WE DO THINGS DIFFERENT HERE

Learning from the mistakes made with California's Prop. 215, Oregon's
medical-marijuana supporters have toughened up the rules.In 1996,
California voters passed Proposition 215, which decriminalized possession
and cultivation of marijuana for personal medical use. The same year,
Arizona passed a measure that would have allowed physicians to write
prescriptions for all illegal drugs, from pot to heroin. In Arizona, the
law is tied up in court. In California, chaos reigns.

Proposition 215 gave no clear provisions on how the cultivation or
distribution of medical marijuana would work. All the measure did was
decriminalize marijuana for people who had verbal approval from their
doctors.

Demand for the marijuana was immediate. In California, there is an
underground tradition of cannabis clubs for patients who use marijuana for
medical purposes, and with the passage of 215, pot use and distribution
flourished openly. But without guidelines and limits, the clubs ranged from
being strictly clinical to resembling neighborhood party houses.

The most well-known was the San Francisco Cannabis Healing Center, run by
marijuana and gay-rights activist Dennis Peron. The club claimed more than
8,000 members, many of whom came to the downtown San Francisco club to
openly smoke pot. While the City of San Francisco took a hands-off attitude
toward the club, Republican State Attorney General Dan Lungren shut it down
in March of 1997 after undercover agents were able to buy pot with forged
doctor's notes. Several other clubs around the state were similarly raided.

Some clubs are still operating. One of the most well-respected is the
Oakland Cannabis Cooperative, which forbids smoking inside the building and
requires written recommendations from licensed California physicians. The
nonprofit club stores marijuana for its members, who come in to buy baggies
of various brands of pot--from Bubbleberry to Hinukush--or snacks such as
brownies or Rice Krispies treats that are made with marijuana. The club
also provides starter plants and how-to classes for people who want to grow
their own.

Earlier this year, Lungren filed an injunction against the Oakland Cannabis
Cooperative and five others for selling marijuana--still a federal crime.
This week, a judge will decide whether or not to shut them down.

Oregon's Measure 67 is a far more restrictive initiative than Proposition
215. It clearly states which conditions can be treated by pot: cancer,
AIDS, glaucoma, severe pain and seizures, among others.

With a doctor's permission, patients would register with the Oregon State
Health Division. After registering, a patient would have the legal right to
cultivate seven marijuana plants (three mature, four immature) and possess
up to an ounce of marijuana per mature plant. Patients could also carry up
to one ounce on their person and would not be detained by law enforcement
if they had a medical marijuana card.

If the patient is unable to cultivate his or her own supply, a "primary
care giver," who must also be registered with the state, can grow the
plants.

The initiative upholds federal law by clearly stating that marijuana cannot
be sold, even between patients. Public smoking of marijuana would also be
prohibited.

The proposed law does leave at least one important matter to be worked out:
It's unclear how patients would get their initial supply.

Sidebar:

American scientific research into medical marijuana is thwarted by a lack
of supply. The federal government controls the only legal source--at a farm
in Mississippi.

Last March the Oregon Medical Association took an official position on
Measure 67 and after a heated debate voted to remain neutral.

Supporters say smoking marijuana is better than ingesting it because it has
an immediate effect and the dosage is more controllable.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychiatric Studies provides links to
the most current research on medical marijuana.
(http://www.maps.org/)http://www.maps.org/

Since 1979, several pot reform initiatives have circulated before Oregon
voters. Only one qualified. In 1986, voters overwhelmingly rejected a
measure that would have legalized marijuana for anyone over 18.

Measure 67 allows people under 18 to smoke medical marijuana with the
permission of a parent or guardian.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)