Marijuana Dispensaries Opening in Colorado!

Marijuana dispensary to open in Basalt

Medical pot to be part of `integrated health center' approach at WIN
Institute

John Stroud
Post Independent Staff
Glenwood Springs CO Colorado

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

BASALT, Colorado — The Roaring Fork Valley's second medical
marijuana dispensary is set to begin operating next week out of the WIN
Health Institute, an alternative health care cooperative located in
Basalt.

"We will be one of the few [dispensaries] that will be fully
medically based," said Dr. Dave Jensen, a chiropractor who founded
the WIN Institute with his wife, Dee, last year.

Located on Valley Road, the WIN Institute is an integrated health care
cooperative, offering chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture,
Digital X-Ray and MRI diagnostics, heart screening, holistic dentistry,
a spa, gym and yoga center.

Jensen said he expects the dispensary to open for business Aug. 10 as
part of the Doctors Health Care Cooperative. An on-site store already
sells a variety of herbs, vitamins, nutritional supplements and natural
foods.

"We're really just adding to the menu of what we already offer,"
Jensen said. "It's just like another medical herb in that
sense."

And, as with its other products, he said the medical marijuana the WIN
Institute obtains for qualified patients will be organically grown
without pesticides.

Dr. John Hughes, an osteopathic doctor who works out of the WIN
Institute, is available to assist patients with a qualifying medical
condition to apply for a card to be on the state's official medical
marijuana patient registry.

"We have everything in-house," Jensen said. "We call it a
one-stop wellness center, and this is just one more service we can
offer."

The WIN Institute will be the second medical marijuana dispensary
operating in the area. Colorado Mountain Dispensary (C.M.D.) opened for
business in Carbondale in early July. In addition to seeing patients by
appointment, C.M.D. has a delivery service.

Jensen said he was waiting to make his final decision until after the
Colorado State Health Board ruled on a proposal to impose a five-patient
limit on medical marijuana suppliers. The proposal was rejected on a 6-3
vote after a 12-hour long hearing July 20.

"Without the limitations on caregivers, it makes it easier to
incorporate it into our approach," he said. "We will do all the
proper filings and documentation in accordance with state laws. It is
more of an ideal situation for us, because we can be one of the first
ones to market it correctly, and create some legitimacy to the whole
aspect."

Under Colorado's medical marijuana law, approved by voters as Amendment
20 in 2000, patients with certain conditions, including HIV, muscle
spasms and chronic pain, can use medical marijuana as long as they get a
doctor's approval and register with the state.

The law permits patients or their designated caregivers to grow up to
six marijuana plants or possess two ounces of usable marijuana.

"As a health center, we do advocate that people don't smoke it but
vaporize it or ingest it as medicine," Jensen said.

A variety of edible forms will be offered, including 10 different
strains of marijuana for different types of medical conditions, he said.

Jensen acknowledged that the addition of the medical marijuana
dispensary will help with the Institute's cash flow situation after the
multimillion- dollar facility that houses the Institute recently went
into foreclosure. Jensen said that situation is being resolved on
several fronts.

"We have had some new investors step up, and we are looking better
in that regard," he said. "The businesses internally are all
doing really well."

In September, the WIN Institute plans to open up a second branch of its
health supplies store in Aspen, and a Glenwood Springs location is
possible later this fall, Jensen said.

jstroud@postindepen dent.com

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