ENDING THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA GOLD RUSH

As a patient, I know what it is like to suffer needlessly. As a
mother, I know that disabilities and sickness strike indiscriminately.
As a Grandmother, I know we must protect this valuable medicine so it
will be available for all of us. As a citizen, I stand up because I
care.

Many Oregonians have thanked me for my involvement in passage of last
year's Senate Bill 1085, which amended and clarified Oregon's Medical
Marijuana Program. I have also been harshly criticized for helping to
remove the ambiguities within our law. The most important change
SB-1085 made was giving the ownership of all medical marijuana
produced, and marijuana plants grown, exclusively to the OMMP patient.
The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act still allows patients to grow their
own medicine and assign a caregiver to help them. A patient can assign
their grow site card to their own location, the location of their
caregiver, and now, to a person responsible for their grow site
location. Patients can reimburse their caregiver or grower for the
actual cost of electricity and garden supplies used to produce their
medicine. Caregiver and growers must work on a voluntary basis-they
cannot charge or be compensated for their time or labor. And finally,
caregivers and growers must surrender all medicine and plants to their
patient upon request.

This is a good law, given what we are up against with current federal
law. I believe that, for our program to have any credibility, we must
separate the issue of medical marijuana from the legalization of
marijuana. Over the last six years, I have stood against many attempts
to take this program away from patients. This includes the 2004 ballot
initiative Measure 33 that would have established dispensaries in
Oregon. Giving ownership of the medicine to the caregivers and growers
would have caused the same problems for us that it is causing in
California, problems that threaten the survival of the program.

Although I strongly believe marijuana laws need to be revisited so
that we can stop putting people in jail for something that should not
be a crime, I cannot condone using sick and disabled people as pawns
in this war on drugs.

It is my belief that there needs to be a way for all patients to
access medical marijuana, but dispensaries like in California are not
the answer. Prohibition and the black market have increased the street
price of marijuana beyond what most patients can afford. As long as
the price is artificially inflated by marijuana's prohibition, medical
marijuana will never be sold at a reasonable price. California
dispensaries are selling marijuana for higher prices than on the black
market: a price that rivals that of gold. We need to stop the gold
rush!

California dispensaries are out of control, jeopardizing medical
marijuana not only in California but also for the entire United
States. Many who supported medical marijuana in the past now question
its validity. This cannot happen in Oregon!

During the 2005 legislative session, SB-1085 had strong bi-partisan
support in both houses, and had strong support from the Oregon law
enforcement community. SB-1085 created bright clear lines that both
law enforcement and patients could understand.

The changes in SB-1085 preclude organizations and dispensaries from
selling medical marijuana. Under Oregon law, only patients and their
caregivers/growers are protected by the OMMP. Organizations and
businesses cannot be registered cardholders and can never possess or
control medical marijuana.

Patients can freely "give" their excess medical marijuana away to
other cardholders, but it remains illegal to sell marijuana to anyone
in Oregon. Caregivers cannot decide how much medical marijuana their
patients will receive from a harvest or decide where the excess
medication will go. Caregivers should never charge their patients for
their medicine by the ounce. It's against the law! All medicine
belongs to the patient.

Medical marijuana has medicinal properties that are unlike all other
medications. One patient experience I had just after measure 67 passed
illustrates how badly this medicine is needed! A woman called and set
an appointment for her husband who has cancer. They rescheduled their
appointment because on the way over they ended up at the hospital.
When I opened my hotel door, I wasn't prepared for this man who was a
ghastly grey color. I'd never seen that color on a living body. His
wife helped him to the nearest seat in the room. The intensity and
desperation was like a heavy fog. I handed him a small pipe. He
inhaled. I witnessed color come back into his face as he gave the
"Honey I'm OK" glances to his concerned wife as his breathing
improved. I witnessed the tearful relief in her eyes as she saw his
glances. This man regained his quality of life and was even able to
return to his Sunday school class duties.

Medical marijuana must be protected for all of us because of the
relief it gives to so many. No matter who you are, a sickness or
disability can happen to you or to a loved one. Medical marijuana may
not be a cure, but for over 14,000 registered Oregon Medical Marijuana
Program patients, it means a better quality of life.

I would like to give a special thank you to Oregon caregivers and
growers who selflessly help patients grow a garden and have the
medicine they need. I would also like to invite anyone that would like
to help a patient with their garden to become a part of this wonderful
program.

Oregon's Medical Marijuana Act protects caregivers and growers so they
can help registered patients. Caregivers and growers can possess
marijuana and have a medical marijuana garden at their location.

If you would like more information about Oregon's Medical Marijuana
Program or about becoming a registered cardholder or caregiver, please
contact the Stormy Ray Cardholders' Foundation at 503-587-7434, or
visit our web site at www.stormyray.org God Bless Oregon for this
great program!