make money you mean you want to invest in a grow,and over the course of a year maybe break even then yes. and your 2nd question is the catch 22. somone would make you their caregiver because they need medicine.

[LansingAreaCaregiver]

YES! But only if you're going to do it the right way. This CAN be a tremendous economic opportunity. In most MM states, about 1% of the overall population applies for and receives their MM card. Figure 1/2 grow their own. Half of the remaining (.25% of the population) uses a friend/family member as a caregiver. That leaves .25% of the state's population looking for professional caregiving services.

 

That being said, the way the MI law is set up, with each caregiver being able to serve only 5 patients, it isn't necessarily EASY to make a living off caregiving. Think of it this way, if you have all 5 of your slots filled, and are looking to make $50,000 year, that means each of your patients will be spending well over $10,000 each on your medicine (because you also have to figure in your operating expenses.) Not many MM patients can afford that level of MM use.

 

I started my caregiving service without meds, but it wasn't easy and it was expensive. Patients deserve to know that you can perform before investing in your service. I did this by offering completely free meds for a full year to patients who will were willing to work with me. In the end, they took quite a risk on me (waiting 4 months until their first harvest) but in the end, they got quite a return on that investment of trust!

 

I also believe that anyone who can grow their own should, but there will be LOTS of people who simply can't or choose not to, and who are willing to pay the convenience of a full service caregiver.

[______]

I don't think there is a lot of demand for caregivers with whom the patient has no previous relationship. My thought would be that you should find a friend who is a patient or wants to be a patient. Do this as a friend and work it out so that they are only paying you for your actual cash outlay or even less. Then when you have meds available you should find it easier to find patients who have an immediate need.

 

As pointed out by LansingAreaCaregiver, the way the law is written you wont get rich off this program. With only five patients it just is not going to pay enough to make a living. You might make enough to cover your expenses and make this a fun hobby.

 

I would think that caregivers making a $50,000 either have patients who are reselling medicine or they are selling medicine to the black market themselves. Working within the law it just does not appear likely.

[simonbloomfield]

I don't think there is a lot of demand for caregivers with whom the patient has no previous relationship. My thought would be that you should find a friend who is a patient or wants to be a patient. Do this as a friend and work it out so that they are only paying you for your actual cash outlay or even less. Then when you have meds available you should find it easier to find patients who have an immediate need.

 

As pointed out by LansingAreaCaregiver, the way the law is written you wont get rich off this program. With only five patients it just is not going to pay enough to make a living. You might make enough to cover your expenses and make this a fun hobby.

 

I would think that caregivers making a $50,000 either have patients who are reselling medicine or they are selling medicine to the black market themselves. Working within the law it just does not appear likely.

Agreed, YOu won't make much if you stay legal. If you consider Caregiver to Caregiver transfers to be legal you will have a much easier time selling/getting rid of your extra meds.

[dlovas]

if by make money you mean you want to invest in a grow,and over the course of a year maybe break even then yes. and your 2nd question is the catch 22. somone would make you their caregiver because they need medicine.

get your patient card first so you have meds firszt and get a few grows under ur belt first....

[dlovas]

YES! But only if you're going to do it the right way. This CAN be a tremendous economic opportunity. In most MM states, about 1% of the overall population applies for and receives their MM card. Figure 1/2 grow their own. Half of the remaining (.25% of the population) uses a friend/family member as a caregiver. That leaves .25% of the state's population looking for professional caregiving services.

 

That being said, the way the MI law is set up, with each caregiver being able to serve only 5 patients, it isn't necessarily EASY to make a living off caregiving. Think of it this way, if you have all 5 of your slots filled, and are looking to make $50,000 year, that means each of your patients will be spending well over $10,000 each on your medicine (because you also have to figure in your operating expenses.) Not many MM patients can afford that level of MM use.

 

I started my caregiving service without meds, but it wasn't easy and it was expensive. Patients deserve to know that you can perform before investing in your service. I did this by offering completely free meds for a full year to patients who will were willing to work with me. In the end, they took quite a risk on me (waiting 4 months until their first harvest) but in the end, they got quite a return on that investment of trust!

 

I also believe that anyone who can grow their own should, but there will be LOTS of people who simply can't or choose not to, and who are willing to pay the convenience of a full service caregiver.

 

I have heard of CG's boasting of making a lot of money ..I have yet to see it myself but if your dumping overages to Dispensaries then well it can work. But my patients are only roughly paying 250.00 an Oz so do 250.00 to 500.00 a month max by 5 patients well it is not 6 figures you can eek out 20,000-35,000 the latter on the very high end of the spectrum. Dispensary owners are the only ones who can make sick money...but they also have a lot of risk as well. In MI Dispensaries are not written into our law that well. Which makes them out in planet Shady..especially with comments I have been reading from certain MSP units ans drug unit team commanders. They are still going after easy money easy pickin medical grow ops. They need their over time so they for sure are targeting large CG and or co-ops as well.

[JC MD]

BigAl You are missing the point of being a caregiver its not to get rich like alot of the people thought at the begining and these people are being weeded out by the community and by their patients who are sick of being left in the dark on everything. So that being said if you like to grow things and are good at it start an organic veggie farm as that should pull some loot. But Being a caregiver is about caring about the patient not the money. And at thins point most patients that eed a caregiver have one that is what i have been told. But if this is what you want to do thenm go to your local compasion club and tell them you are a acaregiver and need some buissness i mean some patients. Not to be mean but if you are in it for the money please stay away people like this will hurt the cause not help no matter what your intentions are when you start talking of making money off sick people then karama will find you peace.

[drtarzanmd]

I would like to become a caregiver because I like to grow things, is there a demand? I am looking at it from an econmic point of view. Some posts here say patients should learn to grow there own. I would like to be helpful, I believe in the cause, but also have a desire to make some money, legally of course. What do you all think! And can you be a caregiver without medicene to start with?

 

First of all ... I'd like to Welcome you " BigAl " to MMMA 2.0

 

Not sure why you got 2 negitive reps ?

 

But then again , Being a Caregiver is a touchy topic around here...

Just depends on what your reason is for wanting to become a Caregiver ?

 

My First Suggestion is get involved in your Local Compassion Clubs...

Go to as many meetings as you can ....

 

It would really be hard to be a Caregiver w/out having Meds ...

Maybe getting involved in a Co-op , Working together w/ other

Caregivers might be your answer....

 

Many things to think about ... But i want to wish you nothing

but the best of Luck and i truely hope your hearts in the right place ?

[+kurt klaas]

This info is provided by the Holland Compassionate Care Community (hollandccc.org)

 

How to Become a Professional Primary Caregiver for Medical Marijuana Patients

 

To become a Caregiver, you should first thoroughly investigate what will be required of you to become a Caregiver and determine if you have the proper qualifications. That is, do you have the proper character, motivation, interests, compassion, skills, time, physical facility to grow marijuana and the upfront cash needed to purchase startup materials?

 

Prospective Caregivers need to understand what they are getting in to, and they need to have realistic expectations. This requires presenting some blunt facts. The key question you will have to consider in becoming a Caregiver is this: since the activity of Caregivers is completely unregulated by the state, do you have enough of what it takes—such as the things listed above—to become a Caregiver for a medical marijuana patient that will rise to a professional level of competence?

 

You should not answer this question too quickly. The Michigan Department of Community Health that administers the state’s medical marijuana program does not have the authority to screen prospective Caregivers, except to check the criminal record of applicants, and does not make inspections or take enforcement actions. Therefore, anyone can offer to provide Caregiver services, even if they are not properly qualified. Regrettably, some Caregivers are incompetent in one key aspect of the profession or another. If Caregivers were carefully regulated—as most service occupations are by the government, such as requiring specific educational attainments or requiring an examination for certification—many of them would be disqualified for their sub professional abilities. A few others would be arrested for their crooked, illegal activities.

 

To oversimplify matters, there are two types of Caregivers, and they are distinguished by the difference in their motivation. Some persons are motivated to become a Caregiver primarily because they imagine it’s an easy way to make lots of money quickly. The other type of Caregiver is devoted to the medical marijuana cause and to compassion for patients. The one group is motivated by greed, the other by concern for human beings. By listening and watching the actions of specific Caregivers, you can pretty quickly tell which ones are driven primarily by self-interest and which are driven primarily by the ideal that “it’s all about the patients”. For professional Caregivers, it’s all about the patients and serving them. You need to have realistic expectations. Forget about making lots of money, more than you have ever had. Sure, there are always a few who pull this off, especially those who are willing to risk breaking the law by diverting marijuana to the street market. The reality is most Caregivers are not going to make a living off of medical marijuana. For most persons, it’s going to be a side job. You might want to view your service to grow a garden for a patient as a sort of hobby for which you receive compensation. But even as a part time job, don’t think it’s going to require very little time and effort.

 

If you are starting from scratch, becoming a professional medical marijuana Caregiver is a long road that requires a great deal of self-discipline and self-teaching and cash, among other things. Starting from scratch, costs for a grow operation for your first patient can easily reach $2000.00. To be sure, you are investing this money in starting up a business of a kind, which will eventually generate enough returns to cover startup costs, your labor and other expenses. But in the meantime, you will need startup cash. However, you could negotiate a startup fee with a new patient to cover some of the initial expenses.

 

You’ll also need to educate yourself about the science of marijuana, such as its medical benefits and risks, known as its “pharmacological profile”. For instance, you should know what the scientific research data shows about whether or not marijuana has an addiction risk for some persons. You will also need to learn the law regarding medical marijuana, which is also crucial. And you will need to learn how to help a patient become registered with the state, among other things. To help you with these and other key issues, the Holland Compassionate Care Community has available the Michigan Medical Marijuana Guide. It contains much of what you need to know to elevate your care-giving into a profession. And of course you’re going to learn lots of things by attending club meetings and other activities.

 

And then you will need to find patients that are in need of a Caregiver. Sometimes you will have to compete for these patients with other Caregivers. Frankly, the need to sign up five patients in order to become a well-compensated Caregiver drives some of them to greedy behaviors. One patient extensively involved in Michigan’s medical marijuana movement has described Caregivers as “hawks on mice” because of the frantic competition they sometimes display. It might be more politically correct not to mention such unpleasant facts. But there’s a good reason to draw attention to the unprofessional behaviors of some Caregivers: it is the responsibility of a Compassionate Care Club to do what it can to address problems regarding incompetent or unethical Caregivers and hold up high, professional standards. And the best way to deal with potential problem Caregivers is to deal with them head on, right up front. Anything less than total professionalism in all areas of the occupation is unacceptable. The standards we uphold as a community should be nothing less than what generally characterizes professional occupations of every sort. Wouldn’t you agree?

 

There are a variety of ways Caregivers can search for patients. One of the best ways is through your existing network of friends and family. Some people that you know know nothing about how they could be helped by medical marijuana. Educate them and offer your service, not all at once but in one appropriate step at a time (Give them a copy of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Guide). Advertising, such as in the local Flashes, can also get you leads. However, in order to protect yourself from quacks and thieves, do not use your primary phone number as a contact method. Use a special contact phone number or email address. Of course, advertising, too, will require expense. Also, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association web site allows publishing a state-wide ad once per month. Also, networking through involvement with a local compassion club might get you leads. However, the HollandCCC has created a procedure for regulating how Caregivers can offer their services in or through the club. Some clubs simply allow anyone, no matter their qualifications or reputation, to offer their services during public meetings. We feel this doesn’t create a sound procedure for screening Caregivers so that a minimal level of competency is maintained. Therefore, only Caregivers who are members of our club will be approved for offering their services, if they want to do so through the club. We are currently working on creating an application questionnaire for Caregivers, the answers to which will be posted in a confidential list of all recommended Caregivers who want to offer their services in or through the club. This list will be made available to Patients searching for Caregivers.

 

Finally, as a Caregiver, you will obviously need to become proficient at growing medicine-grade marijuana (most likely indoors). For you first crop, keep it simple as possible. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the finer aspects of producing really bountiful, fast crops. Unless you have had some prior horticulture experience, stick to soil at first, which is the simplest method. After having gained some experience, you can move up to a more productive hydroponic method.

 

In sum, nothing really worth doing is easy. Becoming a professional medical marijuana Caregiver is not easy. But the relationship of care-giving you will develop with patients—which could include many other everyday duties a patient may need help with—has tremendous rewards besides the compensation that you will receive for all your service.

[UrbanFarmer]

planet Shady..

 

 

LOL