cannabisnews.com: Petitioners Seek Medical Marijuana Outlets
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Petitioners Seek Medical Marijuana Outlets
Posted by CN Staff on May 21, 2010 at 04:21:22 PT
By Stacey Barchenger and Peter Wong
Source: Statesman Journal
Oregon -- Advocates of medical marijuana on Thursday submitted 110,000 signatures, more than the amount required, for a ballot measure to allow state-licensed pot dispensaries in Oregon. The proposed measure would not change the medical conditions under the law for which medical marijuana may be used.If such a measure ever becomes law, Oregon would join California and a few other states that allow dispensaries. But supporters of the measure argue that reported problems with dispensaries in California are precisely what the Oregon measure is trying to avoid. And one marijuana reform-minded group says it will remain neutral on the issue.
"We support dispensary programs," said Mike Meno of the national Marijuana Policy Project. "For many patients, they are the best way to get safe access to their medicine."The Marijuana Policy Project lobbies at the state and federal levels for medical marijuana to be taxed and regulated like alcohol.California's law allowed for dispensaries but left regulation to local jurisdictions, Meno said."Especially in states where we're pushing for new medical marijuana laws, they get a bad rap from stories they hear out of California; that there's more dispensaries there than Starbucks," Meno said. A state-regulated program could avoid a flood of dispensaries, he said.Oregon's original medical marijuana measure, approved by voters in 1998, allows only patients with state-issued cards, or their caregivers, to grow a specified number of mature plants. The current number of mature plants is six. The law did not allow marijuana sales, which would have conflicted with federal law."But now that the Obama administration has indicated that they will allow states to regulate medical marijuana, Oregon needs to create a regulated system so every patient can access quality controlled medicine," said John Sajo, director of Voter Power, the group that organized the petition-signature campaign.Fourteen states have medical marijuana programs. States that will soon allow regulated dispensaries include Rhode Island, Maine, Washington D.C. and New Jersey, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.Some medical marijuana patients are concerned that state-regulated dispensaries could limit their right to grow their own. Others worry that dispensaries would not be able to keep up with demand.Madeline Martinez, executive director of Oregon NORML, said that as a patient she worries the state may try to prohibit her from growing the plants the way she likes them: organic.But the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is neutral on the issue."We don't feel that (it) really makes a significant change in the lives of patients — it doesn't go far enough," Martinez said. "It doesn't protect our employment rights or from losing our children in custody battles."It regulates the market, she said, but won't affect the cardholders who can grow their own medicine or get it through other avenues. It wont change cost or quality, Martinez said."It may be easier for some people, but pretty much anyone can go out and buy marijuana today," she said. "If people want to get marijuana, they can get it anywhere."The state Public Health Division, which oversees the medical marijuana program, hasn't yet evaluated dispensaries."We have not studied the issue of dispensaries because we are neutral when it comes to ballot measures," said Dr. Grant Higginson, who oversees the medical marijuana program."If there are dispensaries for medical marijuana, it is our understanding at this point that we would be required to create some regulatory framework in regard to licensing and monitoring grow sites," he said.Source: Statesman Journal (OR)Author: Stacey Barchenger and Peter Wong, Statesman Journal Published: May 21, 2010Copyright: 2010 Statesman JournalContact: letters statesmanjournal.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/Hh3D2FrxWebsite: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #16 posted by Dr Dan on May 23, 2010 at 11:55:52 PT
Rancher
Thank you, Rancher, for clarifying the initiative. I feel a lot more confident about it now that you have educated me. I hope it passes and achieves the desired effect.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #15 posted by Hope on May 21, 2010 at 16:40:22 PT
Rancher
Thank you. I know there is a lot of dedication and hard work involved in what you've been doing for reform up there. Thank you.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #14 posted by rancher on May 21, 2010 at 15:37:53 PT:
Oregon dispensary system
The Oregon initiative will establish the best model so far for dispensing medical cannabis. I think that because I am co author of this proposal but also because we spent several years drafting this and listened a tremendous amount of input from hundreds of people. We discovered that it is impossible to please everyone and it seems to be human nature to disagree, but we tried hard to draft a law that will: 1) win the election, 2) be imlementable, 3) help patients, and 4) further cannabis reform. Here are a few salient points:Oregon I 28 allows producers to be independent farmers, not necessarily members of a collective (necessary to be legal in California) or employees of a compassion center (New Mexico, Rhode Island, Maine, NJ, DC). DR. Dan: All marijuana would be grown by private producers and sold by nonprofit dispensaries. The government would regulate the industry, not be the industry. This is an important distinction.Producers can sell to any dispensary. Any dispensary can sell to any registered patient. This will create a regulated free market, where competition will lower prices, raise quality and encourage innovation. I 28 also includes language allowing Oregon DHS to do research directed at establishing quality control standards. I 28 also creates a program to assist indigent patients with medical marijuana. It will be a long time before medicaid or insurance helps people get medical marijuana so we need to make sure the neediest patients are not left behind.One of the issues we encountered when drafting this initiative was deciding how much detail to include in the statute and how much to leave to future administrative rules. This is an important issue that will come up repeatedly as marijuana legislation is drafted.Thanks
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on May 21, 2010 at 11:49:10 PT
Dr. Dan
That's good.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by Dr Dan on May 21, 2010 at 10:41:07 PT
Dispensary
Oh, my nephew's dispensary is registered (or is being registered). That has been the hold-up on starting it, and I believe (so I hear, anyway) that it is operational and legal (insofar as the state is concerned) at this time.Dr. Dan
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by FoM on May 21, 2010 at 09:04:10 PT
Dr. Dan
I thought you might want to check this out.Billings Pulls Licenses from Med Marijuana ShopsURL: http://www.keci.com/pages/7141837.php?contentType=4&contentId=6149292
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by FoM on May 21, 2010 at 08:38:45 PT
Dr. Dan
I wish him the best of luck.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #9 posted by Dr Dan on May 21, 2010 at 08:23:04 PT
Disaboom
Thanks, Hope and FoM. Yes, Disaboom is a great site for all kinds of information. It is a site expressly for the disability community. I learned about it from my writer friend who also happens to be a wheelchair user. I recommend the site to anyone who is interested not just in medical marijuana, but also in anything and everything related to living with a disability, including disability rights, health issues in general, sports, entertainment, travel, parenting, and a whole lot more. I am glad to give a plug for the site here, and I hope FoM and the CNews Staff don't mind.You two have made me feel like I've been set right back down into the CNews family again. Now, about the above article: my nephew is running (or seeking to run; I am not sure of the current status) a medijuana dispensary in Montana. He knows what he is doing, and I am proud that he is taking steps toward providing some level of comfort for the people who live near him. His is a private enterprise, it seems. Oregon's approach seems sensible on one hand (it would dispel some of the bad rap dispensaries have received, as the article suggests), but I foresee a whole mess of other problems that could arise, not the least of which is low-quality government product. I have not read the ballot measure, so I am not sure how it deals with the issue of quality, but if that issue in particular is addressed (perhaps by licensing private citizens to grow the product for the dispensaries), I think it would be a useful step in the right direction in terms of de-mythologizing medical cannabis use and establishing greater acceptance for the legitimacy of medical marijuana and perhaps marijuana use in general.Take care, folks.Dr. Dan
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on May 21, 2010 at 08:21:42 PT
Thank you, FoM.
I'll get some as soon as I can.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by FoM on May 21, 2010 at 08:17:34 PT
Hope
You mentioned your husband having arthritis and I wanted to mention this to you. If you buy pure essential oil of Lavender and put it on a cotton ball and wipe it over the painful area it will help stop the pain. Stick said it works for him and I know it works for me. This is the brand I have used for years.http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/PersonalCare/Products/M002828.htm
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 21, 2010 at 07:50:20 PT
Dr. Dan
I'm sorry things didn't work out for you. I wish you happiness with your girlfriend and new life.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by Hope on May 21, 2010 at 07:45:56 PT
Dr Dan
I'm sorry about the bust-up but I'm glad to hear you've got some good going on. Went ahead and looked around that site, after getting the error notice, and searched out the article. Good work. That's an interesting site. I'm researching some of their arthritis articles for my husband.It's good to see you back and I'm looking forward to more comments from you.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by Dr Dan on May 21, 2010 at 07:15:50 PT:
Here's the (shorter) link . . .
It's good to see familiar names, and I appreciate the welcome back. I went through a divorce last year, and my pug went to my ex. We get along just fine (which is good because we have a son), but things just didn't work out. I was single for several months, but now I am living with my girlfriend in another town not far from where my son lives. Things are going well.I have resubmitted the short version of the link using the site you suggested, FoM. I'm glad to see that so many familiar people are still working on this issue here. I look forward to being around here more.Take care!Dr Dan
Medical Marijuana: Will Texas Just Say No?
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on May 21, 2010 at 06:44:47 PT
DanB!
It is so good to see you! We miss you so much.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #2 posted by FoM on May 21, 2010 at 05:53:11 PT
DanB
It's great to see you! It's been a long time. How's your little Pug? The link broke because it was too long. You can paste the whole article in a comment and it will work. If it's too long you can convert it by using this link and it will work.http://drugsense.org/url/
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by Dr Dan on May 21, 2010 at 05:39:25 PT:
Another Excellent Article
I have included a link to a great article on Disaboom.com. It was written by a good friend of mine, and there are other articles there that are worth a read. This one is about medical marijuana in Texas.If anyone remembers me from a while back, I used to be called DanB. I hope all of my friends here are well and enjoying life.Take care.Dr Dan
Medical Marijuana: Will Texas Just Say No?
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