A chat with Dr. Reefer

Reyna Barnett operates a website, www.drreefer.com, that offers information about medical marijuana programs in the United States, but more important, offers to help people interested in medical marijuana complete the government applications and connect with doctors willing to prescribe the marijuana. Be wary with things on the site, or with anything having to do with your health. For more information, call (702) 309-3839 or (702) 769-1552.

What made you get involved in medical marijuana?

What made me get involved in that is because my son is a patient, too. He went through a lot. He was growing medical marijuana for patients. I see how hard it is for people who want to get into a medical marijuana program. It’s really hard for the way they do it from the health department; they have this application that people can’t access on the internet or anywhere else, they have to request it through the health department in Carson City. It takes a very long time for the health department to send the application. I request the application for a lot of people, and that goes a little bit faster because I also use the UPS service. In that respect I help them out. Then I call them up to do an appointment with the doctor. That’s when the doctor will sign the program recommendation. I also help the patient with all the information that they need to know with the medical marijuana program and help them with the paperwork. … Then they finish the process with the health department, and the health department will send them the letters that say when they can go to the DMV and get their picture taken for the medical marijuana license.

So do doctors pay to be on your website? The patient has to see a doctor, right? How do you tell them what doctors to get with?

There’s not that many doctors that want to sign an approval recommendation. I have two of them that are willing to do that. Once the patient gets an application from me or from the health department, we make appointments with the doctor, and we see the patients at the doctor’s office. And I help them out.

And does that work for all of Nevada?

Yes, my service is also by mail. People don’t have to come to Las Vegas like they used to do. About two years ago, they used to come here to do all that. But now, I’ve come out with service by mail, where people have to mail me their medical records. I take the medical records and the application to the doctor for them, and the doctor will sign the approval for them, and I will mail back the application with the doctor’s approval signed to them and also information as to what’s next for them to do.

Have you had an increase since the Obama administration said it wasn’t going to prosecute people who were following state laws?

Absolutely.

Was it an explosion?

Only in the beginning—two or three weeks. And now it’s slowing down. But mostly because they can’t afford it. It’s kind of expensive. But I tell them it’s more expensive to get a ticket from the police if they are carrying marijuana or paraphernalia. They fine them $750 and then a few days in jail.

How much does this cost?

The doctor visit is $300. The application is $60. The health department charges $150 for the background check. It’s around $500.

That’s a lot.

It’s as I tell them, if the police catch you, you pay a $750 fine. But even if you call after it happens, you can fight it in court because you’re in the medical marijuana program. But it takes time for them, and they have to get an attorney, so it’s better not to fool around with that, it’s better to get legal.