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Registered pharmacist Nick Tamborrino.
Medical marijuana is becoming an increasingly important part of the toolbox for treating chronic pain and cancer. And Branford has been in the forefront of meeting that need.
The town’s Bluepoint Wellness dispensary has been operational since 2014 and expanded in 2016 into larger quarters in a former bank building on East Main Street. It’s not just a trendy novelty – the facility serves more than 3,000 patients, prescribed by 1,000 doctors.
Registered pharmacist Nick Tamborrino said the facility started as an idea that drew him in once he started researching it. Back in 2012-12 regulations were being discussed. Armed with an MBA, Tamborrino had a business plan in place and his application was approved by the town in November 2013. “It was hard to convince people, but Branford is a welcoming community,” he said.
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The entrance is inconspicuous, and visitors are buzzed in and required to sign in, but the lobby is bright and spacious with detailed menus of products that are available. Dispensing is made in a secure area behind a high counter.
Tamborrino stresses that the business is built on a pharmaceutical model and run like a pharmacy.
Bluepoint Wellness serves people of all ages, from children to people in their 90s.
Tamborrino says people seeking cannabis have MS, back injuries (the most common), cancer, epilepsy, and PTSD. “It really does work,” he says.
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Far from the rolled up weed in Zig-Zag papers, products are available in many different forms: for inhalation (using a vaping-type device), capsules, tablets, liquid, effervescent tablets, oils, topicals, edibles, and sublingual strips, as a start.
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The medicinal value is found in the cannabinoids within the oil, which comes from the flowers. Tamborrino explained that CBD (Cannabidiol) is what we want for pain and inflammation without the euphoric side effect and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) treats pain, but does create euphoria. The dispensary’s website has very detailed information on the chemistry behind cannabis, how it works, and the options for use. Dosing is determined individually.
The products contain various ratios of CBD and THC and patients always discuss the best way of delivery with their doctor and staff before a final decision is made. Any doctor can prescribe medical marijuana, Tamborrino said, and most are willing to discuss the option. In Connecticut, nurse practitioners can also certify patients.
Tamborrino strongly believes that it’s a viable alternative to opiates. “People reduce or completely go off opiates,” he said. “It’s non-addictive, there’s no dependency.”
Licensing Process
The process to receive a license to legally obtain medical marijuana takes 30 to 45 days. Patients meet with doctor to discuss options and the doctor initiates the process. Pharmacist helps with determining dose. The state website has the online application and information on uploading the necessary documents. The fee is $100 annually and reapplication is necessary.
In New Haven county, 5,285 people were licensed and 22,438 in the state as of mid-January. Tamborrino has the numbers at his fingertips. There are four licensed producers in Connecticut: Advanced Grow Labs (West Haven), Connecticut Pharmaceutical Solutions (Portland), and Curaleaf (Simsbury). Only those licensed by the state are allowed to cultivate marijuana.
One Client’s Story
Rick has used Bluepoint Wellness’s dispensary since July when he obtained his license. He has a variety of health issues: surgeries relating to his back, shoulder, and carpal tunnel stemming from 50 years as a carpenter-builder and more recently, cancer, where he’s had 18 rounds of chemotherapy. Adding to that, he has glaucoma and needs knee replacement surgery, which can’t be done because of the chemo.
He’s done extensive research on medical marijuana, and recommends resources such as the book, “Cannabis Revealed” by Bonni Goldstein, M.D. and the website, thesacredplant.com, which is a documentary series that includes interviews doctors, health experts, and survivors.
He uses medical marijuana in a vaping device, several times a day, and some edibles. He purchases supplies every two weeks for $90. He said the initial doctor’s visitor is $250 (with a 10 percent senior discount), then $175 thereafter for the annual license renewal. Add to that $100 for the license itself.
He says the form he uses has 450 milligrams of THC, which, he says, is what kills the cancer, along with the terpenes; terpenes are believed to have medicinal properties independent from the cannabinoids. Different flowers have different potencies; Rick says he uses the sativa flower during the day and the indica flower at night.
He believes he’s benefited from the use of medical marijuana. He’s had three CT scans – the first discovered the cancer, the second showed a decline, the third showed no change; he’s scheduled for a fourth in three weeks. He initially lost 30 pounds and has regained 10. And, he has not lost his hair from the chemotherapy. Overall, he says it reduces his stress level and evens things out.
The Future
In terms of expansion, Tamborrino has his eye on Fairfield County, the only county in the state without a dispensary, the “last ship on board,” said Tamborrino. “Now that we know the process, it’s easier.”
In early January, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has regularly spoken out against the use of marijuana, rescinded the Obama administration’s memos that had created a policy of federal non-interference in marijuana-friendly states. According to CNN, “The move essentially shifts federal policy from the hands-off approach adopted under the previous administration to unleashing federal prosecutors across the country to decide individually how to prioritize resources to crack down on pot possession, distribution and cultivation of the drug in states where it is legal.”
Tamborrino believes the dispensary won’t be affected. “We have a responsibility to help patients…to focus on our patients,” he said.
In terms of the future, Tamborrino sees the use of medical marijuana growing.
“More people are believing in it, especially in light of the opiate crisis.”
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Bluepoint has helped to keep my husband alive...and much less miserable. We had to jump through some hoops to get to Bluepoint but we were lucky enough to afford the travel and those hoops and my husband was an excellent candidate for help. I fear many potential clients of this wonderful dispensary still cant afford the "process". As a former nurse I believe the population should have legal access to all forms of pain management which would cut out much crime in this country. The "war on drugs" is an obscene waste. Whether it's pot, or vodka, or coke, or oxy, people will learn to limit themselves...or not. Most americans are addicted to something anyway (food, sports, drugs, booze, sex) and I find most people dont have enough info or education to make appropriate or healthy choices but I stand by the freedom to choose.