State of Oregon stops issuing Medical Marijuana cards

Not so surprising. Oregon always had an anti-herb bias anyway. I'm a person who has seen firsthand the value of smoking pot as it pertains to Cancer patients who have zero appetite. It's not just chemotherapy that causes nausea that inhibits appetite. Cancer itself destroys appetite. Pot gives you the "Munchies". Synthetic Marinol may relieve pain, but it never makes you hungry. So what was the real problem in the way Medical Pot was promoted? The bottom line is that it's too easy to score a prescription in a lot of areas. There are doctors who charge hundreds of dollars for a scrip, justifying it by saying if the patient has to pay a lot of money, it will "weed" out the mere 'potheads' who just want to party legally. Third party 'providers' of Medical Pot are usually yesterday's outlaw farmers. Nothing wrong with that, but why are they still charging sick people $50 and $60 for an eighth ounce of bud? Weed was very expensive because it was illegal to cultivate. If you're growing it legally, why are you still charging prohibition prices to sick people? Somebody's making a fortune off this and it's not right. "Cannabis Clubs" are notorious for gouging. Of course they always have some cheap 'dirt weed' for the poverty cases. Aspirin is better than most of that. The fact that these clubs are unregulated only invited shenanigans, and even if everything is righteous, the appearance of anarchy only fuels reactionary responses. Here's a part I hate to mention, but it works against any real progress. All sorts of potsmokers with no real physical pain or problems have somehow scored prescriptions. You can't blame people for wanting a magic get out of jail free card for an activity they engage in daily. I personally believe that if you're over 21, you should be able to purchase a pack of doobies for $20 at the liquor store. "Those ones there, sir..right next to the Winstons..and a pack of ZigZags please". But the marriage of Pot Legalization and Medical Pot is a shaky one. Many people REALLY NEED Medical weed. They are in REAL TROUBLE without it. Every smoker with a scrip who is healthy is nothing but a walking advertisement for scrapping medical marijuana. Especially in California, where possession of an ounce or less is only a $100 fine and no jail. We have given the forces of repression many reasons (excuses really) to clamp down. I have seen emcees at festivals exhorting cheering audiences to all get prescriptions. Amusing, but it lays waste to the integrity of the program itself in the eyes of those we need to convince. So what to do? I say work for general decriminalization. That's still in the realm of State's Rights. just a thought: How many cops are actually heartless enough to go out of their way to bust a cancer patient for toking up?

Immediate action tips from MPP ( http://mpp.org/OR/alerts_860.html)

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Don't let Oregon shut down medical marijuana program
Adam Horowitz, MPP legislative analyst; June 6, 2005


Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier today that federal authorities can continue prosecuting medical marijuana patients, Oregon's medical marijuana law is still intact. But you wouldn't know that from the alarming, inaccurate statement of one Oregon official. Grant Higginson, M.D. -- the public health officer who oversees the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) -- incorrectly concluded that the Court's ruling invalidates state medical marijuana laws, and he has decided to stop issuing medical marijuana registration cards.

We need you to do three things, right now, to set the record straight.

1. Please call Dr. Higginson and OMMP at 503-731-4002, extension 233, and politely say the following:

"I am strongly opposed to your decision to stop issuing medical marijuana registration cards. The Supreme Court's ruling clearly indicates that Oregon's medical marijuana laws are the same today as they were yesterday. Please follow state law and recommence issuing registration cards."

2. Please call Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers' office at 503-378-4400, and politely say the following:

"OMMP's decision to stop issuing medical marijuana registration cards violates Oregon state law. The Supreme Court's ruling clearly indicates that Oregon's medical marijuana laws are the same today as they were yesterday. Please recommend that OMMP follow state law and recommence issuing registration cards."

3. Please write a letter-to-the-editor of your local papers, using our automated system. It takes just a few moments, and you can easily draw from our pre-written talking points.

The Marijuana Policy Project vehemently opposes Higginson's decision to break Oregon's law by unilaterally deciding to withhold medical marijuana ID cards from legitimate patients. In fact, if Higginson refuses to follow state law and continue issuing ID cards to legitimate patients, MPP will immediately sue him in state court. Meanwhile, we need you to do your part.

So please call Dr. Higginson, Attorney General Myers, and write to your local papers today.

Higginson said that Oregon will continue to receive and process applications, but he explained, "We need to proceed cautiously until we understand the ramifications of this ruling." Higginson has contacted the attorney general to ask for a formal legal opinion on how the ruling affects OMMP. Unfortunately, Dr. Higginson does not yet understand that the Court's decision does not invalidate Oregon's law in any way.

The attorneys general of California, Nevada, and Montana have already said that their states' medical marijuana laws are unaffected by today's Supreme Court ruling, and the attorneys general of the six other medical marijuana states have also not challenged their states' policies. Please visit  http://www.ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/2005/05-040.htm to read California Attorney General Bill Lockyer's statement on the legitimacy of his state's medical marijuana law, and his commitment to uphold it.

Oregon's law reflects the will of the people, since voters in Oregon passed it. And the law maintains its legality in the face of the Supreme Court's disappointing decision. Please take action today to ensure that Oregon state officials understand this fact, and please tell your friends and family about this page, so that they may act too. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project.