Buying medical marijuana could become as routine as picking up a prescription for antibiotics at your nearby pharmacy under a proposition being decided next month by Oregon voters, The Oregonian reports. One percent of Oregonians – nearly 40,000 – hold medical marijuana cards. Backers of the growing movement say patients need a safer, more reliable and regulated way to get medical marijuana besides growing it themselves.
Proponents say Measure 74 would bring accountability and dignity to the process of receiving and dispensing marijuana. Skeptics say it has too many loopholes, leaving room for abuse. Still others say it is a masked attempt to legalize marijuana rather than a genuine attempt to solve patient problems. John Sajo, director of Voter Power and co-author of the initiative, said thousands of patients who can't grow their own marijuana stand in lines at organizations such as his to receive medical marijuana donated by other patients. But some seek the drug illegally, he said, encouraging a black market enterprise. California approved dispensaries but didn't create a statewide system, depending on city and county government to build those laws. Some municipalities, such as San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, and Sonoma County, created laws limiting on how much marijuana patients and dispensaries may grow.
Posted by Wesley Aruiso
Monday, October 25, 2010 06:43
Great info here. I am still looking for more knowledge on gardening and would be thankful any suggestions. Thank You!
Posted by Low Impact
Thursday, October 07, 2010 07:15
You twist the facts, Impact. The voters were not sold a bill of goods when the OMMP was voted on by Oregonians. You state that only 4% of cardholders have cancer and that 88% use cannabis for pain. This is what the law allows and this is what was voted on by the citizens of this state. If cannabis can help those with pain, the law allows a doctor to state that cannabis may help that condition. Simple stuff.
With regard to cannabis having no medicinal value, you are incorect. There are plenty of studies that show that cannabis has medicinal value:
Aggarwal SK, Carter GT, Sullivan MD, ZumBrunnen C, Morrill R, Mayer JD (2009). “Medicinal use of cannabis in the United States: historical perspectives, current trends, and future directions”. J Opioid Manag 5 (3): 153–68. PMID 19662925. http://students.washington.edu/sunila/JOM_5-3-03.pdf. Lay summary – SF Weekly (15 September 2009).
3.^ “Microsoft Word – Abstractbook.doc” (PDF). http://www.cannabis-med.org/meeting/Cologne2009/reader.pdf. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
4.^ Benson, John; Joy, Janet E.; Watson, Stanley J., ed (1999). Marijuana and medicine: assessing the science base. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-309-07155-0.
5.^ a b “Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana”. National Institutes of Health. February 1997. http://www.nih.gov/news/medmarijuana/MedicalMarijuana.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
The position you hold is a political one, not one supported by science.
Posted by Impacts
Wednesday, October 06, 2010 04:22
NO Limits, NO Boundaries, NO on M74
Opposed to the Measure 74
“We, 11 members of the Citizens’ Initiative Review, oppose Ballot Measure 74 for the following reasons:”
Proponents are saying “trust us” before rules are made.
Oregonians will not have a vote on such critical details as: maximum number of dispensaries, purchase limit for individuals in a given time period, penalties for infractions, and statewide recordkeeping for cardholders.
Convicted felons can become dispensary directors or employees five years after conviction.
Dispensary directors and their employees are exempt from prosecution for marijuana related activities when in “substantial compliance.” * “Substantial compliance” is not defined or enforceable according to district attorneys and law enforcement.
Availability of marijuana will increase, inviting illegal activity.
The language of the measure lacks clarity on regulation, operation, and enforcement
Summary: Measure 74, a thinly veiled attempt to legalize marijuana, has a high probability of being abused! www.review74.org
NO Limits, NO Boundaries, NO on M74
Posted by Impacts
Wednesday, October 06, 2010 04:20
NO Limits, NO Boundaries, NO ON MEASURE 74
Voters in Oregon were told the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program was for the sick/dying, less than 4% is for cancer. Over 88% is used for common pain. A single doctor is responsible for recommending approximately 35% of all medical marijuana cards, with ten doctors recommending 59% of all cards.
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=127128421107102600
Permissible locations for marijuana distribution centers would be located a ¼ mile away from schools and neighborhoods and centers and grow sites could be located near libraries, churches, youth clubs, parks, swimming pools, game arcades, and daycares.
It would take thousands of DISTRIBUTION CENTERS and GROW SITES around the State of Oregon to provide the allowable pot for the current 36,380 cardholders, since the Act allows each center and grow site to possess 24 plants and 96 ounces of dried marijuana, which is the allowable total by law for 4 cardholders.
GROW SITES can include marijuana grown in your neighbor’s yard or house. Indoor growing presents dangers because of toxic materials and high volumes of electricity increasing the potential for fires that would spread to neighboring homes, putting the community at risk. The smell of growing marijuana in growers back yards are stinking up neighborhoods around the State. Grow sites attract in home burglaries, robberies, and homicides which Oregon and other medical marijuana states are already experiencing.
http://projects.latimes.com/homicide/post/reward-offered-marijuana-dispensary-killing-no-takers-so-far/
Center directors/employees and Grow Site Producers/employee’s must be an Oregon Resident, but no duration of previous residency is required, opening the door for hundreds of people to flood to Oregon.
Felonies such as violence/theft within the last 5 years bars participation in a distribution center. Drug related offenses are not referenced, which means that any drug related felony criminal would be allowed to operate a center or grow site.
There are thousands of legal marijuana growers in our State that are not inspected. M74 does nothing to reframe or control the existing program, as M74 will not infringe on a cardholder’s ability to produce their own marijuana or to designate a person responsible for a marijuana grow site, to do so for them. In home grows and existing caregiver growers will continue to go unregulated and unchecked continuing to create problems in our communities and cause law enforcement to have to divert their resources to deal with the existing abuses.
Conflict and Confusion have been created with the current program because it has tried to circumvent the Food and Drug administration whose primary job has been to research marijuana for its medical value and have noted that there is currently no medical value in marijuana. Quality of Life is measured by safe and credible access for cardholders by following the correct channels that have been used in this Country for years when approving safe medicines.
Many federal dollars have already been spent researching marijuana, which resulted in a clear decision by the Food and Drug Administration the federal agency responsible for approving drugs as safe and effective medicine based on valid scientific data. The FDA noted that “there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful,” and "that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States
M74 instills fear and creates uncertainty for Oregon Voters because in 1998 they sold us a bill of goods and told us it was only for the sick and dying. Now 12 years later the current program is out of control!
www.marijuanaharmsfamilies.com
NO Limits, NO Boundaries, NO ON MEASURE 74
Posted by TYC
Wednesday, October 06, 2010 12:05
“Buying medical marijuana could become as routine as picking up a prescription for antibiotics at your nearby pharmacy….”
In case you haven’t noticed, buying unregulated marijuana is as routine as picking up a 6 pack at the convenience store. The whole point about legalization is acknowledging that simple fact. Cannabis is everywhere. It’s a weed! Spending borrowed money stopping people from using it shouldn’t be routine.
Posted by Christian
Wednesday, October 06, 2010 10:06
Jesus said to treat other people the way we would want to be treated. I know I wouldn’t want my kid to go to jail with the sexual predators, or my aging parents to have their house confiscated and sold by the police, over a little marijuana.
Let’s change the world. Let’s get registered and vote.
Google your state name and the phrase, voter registration. Print off the form and mail it in (or drive it down to City Hall).
And put it on your calendar for Nov 2. to vote! (In some states, you can request an early ballot today and get it out of the way!)
Voter registration for Oregon (deadline: October 11): oregonvotes.org/votreg/vreg.htm
Voter registration for California (deadline: October 18)
w w w . sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm .
(just fill out the form and mail it in).
California request a ballot by mail:
w w w . sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_m.htm .
College students: You can usually register as a citizen of either your hometown or your college residence town. Share the voter registration info through your student newspaper, twitter, etc.
Five minutes. Register to vote. Change the world. We can do it right now.
Pass it on