2009 was undeniably the "Year of Medical Marijuana" in Colorado as tens of thousands of patients came out of hiding and opted to be added to the state's medical marijuana registry. Thousands of others who had either never tried marijuana, or whose experience with the plant ended decades ago, began to cautiously ask family, friends and their doctors about medical marijuana and what realistic benefits they might expect. Despite a seemingly endless stream of media coverage on the issue, many people are still unclear what "medical" marijuana really means.

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