Oregon Voters Fighting to Uphold The Color of the Law

(SALEM, Ore.) - When Oregonians responded en masse to allow recreational use of marijuana for adults 21+, they did not expect sick and dying patients to be negatively impacted.

Sadly, it has been an ongoing fight since the day Governor Brown signed it into law. The people of Oregon believed this was a good thing. Finally! The nonsensical prohibition of cannabis, an herb used for 5,000 years, was over in our fair state. Of course the challenge with the Federal government still rages on, but locally, we have made incredible headway.

The well-meaning mission was instantly broken into a thousand semantics and given to groups that seemingly have little or no "real" history with cannabis or patients.

"Our people voted not to change medical marijuana as it stated three times in Measure 91 in November 2014. I would like to see an Oregon Health Authority that respects the OMMP as much as the voters," Sarah Duff, Oregon businesswoman and activist said.

"OHA's proposed permanent rules are going to destroy the OMMP program," wrote patient activist, Sandy Diesel, in her "call to action".

"They have imposed unrealistic, unaffordable, and unwarranted regulations that are seriously nearly impossible to comply with. Unless you plan on growing 12 plants or less for yourself & another patient that must live at the grow site, you will have to comply with these regulations. Which means you need thousands of dollars for surveillance systems, an approved safe, fencing that will require an engineer, survey and permits, water rights, and more."

The inequality of patient treatment has become a glaring problem. Over-regulation in place of sensible oversight is hard to swallow.

Not only have sick and dying patients been paying the state for the right to use their medicine each year since 1998, but now their growers are suddenly being taken from them. These are changes that benefit no one.

"At this point there are two things you need to know: OMMP growers are being forced into OLCC & will effectively shut down nearly all the OMMP growers. Patients will suffer," said Diesel.

This week alone, there are at least three integral gatherings for interested parties. There will likely be hundreds of patients, growers and business owners anxiously awaiting their turn to speak.

Monday morning, Jan. 25 in Portland, the Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee meets, and the topic is marijuana labeling and testing. It begins at 9 a.m. and proceeds through the entire day, ending at 4:30. The public is invited to attend and I don't believe they will be disappointed... a good group is expected to be there, and to return again and again, to protect their rights.

On Tuesday, January 26, the Cannabis Research Task Force is meeting for the third and final time, in Corvallis. They'll be discussing recommendations for structuring and funding research on medical properties of cannabis; assess potential of locating cannabis grow site for research; and review draft of baseline report due to Legislature by Feb. 1.

This task force was created via Senate Bill 844 (2015), to study and publish a report on the "development of a medical cannabis industry that provides patients with medical products meeting individual patient needs". The 15-member task force were appointed by the Governor.

On Thursday, January 28, the Retail Marijuana Scientific Advisory Committee will meet in Portland, and review a report called “Monitoring Marijuana Use, Attitudes, Health Effects”. This committee is specifically looking for "adverse health effects" of retail marijuana use, and the impacts of time, place, and manner of retail sale of potentially addictive substances. Are we still talking about cannabis?

After all these years, all the education and legislation, the OHA is still "concerned that children will use marijuana products". They behave as if cannabis was just recently discovered, and Oregonians haven't been using it for generations. They are worried that advertising will convince young people to use marijuana. If they understood the advantage of marijuana over alcohol, their long-term fears would likely be quelled.

Final rules will be filed after consideration of all comments. If you wish to present oral testimony, come to one or more of the following public hearings:

• Portland: January 25, 2016 at 9:00 a.m.: Portland State Office Building, Room 1A – 800 NE Oregon St., 97232
• Bend: January 25, 2016 at 1:00 p.m.: Deschutes Services Building, DeArmond Room – 1300 NW Wall Street, 97701
• Medford: January 27, 2016 at 9:30 a.m.: Medford Public Library – 205 S Central Avenue, 97501

Again, this is not what the voters said "yes" to. The color of the law has changed, and it is up to the people to restore it to it's intended splendor.

"Because the OHA has already “bungled” implementation of residency requirements twice, and there is enough evidence to suggest the OHA is embarrassed of the OMMP, we will have to be especially vigilant to protect OMMP patients and harmful changes to the program," remarked Sarah Duff.

"After tomorrow’s OHA Rules Advisory Committee Meeting we will need to take this fight for patient’s rights to the Oregon legislature."

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Comments Leave a comment on this story.

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Mark August 1, 2016 6:50 am (Pacific time)

Corrupt government officials ... Incredible .... What the Oregon government has done is criminal ....

Ron Gibbons January 27, 2016 5:19 pm (Pacific time)

Letter I sent to Corvallis Gazette-Times and was published. "The Oregon Health Authority is considering charging Medical Marijuana Growers $200 per year per patient they serve." If you grow your own medicine no grower fee. This will make it harder for patients to find people willing to grow for them and we all know it's the patient who pays. Instead of Big Pharma we now have the State of Oregon trying take advantage of us patients. So if you live in a place where you cannot grow for your self, are physically or emotionally unable to grow, poor or you can't make anything grow your screwed. If there was a provision on the Recreational side for someone unable to grow to be able to have another grow their allowable 4 plants there would be no problem. I, as an MMJ patient must pay $150.00-$180 for a Dr. visit, $200 for my card and now instead of $50 for a Grower $200 (If it's done). That's between $550 and $600 per year. My question is why then can a recreational user grow their own for nothing but medical patients (often low income) must pay out these huge amounts of dollars ?

April January 27, 2016 12:42 pm (Pacific time)

Here's a copy of the letter I sent for public comment. To Whom it may concern, I would like to include my testimony in public comment regarding changes in OMMP policy and grower protocol. I've had an OMMP card for several year. Since the program began, I've had free access to medicinal herbs for severe chronic back and body pain due to severe spinal deformities. Pharmaceuticals make me very ill and unable to be a mother to my high needs child. This program has proven highly beneficial, not only to me, but to hundreds of desperately ill and suffering individuals. We have to come to rely on the skills and compassion of our growers to supply these much needed medicines. To change what has been a successful, well-maintained program that is helping those who need it most, is a detriment to the patients and growers this law was originally designed to serve. Recreational laws should be maintained separately as voters wanted and in no way should impact the cost and availability of this valuable tool. The current program costs are already inflated and bringing in a sizable amount of economic gain for OHA. There is no need to increase production and care giving costs, which will not be offset in the bottom line for patients, frequently already in dire financial poverty situations that are just trying to feed their families and manage their medical conditions. This is the wrong way to go about increasing state revenues, while relying on the backs of some of your most vulnerable citizens. You have a responsibility to those you serve. Please consider, leaving the laws and protocols in tact for recreational patients and their growers. Thank you, April OMMP patient

Dr. Paula-Noel Macfie January 26, 2016 3:37 pm (Pacific time)

Those of us patients who voted NO o 91 still don't have a voice. Measure 91 implementers are frauds and this measure didn't deserve to be passed AT ALL.

Dr. Paula-Noel Macfie January 26, 2016 3:36 pm (Pacific time)

Yeah, thanks to the carpetbeggars that are now being sued for fraud, we have recreational cannabis for all and sick/suffering patients who actually use this as medicine are being screwed. Who let the carpetbeggars in?

Patricia January 25, 2016 5:15 pm (Pacific time)

did anyone not see this coming? this is why i was against the recreational bill, since it effectively gutted the medical program. Its all big business people!

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Oregon Voters Fighting to Uphold The Color of the Law

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