Medical Marijuana Success and Free Advertising by Portland Tribune

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I really don’t know or understand the agenda of The Tribune regarding Medical Marijuana but it certainly seemed to be Reefer Madness at work.

In May, 2008 they had an article, Seizure Law Tangled History which pointed out that the Police Bureaus Marijuana Task Force had illegally tapped the phone of a fertilizer supplier to get the names of presumed legal marijuana growers so they could arrest them and seize money, property, et cetera, which amounted to $800,000 from about 1000 legal marijuana growers.

“The police were only doing their jobs” hassling sick marijuana patients and confiscating their money and property. The law had to be changed to stop this.

I reported before on Salem-News.com about the Tribunes articles "Hazy Pot Rules Leave Police and Patients Upset" and "An Ounce of Cure" and now Legal “POT” causing overdoses in a story which was not about marijuana but a new drug somewhat like Ecstasy, called K-2.

All of the articles have an aroma of Reefer Madness with many falsities and half truths. First they printed that the marijuana system was BROKEN. It wasn’t a system in the first place. It is so awkward that everybody touching marijuana is breaking a law. The Oregon Law says medical marijuana should be treated like any other medicine yet the Oregon Supreme Court implies (?) that it is still an illegal drug.

Two Cannabis Cafes have opened in Portland which are operated in a legal manner for members only. I can see cops going psycho about this. With about 35,000 legal card holders the cops have lost control.

The U.S. Government estimates 300,000 marijuana users in Oregon. I pity the poor slobs who are arrested – wrong place, wrong time.

The clinics where patients can get applications approved are producing thousands of new legal patients a week and the state office is - and always has been - overwhelmed and far behind issuing cards. Despite what Police, Judges and Prosecuting Attorneys may think, NOBODY is getting permits by faking symptoms.

Patients MUST have a valid acceptable diagnosis by a previous doctor. With 300,000 users in the state the illegal users totally out number the legal users, and legal users rarely share - although I am sure some do.

The Tribune totally misstates the type of acceptable medical conditions. There are about 100 based upon the original nine. Severe pain represents about 70% of patients. These patients are no longer using deadly Oxycontin, Morphine, dangerous Valium-like drugs or the zombifying Anti-depressants. They have also cut down on alcohol and tobacco. What is wrong with that?

The comments of readers of the Tribune articles are available online; they continually take reporter Peter Korn to task for writing such inflammatory material and should be read.

Peter Korn's May 13, 2010 article Need a Transplant? Give up Medical Pot brought on a firestorm. Patients are using marijuana to prolong their lives and to give them some comfort. Using Medical Marijuana should NOT be any kind of excuse for denying a patient a transplant.

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Salem-News.com Marijuana Coverage

Where and How to Smoke Legal Marijuana without Fear of Arrest in the U.S.

Eulogy of a Great Warrior: Hoss Plourde

The Ripple Effect How Marijuana Laws Are Impacting Society

Audit the Audit

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Anakka Hartwell May 20, 2010 10:41 am (Pacific time)

It is the same in San Diego, the media ie The San Diego Union Tribune, KUSI and others are in the back pocket of the DA...they have refused independent political representation from candidates that have filed and should have been on the list. So, the people of San Diego, stand together in Unity and Solidarity to RECALL THE SAN DIEGO DISTRICT ATTORNEY, we will restore our constitutional and legislative rights to San Diego, then we will move on to the Sheriffs. I was speaking to one of the teachers in the campaign who thought that everything ws good that we had voted in our statement of what we wanted. "But what of the raids you see," I asked, "Well," she said "We thought that they had broken the law like the police said, we did not know...." Now we will make sure that everyone knows that the government in California, even though we have been asking since the 60's, we have asked, we have protested, then we voted, then they said they did not understand so we voted again, and now, THEY SAY OH WELL WE STILL ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW YOU YOUR RIGHTS. RECALL REVOLUTION STARTING in San Diego with Bonnie Dumanis, San Diego County District Attorney We can use volunteers through out the Nation..please volunteer at nac3.org/recallbonniedumanis PEACE AND HEALING THRU CANNABIS

Anonymous May 20, 2010 6:30 am (Pacific time)

Dr Phil..Do you smoke pot? If so, you may want to read barry soetero's new guidelines for when you drive. You can be totally sober, but have smoked pot a week ago, but you will go to prison. Here is the link. SO much for hope and change eh? Barry, who smoked alot of pot, now wants YOU to go to prison for it. http://www.infowars.com/feds-move-to-throw-pot-smokers-in-prison-for-impaired-driving/ I guess having the largest amount of people in prison per capita IN THE WORLD isnt enough for the current admin. And funny how so many "for-profit" prisons are gong up. Oh, and lets not forget the marines guarding the opium fields in Afghanistan. hmm...guard the opium, ship it to the U.S. then put people in for profit prisons for using it. Oh, the marines guard it to keep the farmers happy, while shooting down innocent civilians with drones. The Irony.. hope and friggin change, and some people will still adore the current admin..yeesh.

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