Doctor Behind Tulsa Medical Marijuana Clinic Speaks About His Practice

The doctor behind the state’s first medical marijuana clinic talks about his practice and setting the standard for medical marijuana treatments.

It’s called Tulsa Higher Care Clinic, located at 31st and Yale.

It’s been open 4 days and already thousands of people are interested in what they have to offer.

Doctor Jason Sims says he’s been wanting to open a clinic like this for a long time.  Within hours of State Question 788 passing, he was up and running.

“Medical marijuana is about alleviating illness, alleviating symptoms, alleviating pain, inflammation, helping everything work better,” said Sims.  “Medical marijuana is not about getting high.  Period…We’re setting the standard for medical marijuana care and how it should be done.”

Sims admits he’s putting his reputation on the line to help patients with the treatment of medical marijuana.  For nine years, he’s practiced medicine at a Cleveland area hospital, with the hope of one day opening a clinic like this.

“We wanted to be the first.  We want to set the standard in Oklahoma for medical care, medical marijuana care, medical cannabis care in Oklahoma,” he said.

The passage of state question 788 was personal to Sims, whose wife was born with several rare spinal disorders.

“Her first surgery was at age one and she’s had chronic pain all of her life,” Sims said.  “She’s been on pain medicine all of her life as well.”

One by one, patients have been coming through the doors asking for help.

“Most of the people I’ve talked to are veterans, actually.  Veterans that want off their medicine because they’re on all this different medicine,” stated Sims.  “I talked to one the other day.  He’s on 18 different medications.”

In just four days, his clinic has already had about 300 people, 1,100 phone calls, and 800 e-mails.

To critics who claim his practice is just a crock or a money-making scheme, he says “It’s absolutely not.  It’s not just for the money.  We’re in it to set the standard.”

Sims admits some have stopped by looking for marijuana to get high.

He says there is no marijuana on site and never will be.