cannabisnews.com: Senate OKs Bill Clarifying Medical Pot Senate OKs Bill Clarifying Medical Pot Posted by CN Staff on July 22, 2005 at 08:39:27 PT By Tim Christie, The Register-Guard Source: Register-Guard Oregon -- Medical marijuana cardholders would be allowed to possess up to 1 1/2 pounds of dried marijuana and six mature plants under a bill that won unanimous support Wednesday in the Oregon Senate. The legislation, Senate Bill 1085, makes a series of changes intended to clarify ambiguous sections of Oregon's voter-approved medical marijuana law that took effect in 1998. The bill "provides the clear, bright lines that law enforcement needs to enforce the law fairly, without infringement on the rights of those who legitimately use the product," said Sen. Bill Morrisette, D-Springfield, the bill's chief sponsor. The bill's other main backer, Sen. Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg, said the bill could not have moved forward without the work and support of both law enforcement officials and advocates for users of marijuana. To lawmakers who oppose medical marijuana in principle, Kruse said the question isn't whether to keep the law, given its popular support, but "how to make it work better for all involved. This bill does that." The bill passed on a 30-0 vote and now goes to the House. Four major law enforcement organizations representing police chiefs, sheriffs, district attorneys and the Oregon State Police supported the bill because it provides better guidance for officers confronted with sometimes ambiguous issues surrounding the law. Lack of clarity in the existing law means law officers sometimes "can get into situations where they're not sure how to proceed," said Kevin Campbell, executive director of the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police. "The reason we like the bill is we think it clears up some of the ambiguity. It gives officers more solid ground to stand on." Many patient advocates support the bill, but there is some division. For instance, Oregon NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) is backing the bill as a "great enhancement" for patients, said Madeline Martinez, the group's executive director. Martinez said she likes that the bill defines a marijuana plant - anything over 12 inches high or 12 inches wide - so there's no confusing seedlings or cuttings with mature plants. And the increase in the number of mature plants and amount of dried marijuana that cardholders are permitted to possess would be a major improvement to the law, she said. Current law permits cardholders and caregivers - people who grow marijuana for cardholders who can't or don't want to grow their own - to grow three mature and four immature plants and to possess up to three ounces of dried marijuana. The legislation lets cardholders grow up to six mature plants and 18 seedlings and possess 24 ounces of dried marijuana. To be allowed to possess and grow that much would relieve a lot of stress for cardholders, she said. But in exchange for that provision, law enforcement got something important to them: elimination of the "affirmative defense" for cardholders who are found to be growing or possessing more marijuana than permitted under the law. Currently, in that situation, a patient can argue in court that having more marijuana than permitted is a medical necessity and therefore permissible. That change is one of the reasons that Leland Berger, a Portland attorney who helped draft the original law and defends medical marijuana patients, opposes the Senate legislation. "It's a really close call whether to support or oppose this legislation," he said. "I take the position that it's important not to leave anyone behind. This compromise legislation leaves people and situations behind, and that's how come I'm opposed to it." Berger contends that the increased limits are inadequate, particularly for outdoor growers who have only one crop a year. And he doesn't like a provision that restricts caregivers to grow for no more than four patients. The restrictions will result in the diminution of supply for patients, he said. The bill also: • Permits patients to reimburse caregivers for their expenses, such as supplies and utilities, associated with growing. • Requires growers to return all marijuana and a grow-site card when they stop growing for a patient. • Requires state health officials to establishe a system that will allow police to verify a person is a cardholder at any hour of the day. • Requires state officials to issue grow-site cards to qualified persons, and for those cards to be displayed at all times at grow sites. • Calls for growers who are convicted of drug offenses to have their cards revoked for five years after a first offense and for good after a second offense. Register-Guard reporter David Steves in Salem contributed to this report. Source: Register-Guard, The (OR) Author: Tim Christie, The Register-GuardPublished: July 21, 2005Copyright: 2005 The Register-GuardContact: rgletters guardnet.comWebsite: http://www.registerguard.com/Oregon NORMLhttp://www.ornorml.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #29 posted by FoM on July 25, 2005 at 08:13:29 PT mayan Yup I'm a hippie chic! LOL! Years ago when I was a serious yuppie I cut my hair and got a permanent and looked like a walking brillo pad like all the women did and then in the mid 90s I couldn't take it anymore. I cut off all my hair to get rid of the poof and haven't cut my hair since then except trimming it. I never got use to having to go to the beauty parlor and smelling icky after getting a perm. LOL!I love my Greendale t-shirt.You know about Neil's news stuff don't you?One is called Complex Sessions (2005) and Freedom Alive (2005) and Weld DVD and Neil Young - Year of the Horse / Sleeps With Angels - DVD and CD (2 Pack) Prairie Wind on 9/20 and the archives to follow shortly Neil said on his web site. My Neil Young Page [ Post Comment ] Comment #28 posted by mayan on July 25, 2005 at 05:46:28 PT FoM Nice hair ya' hippie chic! LOL!!! I dig your Neil & Crazy Horse shirt too! I see Chicago on there. There's a good chance I was at that show. [ Post Comment ] Comment #27 posted by FoM on July 24, 2005 at 11:03:17 PT runruff Thank you. I was blessed with my mother's hair and yes I am a real person! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #26 posted by runruff on July 24, 2005 at 10:44:15 PT: Pretty hair. Looks like it is stuck to a real person. [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by FoM on July 24, 2005 at 09:27:39 PT So You Know I am a Real Person We are taking lots of pictures like I said in the last post and I thought a picture of me for all of you might be ok. Needless to say I am not showing a front shot though.http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/me.jpg [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by FoM on July 24, 2005 at 08:48:27 PT Jose and Everyone That's a very cute dog and picture. No news to post so far today but I will keep looking. This has to be one of the slowest times of year for our issue. Right now we are in construction mode and we are so busy so it's really good for me that it is slow. Today a 30 foot pine tree that we planted in the early 80s is coming down. Building as you go is fun but very hard because you want to make it all right since you can't change it after it's done. Scheduled on Thursday is the cement being poured and finished for the new home addition. The Amish man will be here at the crack of dawn. He will arrive in his horse and buggy. We are taking pictures of everything we are doing and will make a DVD then. [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by jose melendez on July 24, 2005 at 05:30:23 PT camouflage Here's my Blue dog,* captured on a digital camera by my neighbor. The picture is a bit large, so it's a bit of a download.I'm trying to find a catch ad slogan to indicate that advertising clearly works, for a sign business:*http://signtrailers.com Sign Trailers - Advertising Clearly Works [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by FoM on July 23, 2005 at 21:22:15 PT Jose That was funny about three horses and a cow. Here's a pic of my other dog when we first got her from a dog rescue organization.http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/sassy.jpg [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by jose melendez on July 23, 2005 at 21:01:44 PT thank you, Dinky! I want to thank my former girlfriend Dinky Deeley for introducing me to Blue Heelers. I love my dog, she is smart, loveable and wishes I would just get off the computer and get three horses and a cow, already.The real reason she is not on the net herself is her paw won't work with the trackball, but she can press the disc eject button (it's F12 on my mac) - - -Rights? "next thing you know everybody will be demanding them"- Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Louis Presenzahttp://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/396/pacase.shtmlhttp://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/2005/07/13/news/local/12117859.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by FoM on July 23, 2005 at 20:27:30 PT Thanks Jose What he has is a corneal ulcer. When he was about 2 years old this happened before. The antibiotics cleared it up and he has been fine but we found out he has an eye disease that he could pass on if we used him for breeding. We didn't even register him because I won't contribute a known problem to the breed. He is way too big for a Rott ( 30 inches or so at his back). I told the lady I called today I need a large animal vet to do a farm call because he's so big. Even my husband has trouble handling him. He listens to use but if he wants to do his own thing we can't physically stop him. Maybe I should put my saddle on him and ride him to the Vets. Just kidding but I will never buy another Rott as much as I love him. The next dog will probably be a Beagle! The dog we saved from the pound isn't very big maybe 40 pounds and sweet as punch and very healthy. Purebred dogs are not near as healthy as a heinz 57 variety. [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by jose melendez on July 23, 2005 at 20:12:39 PT hope this helps thank google:http://www.naturallyhealthypet.com/eye_infections.htm http://www.otan.us/webfarm/emailproject/pink.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by FoM on July 23, 2005 at 19:13:02 PT Jose I took your suggestion and called an old friend who's husband is a retired Vet. He isn't home but will be back on Tuesday and I can get antibiotics then. I hope his eye hold on until then but at least I will get him what he needs. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by FoM on July 23, 2005 at 08:53:19 PT Had Enough Lawyers, guns and money isn't that the truth. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by Had Enough on July 23, 2005 at 08:27:06 PT FoM Lawyers Guns & Money Meatloaf. I think Warren Zevon had a version too.http://www.lyriczz.com/lyriczz.php?songid=15451 [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by FoM on July 23, 2005 at 07:59:53 PT Had Enough I work very hard at controlling my temper but when my trigger is tripped I'm not very nice. I love my dog. He is my protector when my husband isn't here. I don't have any guns but I do have my Rott. We were turned down by AARP when we made the mistake and said we had a Rottweiler. They won't insure us. I thought I'd like to hold the phone and shoot off a gun so the AARP insurance person could hear it and say well now will you insure us! LOL! That's sick but this is insanity where we are now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Had Enough on July 23, 2005 at 07:38:42 PT Comment 12 FoM, I Know what you mean. While purchasing over priced insurance for our dwelling I was told the 11-yr. old German Shepherd was a problem, it was considered a vicious dog. My first thought was yep looks like the lawyers have been busy suing over dog stuff. Now a neighbor of ours has a Chihuahua. She was telling me about how dangerous German Shepherds are, and how they can turn on you and attack at any given time no matter how long you have been around them. While she was telling me this I was thinking about how her mothers Chihuahua jumped up and bit my bride on the calf of her leg, for no reason at all, and how they both were repeatedly apologizing for weeks about the behavior of their dogs. They were talking at the mailbox for about 10 minutes and the dog just jumped out and bit her. I took about 6 weeks for the wound to heal up.Maybe they should put Chihuahuas on the “considered vicious dog category” list, Insurance People would love it and lawyers could buy new houses.Go figure [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by jose melendez on July 23, 2005 at 07:16:54 PT bark beats bite FoM,Perhaps you could call your old vet, maybe he can refer you to a more reasonable firm? - - - "(K)ind thoughts and good intentions will not waken sleeping souls. Besides it's kind of a kick in the ass to see the whole judicial system upset so much by the simple telling of the truth. They have to extract some penalty." - Steven McWilliamshttp://www.radicalparty.org/newsletter/?p=subscribe [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 23, 2005 at 06:48:10 PT Off Topic Rant I am so angry and I want to tell you why. I have a 150 pound Rottweiler. He has a eye inflammation that needs medicine. Our old Vet sold the business to another Vet when he retired. The Vet that took care of our animals sold me medicine and even injectibles because he taught me how to do it myself. He taught me how to dock my Weimaraners tails when we raised them so I wouldn't have to bring the puppies in and upset the mother dog more then we had too. They won't dispense medicine if the dog hasn't been seen in a year for legal purposes. I got so angry and I said thank you very much because my dog will go blind now and I slammed the phone down and probably hurt her ear. This is total insanity to me. My dog is very aggressive and must be muzzled when taken to the Vet. What is the sense of denying medicine that worked for him before because he is only a dog and won't live that much longer since he is 5 now. Pharmaceutical companies, Lawyers etc. control every aspect of our lives and it's making me really angry. Thanks for reading my rant. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by mayan on July 23, 2005 at 05:42:55 PT unrelated God Bless Cynthia McKinney!McKinney reopens 9/11 - Conspiracy theories implicating president aired at 8-hour hearing: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/0705/23natmckinney.htmlCongressional Briefing on 9/11 to Air on Web, TV and Radio For the World to Hear: http://911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=598&mode=thread&order=0&thold=09/11 Congressional Hearing Being Rebroadcast: http://www.911blogger.com/2005/07/911-congressional-hearing-being.htmlThe Deafening Silence of the Mainstream Media: http://www.911blogger.com/2005/07/deafening-silence-of-mainstream-media.htmlTHE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on July 22, 2005 at 19:01:01 PT runruff You seem like a considerate husband. Being a protector is so very special. Not many people are lucky enough to enjoy a good relationship and it indeed is a wonderful thing. My husband is my protector too. When I am weak he gives me strength. When he is weak I give him strength. When two people can find that delicate balance and walk in harmony life can be a real joy thru good times and bad times. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by runruff on July 22, 2005 at 18:27:49 PT: Thank you Thank you for saying "God bless your wife". Yes she is a wonderful person. I have never spoken a bad word to her or even raised my voice to her. My most common response to her is "yes dear" such is my emense respect for her. I am not a whimpy or so called hen pecked guy. I am her protector. She has said time and again how safe she feels with me. How I always look out for her and take good care of her. To me these are the actions of a real man. In return she takes good care of me. She is solid.p.s. Did I mention that officer Wrights pee wee was showing, snicker, snicker. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by E_Johnson on July 22, 2005 at 18:12:23 PT The bravery here is inspiring Being a woman, I never expected to be called to fight a war, but I was chosen by the fickle finger of ill health to be here and it's inspiring to see how someone can light up a pipe in front of the DEA.They are a scary bunch. I guess they like to be scary. But eventually the public gets tired of always being scared. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by global_warming on July 22, 2005 at 18:05:55 PT God Bless Your Wife She sounds like a Good person. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by global_warming on July 22, 2005 at 17:47:47 PT Mr. Piss and Vinegar Whould love to arm wrestle with you,And share a Bud with you.You are a pretty good writer,Your last post,Is a very moving and illuminating,Picture of your and my dieng world,gw- hope we can hookup [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by runruff on July 22, 2005 at 17:15:44 PT: G.W. I live in Oregon. It is a beautiful place to be. We love our sheriff here. Dave Daniels. He cares about stopping crime. He was a parole officer for a number of years. He said before he was elected sheriff "Marjiuana is not the problem" When the DEA was at my house they said they knew our sheriff and that drew a round of snickers from the other officers present. "He's a friend to you pot heads I heard", he said. "He is not a friend to Pot heads", I said. He is an enemy to criminals". People in this county love him, he is going on his third term. Ronald Wright the team leader stepped outside into the woods to take a leak. When he came back inside he had forgot to zip up. Me and my wife then had our little snicker. My wife said "you are right, men who like to pack around a big gun are trying to make up for their on short commings. We cracked up. Then right in front of about a dozen DEA officers I took my pipe out of my robe pocket and lit up. I swear you should have seen the looks on their faces. No one said a word. It was as if they refused to believe what they were seeing. My wife said "Jerry only you would do something like that". I am a defiant little cuss! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by global_warming on July 22, 2005 at 16:55:27 PT If Jesus Smoked A Joint If Jesus Smoked A JointHe would need a lawyer, and a judge, The Prohibitionist, or better known as,The Law Is The Law mental types,Have become a ruthless type of Gang,They chomp at the bit, and cannot wait to destroy,Our American Constitution.The prohibitionists, are ruthless, and are using violence,For the sake of the good, innocents will fall,While the danger and the fat paycheck,Is easily digested, the hope of the living,Who have been branded and put into chains,Whose unborn children, have been Aborted,Have no council, they have no Hope.This world is a Mystery, and a Paradox,Somewhere in this Inky Night sky,Is our Galaxy,Our Sun,Our Planet,According to the High Priests,Of Science and Higher Learning,They have a fix on our Location,It is somewhere to the left or right,Of Einstiens Saddle and Closing or Expanding Universe.Maybe I should por another drink, or have another toke,Somehow, in the Year 2005,We, continue to hurt each other.Praying for an Herbal Peace, Will also accept any kind of Peace and Understaning.PeaceGW [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by global_warming on July 22, 2005 at 16:23:41 PT Oregon Good Luck and Prosperity.gw- wishing I was in Oregon. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on July 22, 2005 at 13:53:31 PT Down With The Green Pretty bad crime runruff. I hope those plants didn't harm too many people. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by runruff on July 22, 2005 at 10:46:18 PT: Me and Jesse James. I'm an outlaw gardner folks. I am guilty of miss using the water, soil, and sunshine and now I must pay. Yes, I must pay my debt to society for the miss use of nature.Woe is me. I feel so bad. Will God ever forgive me. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment