VaporRoom Cooperative of San Francisco

Although cannabis is recognized as a legal medicine in California, many people do not understand its therapeutic benefits and often stereotype and discriminate against therapeutic cannabis patients who do not “look sick.” It is important to note that patients with serious conditions might not appear “sick”, especially if they are in the early stages of their illness. We serve a diverse group of patients suffering a myriad of conditions including but not limited to: HIV/AIDS, ADHD, Arthritis, Cancer, Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Glaucoma, Hepatitis C, Anxiety, Depression, Surgery Recovery and many more illnesses that responsible, therapeutic cannabis use can help alleviate.

To become a member of the Vapor Room Cooperative you must have a valid, written California Doctor’s Recommendation for therapeutic cannabis use, and valid California identification. We strongly recommend that you also obtain the State of California medical cannabis verified ID card from the State Department of Health Services. Please click on the links provided above for further information.

Membership is given on an annual basis and is only valid with a current Doctor’s recommendation. Members are informed of their Membership Rights and Responsibilities, Codes of Conduct [see below] and are asked to sign a statement acknowledging that they understand their rights and responsibilities and that their membership can be revoked if they violate any of the rules. All forms are kept off- site, ensuring patient confidentiality. Members receive a unique Vapor Room Cooperative member ID number. When a patient visits the cooperative, their ID number is used to verify that s/he is a member of the cooperative in good standing and has a current, valid doctor’s recommendation for medical cannabis use.

In addition to serving our members’ needs, the Vapor Room Cooperative also strives to increase the understanding of medical cannabis in our greater community and advocates for its legal use in California. We collect data on a voluntary basis from our patients including demographic and medical information. This data helps us better understand the nature of the medical use of cannabis in our community and allows us to educate others including city and state decision-makers and medical researchers.

Caregiver membership is given in conjunction with patient membership. In order for a caregiver to be eligible for membership, their patient must already be a member of the cooperative. We recommend the patient and caregiver come in together with all required documentation to register for membership at the same time. We do make exceptions for caregivers of seriously ill and non-ambulatory patients who are unable to come in to register for membership. In this case, the caregiver would be required to bring in their patient’s doctor’s recommendation, valid California identification as well as the their caregiver paperwork. We will call the patient’s doctor to verify their medical cannabis recommendation.

The Vapor Room Cooperative is founded on respect and compassion for our patients and our community. We are committed to serving our member patient needs with the highest level of compassion and professionalism. As a member of the Vapor Room Cooperative, you are becoming a part of our growing community of medical cannabis patients and advocates. Membership responsibilities are important for providing a welcoming atmosphere for your fellow members and our neighbors, and are critical to ensuring the Vapor Room Cooperative stays open and is able to continue serving our member’s needs. Becoming a member of the Vapor Room Cooperative means that you have the RIGHT to:

• Be treated with respect and compassion by the Vapor Room Cooperative staff and fellow members.
• Access to safe, clean, quality therapeutic cannabis and a safe, clean lounge to medicate in.
• Receive therapeutic cannabis or visit the counter at the Vapor Room Cooperative up to twice a day.
• Be assisted by a knowledgeable, caring staff on the type of cannabis that fits your needs.
• Participate in our compassion programs on an as needed basis.
• Attend and have 1 vote at the annual member meeting held on April 20th of every year.
• Make comments and suggestions to the Board of Directors on how we can improve our Cooperative.
• Participate in our various member services, classes and volunteer opportunities.

Becoming a member also means that you have the RESPONSIBILITY to:

• NEVER resale or divert any medical cannabis you receive from our Cooperative.
• NEVER double park or block any driveways while parking in the neighborhood.
• Always show proof of membership and a valid doctor’s recommendation or verified ID card upon entry.
• Follow all current and future community codes of conduct set forth by the Vapor Room Cooperative.
• Follow all our Lounge Policies when using the lounge.

DO…

• Be Aware that YOUR actions in this community directly affect all of its residents, including the Cooperative.
• Respect our neighbors by keeping your voice and stereo down while in the neighborhood.
• Have a Polite and Courteous Attitude towards our neighbors, staff and fellow members.
• Have your driver drop you off in front of the Vapor Room Cooperative & tell your driver to keep the car moving while waiting for you, and to PICK YOU UP in front of the Vapor Room Cooperative. Do not have them block driveways!
• Remember that being a member of the Vapor Room Cooperative is a privilege that you should be proud of and respect.
• Practice discretion at ALL times while in our community.
• Keep your medicine in your pocket, AWAY FROM SIGHT!
• Keep Your medicine to yourself, even in your car.
• Use our facility or the privacy of your own home for taking your medicine, instead of smoking on neighbor stairs or sidewalks.
• Adhere to our 1 hour time limit for lounging inside the cooperative.
• Drive Carefully in our community and follow the speed limit.

DO…

• NOT Block ANY driveways EVER! No Exceptions, No Excuses, Not even for “just one minute, I promise”
• NOT Double Park your Car EVER! No Exceptions, No Excuses, NO ENTRY!
• NOT Distribute, Resale, Break Up or Share your medicine in our community, this includes your friends – even if you are in your car. No Exceptions, No Excuses, NO ENTRY!
• NOT Use your medicine in public (including sidewalks, stoops, alleys, cars, etc.) in our community!
• NOT Medicate while driving!
• NOT Drive after medicating in our lounge! We will gladly call you a taxi.
• NOT Litter! Please throw your trash in a trash can, NOT on our streets (including Vapor Room packaging)!
• NOT Loiter outside or on neighbor stoops.
• NOT Have confrontations with our neighbors; Please just Walk Away!
• NOT Bring children into our facility. Please keep the little ones at home. Thank you!

If a member violates any one of the rules outlined above, their membership will be revoked. The Vapor Room Cooperative also reserves the right to refuse service to or revoke the membership of any member that acts in such a way to threaten the safety of our Cooperative or violates any current or future rules set forth by the Board of Directors. The Vapor Room Cooperative of San Francisco is only as strong as our members. We welcome you to our community and look forward to seeing you at the Vapor Room!