News (Media Awareness Project) - US OR: Law Enforcement Group Drafting Legislation To Revise |
| Title: | US OR: Law Enforcement Group Drafting Legislation To Revise |
| Published On: | 1999-01-16 |
| Source: | Grants Pass Daily Courier |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-06 15:29:10 |
LAW ENFORCEMENT GROUP DRAFTING LEGISLATION TO REVISE MARIJUANA LAW
Law enforcement officials are planning to target a voter-passed law
legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana.
The Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police is drafting legislation to
revise Measure 67, which voters approved in November, said Kevin Campbell,
association executive.
"We want to respect the will of the people and what their intent was," he
said. The association wants to clean up the wording to provide clearer
guidance, he said.
Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, said he is willing to sponsor the legislation
to revise the law.
Mannix opposed Measure 67 before the election but said the reason he is
willing to propose changes to the Legislature is because of technical
problems caused by a lack of legal review prior to public vote.
"Now that it's on the books, I just think we need to make sure the language
is nice and tight," he said.
Campbell cited three main concerns: evidence, care-givers and the
registration process.
The law requires police return evidence to non-criminal users in the same
condition as it was seized. That could be feasible with pipes and grow
lamps but could conflict with federal law in terms of maintaining and
returning plants, he said.
It also creates a potential point of dispute regarding the maintenance of
plant health, and the law would be better if the part about plants was
taken out altogether, he said.
Police also worry about allowing a user to designate a care-giver.
"They could potentially be a care-giver for 50 people," he said, and that
would lead to large growing operations.
The association would also like to eliminate the "affirmative defense"
aspect, which allows suspects to claim they intend to or were in the
process of applying for a state-issued registration card.
Rather, he said, medicinal marijuana registration should be handled more
like gun permits - use wouldn't be allowed without a permit in hand.
That would eliminate officer confusion when they encounter someone growing
or using marijuana, he said.
Law enforcement officials are planning to target a voter-passed law
legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana.
The Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police is drafting legislation to
revise Measure 67, which voters approved in November, said Kevin Campbell,
association executive.
"We want to respect the will of the people and what their intent was," he
said. The association wants to clean up the wording to provide clearer
guidance, he said.
Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, said he is willing to sponsor the legislation
to revise the law.
Mannix opposed Measure 67 before the election but said the reason he is
willing to propose changes to the Legislature is because of technical
problems caused by a lack of legal review prior to public vote.
"Now that it's on the books, I just think we need to make sure the language
is nice and tight," he said.
Campbell cited three main concerns: evidence, care-givers and the
registration process.
The law requires police return evidence to non-criminal users in the same
condition as it was seized. That could be feasible with pipes and grow
lamps but could conflict with federal law in terms of maintaining and
returning plants, he said.
It also creates a potential point of dispute regarding the maintenance of
plant health, and the law would be better if the part about plants was
taken out altogether, he said.
Police also worry about allowing a user to designate a care-giver.
"They could potentially be a care-giver for 50 people," he said, and that
would lead to large growing operations.
The association would also like to eliminate the "affirmative defense"
aspect, which allows suspects to claim they intend to or were in the
process of applying for a state-issued registration card.
Rather, he said, medicinal marijuana registration should be handled more
like gun permits - use wouldn't be allowed without a permit in hand.
That would eliminate officer confusion when they encounter someone growing
or using marijuana, he said.
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