Jump to content

Caregivers, Patients, And Compassion

Letterhead954

Recommended Posts

mike44 Advanced Member

mike44

Posted
Posted

Im sorry but I cannot bring myself to agree with this. I completely agree a caregiver should be compensated in full for every material item that is required to produce high quality meds, and even to a certain extent your time, but this law was not intended to boost the job market it was passed so people who really need these meds can legaly get them. Really if prices were truly based on the growers expenses shouldnt prices drop everytime a piece of equiptment is paid off thru transfer of meds. At a point all the majors are paid off and you just have the weeklys. Now if you need to turn profit to make your room the best it can be or something new & better then by all means do, Im just sayin at some point equiptment becomes an asset.

As far as the comparison of mmj to standard agriculture what your not thinking of is the inspection process that we dont have. Anyone who qualifies can become a caregiver on paper but really, you dont just get up one day and decide your gonna grow pot and make a living at it, you need to know that you are able to produce meds of good quality, clean, bug free meds. If we dont find a way to regulate ourselves, the man will find a way to bring us down!

 

I do not know of any grow equipment that becomes an asset once it is paid for. I have spent pennies short of $5000.00 in the last year replacing and upgrading worn out ballasts, bulbs, pumps, fans,filters and testers. Once they come up with these items that do not wear out or break, then they might become paid for assets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Croppled1 Advanced Member

Croppled1

Posted
Posted

Caregivers have it bad I know . licensing and regulation are causing their unreasonable expenses . The IRS allows no expenses or deductions from grow revenues . But I do not believe anyone cannot produce processed medical grade cannabis for $80 a oz or less . Average costs are triple that now and I believe the Laffer Curve would kick in around $180 -$220 bringing more patients out of the underground and into the legal program whom work in tolerant situations . That would be a positive for caregivers who dial in productivity and expenses as well as the program . Even if you grow for yourself a trip to the Farmers Market will allow supplementation of med ables and trials of new strains helping support caregivers and saving one time and money . They also supply starter meds to patients whom want no caregiver which the black market hasn't done . They want to sell their inferior product . The number one concern of caregivers should be equal treatment under Federal Tax law ending discrimination toward Legal Medicinal Cannabis States .

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Timmahh Advanced Member

Timmahh

Posted
Posted

if i can as a cg, pay 20 grand over the course of a yr, and with that, be able to supply my patients all their needed meds, and have enough left over (allowing zero cost to my patients) to go to a farmers market and make a meager 500.00 a week income with medibles, overages, ect of quality medical cannbis, I dont see a problem with that. IF as a CG, my Patients are fully taken care of at no to low cost, and i can keep up with the 40 plus hrs each week it takes to properly control a grow, and assist patients each week, where is the criminality in that?

 

now if as a cg i am asking my patients to pay the same donation i garner at the farmers market, and i still have overages, then i maybe taking it to the extreme and perhaps could be seen as profiteering.

 

Fact is, People get paid daily to be medical assistants and caregivers. One gal pal of mine is a on the road phlebotomist, and makes 8.25 an hr, and gets .57 cents a mile to drive to peoples homes and draw blood.

 

Her check for the miles was larger than her pay check, even before taxes. So a Caregiver is always understood to get compensation, even if that caregiver isnt actually connected to that patient. or any patient for that matter. It is a Service, for many patients in need, and the connection required is the service to provide the basic needs of the patients.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Robman Advanced Member

Robman

Posted
Posted

Something has been bothering me for awhile, and I feel it's time to speak my mind. I know this has been discussed here before, but I have a different take on this matter. I don't mean to cause an arguement, but this needs to be said.

If anyone thinks we have enough caregivers to take care of all the patients, then read no further. And if we do have enough, then I'm wasting my time writing this, and wasting my time wanting to be a caregiver. However, everything I've read here tells me we don't. So how do we get more?

There is a culture here that says that the only acceptable motivation for growing and becoming a caregiver is compassion. Those who can afford to do that are to be commended, but to suggest that that is the only acceptable motivation is to guarantee a shortage of caregivers. Whenever and wherever the profit motive is ridiculed or eliminated shortages follow. Take food... we need it every day and have an abundance of it in America. We spend less money on food relative to our income than any country in the world. Does anyone imagine that it is because farmers are so compassionate? Hell no! It's because of self-interest. Their only goal is to make a living and feed their families. Their self-interest (NOT the same as greed) means that we all get to eat, every day. It's working quite well, don't you think? Basic economics and human nature tell us that if providing a product or service is profitable, more people will do it. Competition will see to it that only those who provide a good quality product or service at a reasonable price will survive. Adam Smith, who wrote 'The Wealth of Nations' back in 1776 put it this way... “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages”. Do any of us get up and go to work in the morning out of compassion? Or is it self-interest? Compassion is a wonderful thing, and this is a compassionate community. But if you think that compassion is enough for most people to spend thousands of dollars setting up a grow, spending countless hours growing, and risking prosecution and imprisonment, you're sadly mistaken.

My story is this... I've had my own business for 32 years. It's been a struggle most of the way, but in this economy it's been almost impossible to just pay my monthly bills, let alone make a living. I live modestly, yet I go further in debt each month. I am a single father, and my primary responsibility in life is to provide for myself and my daughter. Due to health problems and the fact that there are rarely any part time jobs here, I have few options. So I have decided to grow and become a caregiver. I'll say it outright... I need to make money. It's pure fantasy to think that I will be motivated to spend (credit cards actually. I have no money) over $1300 to set up my grow room, spend countless hours, and risk crop failure and prosecution purely out of the goodness of my heart. That doesn't work anywhere else. Why should it work here? Now, I'm as compassionate as the next guy. I know I will want to help poor patients as much as I can. I know what it's like to be in need. But if I'm going to be shamed and be told I'm greedy because I am doing this out of self-interest (you know, like eating, living in a house, and providing for my daughter) then is it better that I don't grow, and that fewer patients have affordable meds? I'm sick and tired of being afraid of talking to other growers about this out of a fear of being shamed or told that I'm greedy. I've been told repeatedly that I should only grow enough for myself and my future patients. That's a great goal, but if that were the case how could the Farmer's Markets exist? If not for overages, which I'm told to eliminate, how would all those patients get their meds? If I can't make any money, it would be better for me to rest and watch tv. I'm not looking to get rich at this. I merely need to suppliment my income so I can pay my bills. But if I can't make any money I'd be a fool to grow at all. I don't use a lot of mmj in a month, so it would be better for me to buy it elsewhere and let another caregiver spend their money and take all the risk.

Compassion is a wonderful thing, especially in a community of suffering people. But to suggest that it is the only acceptable motivation to provide ANY product or service not only violates human nature, but is self-defeating. If compassion were the only acceptable standard, we'd be living in the stone age.

So, what is the consensus here? Should I stop growing and not become a caregiver because my motivation is self-interest? Should I just go back to watching tv? Or should I continue, provide quality meds at a decent price, and take care of my daughter and myself? You all decide. I'm sick of feeling like I have to hide.

 

 

Thank you for Speaking up i see it the same way :goodjob:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
edawg Advanced Member

edawg

Posted
Posted

besides the expenses of bills, I feel my time as a caregiver is worth compensation also. These plants don't grow and harvest themselves, I spend a lot of late nights working with my babies. I have knowledge and experience that my patients obviously don't, plus I also have the time to grow meds. So to me, that is worth something. I'm not trying to live off of this by any means, but I do need to get paid for it.

 

and yet with all the bitching about prices I can't get 2 more patients at $200/oz. I see people complaining that their cg charges $250+, but every new patient I talk to wants free meds. I am compassionate, but I am not a charity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kzoocares Advanced Member

kzoocares

Posted
Posted

Grow for your patients and take overages to the farmers market. Patients without caregivers can have access at a fair price, and you recover growing costs. That's my 2cents

You said it perfectly. There can be a balance. You don't have to be greedy to provide your service at a fair cost. Give to someone with less than yourself when you can. Seems simple but when money gets involved some people loose focus of what is important.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mickeydee Advanced Member

Mickeydee

Posted
Posted

How many farmers pay off a combine before they buy a new one? Technology is constantly changing. If your not keeping up, neither will your meds. Now I do understand that a good combine can run upwards of $300,000. But its all relative. In the three years that I have been a CG, i have spent a total of nearly $30,000 on things related to growing for my patients. And that doesnt include gas expenses, vehicle maintenance and such. I have yet to see it all come back. Not even close I might add. For the most part, I cover expenses. I stay alive. Its not a glamourous lifestyle. Medcnman.

The devil is in the details. Everything you put into your grow op costs something...especially your time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dr. feelgood Advanced Member

dr. feelgood

Posted
Posted

ok,ok, I already cried uncle, I hear ya all loud & clear. We dont agree, thats cool. A couple of us from up here would like to attend the farm market, maybe get an idea for how it works. Would you allow us to price our overages at the cost we require or is there a minumun price? Clubs up here have what they consider farm markets but when I put my prices up, they asked me to leave, and accused me of trying to gouge other caregivers, I was asking 9 gram. I have all of my meds tested for thc/cbd/cbn to make sure Im producing at least what the meds are rated for. I also have them tested for contaminants. I check this three times a year, its $45 a pop per plant so its not like were growing a bunch of ruteralius up here. So would you allow us, and if so is there any way for us to reserve a spot? its quite a drive from here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dr. feelgood Advanced Member

dr. feelgood

Posted
Posted

ok,ok, I already cried uncle, I hear ya all loud & clear. We dont agree, thats cool. A couple of us from up here would like to attend the farm market, maybe get an idea for how it works. Would you allow us to price our overages at the cost we require or is there a minumun price? Clubs up here have what they consider farm markets but when I put my prices up, they asked me to leave, and accused me of trying to gouge other caregivers, I was asking 9 gram. I have all of my meds tested for thc/cbd/cbn to make sure Im producing at least what the meds are rated for. I also have them tested for contaminants. I check this three times a year, its $45 a pop per plant so its not like were growing a bunch of ruteralius up here. So would you allow us, and if so is there any way for us to reserve a spot? its quite a drive from here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LongHairBri Advanced Member

LongHairBri

Posted
Posted

ok,ok, I already cried uncle, I hear ya all loud & clear. We dont agree, thats cool. A couple of us from up here would like to attend the farm market, maybe get an idea for how it works. Would you allow us to price our overages at the cost we require or is there a minumun price? Clubs up here have what they consider farm markets but when I put my prices up, they asked me to leave, and accused me of trying to gouge other caregivers, I was asking 9 gram. I have all of my meds tested for thc/cbd/cbn to make sure Im producing at least what the meds are rated for. I also have them tested for contaminants. I check this three times a year, its $45 a pop per plant so its not like were growing a bunch of ruteralius up here. So would you allow us, and if so is there any way for us to reserve a spot? its quite a drive from here.

average price in Jackson.....$10 per gram. Some higher, some lower, others give breaks for quantity. LOT's of variety!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ezrah Advanced Member

Ezrah

Posted
Posted

Joe,

 

You have been very consistent with your support of patients and caregivers, I have low income patients and then offer overages at markets for anywhere from 10-5 a gram depending on the patient and situation. When I look at all my time, yes I would like to be paid for my time tending my garden, harvesting and alike, all my equipment soil.... you know time plus material, I make less per hour then I do at my day job and I work for a non for profit, so I don't have a high paying day job. So I am compassionate donating when I can, I have bee growing for patients for over a year now and fingers crossed will have recovered all my expenses for lights this fall. If you are low income I think a caregiver or a market is the way to go. Bottom line is the peeps charging a ton of money usually have bad meds because they are just looking to make a buck. If you are not able to get good meds at a decent price then you are traveling in the wrong circles long and short of it. This forum and other provide the means to connect with high quality people offering good meds at affordable prices.

 

So year lets work together not against one another. Cropple you keep saying people should be able to provide meds for like $40 or so, you have posted that over and over again in other threads. please start doing that then and for as many people as you can because I can't not at least for everyone. I absolutely do what I can where I can, as do manny manny others.

 

In general the caregiver bashing can be a bummer. Many more good guys then bad out there if you with the bad ones that is on you, or going to a place selling at 20 a gram. This forum along or talking with people gives you the means to find a good caregiver. I have taught lots and lots of folks to grow and grow simply and at low cost. About 8 months ago I started a thread where I asked people to share stories of caregivers helping patients. Now at ever market I see countless versions of this, I have helped people other, caregivers have helped me, I feel like lots more examples of people helping then price issues or the like and the thread totally died out, less then 5 post to it.

 

So look people don't have to every say thank you to me, or than caregivers but some balance would be nice, and I think it says something about us as a group when threads talking about good deeds does not take of but you flame about a caregiver and man you get loads of posts and views.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
restlesslegs Advanced Member

restlesslegs

Posted
Posted

100% legal with 5 legal patients. I dont participate in or support in any way any actions that involve anything less than legal.

Wow this so surprises me after all the bashing you did about caregivers. I hate to hear that up north it cost so much but as Bb said a Farmers market could be put in place if you find him a MM friendly township. I think it is a good idea for you to visit the market.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...