ADDRESSING THE OMMP ISSUE

Hannah Guzik and the Daily Tidings have done a good job covering the
marijuana issue -- an issue which the anti-pot, anti-OMMP [Oregon
Medical Marijuana Program] folks seem to dominate these days.

I was terribly irked, however, by the statement from Ashland Police
Department's Deputy Police Chief Rich Walsh when he said, "It's kind
of like medical marijuana. You can basically go out and stub your toe
and get a medical marijuana card, and say your toe hurts. And that's
just not right." ("Enforcement vs. regulation," Sept. 29)

Lets consider for just a moment what Oregon cannabis activists are
saying and doing. They are saying marijuana is medicine and that it
should be regulated. Great. The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program is a
successful program that has led to increased regulation. Nearly $1
million collected by the OMMP was actually used by the state for other
purposes. How many other health care programs are so successfully self
supporting?

But there are some 300,000 pot smokers in Oregon according to Jeffery
Miron's economic report (mentioned in the article). And these citizens
have to either grow under clandestine methods or buy from the black
market -- a black market that is so profitable we now have Mexican
cartels growing multi-thousand plant crops in our remote wild areas,
damaging our streams, rivers and fishing holes with chemical
pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. It seems among the greatest
failures of pot prohibition is the increased pot production controlled
by foreign cartels.

Legalization (not decriminalization) would remove the criminal element
completely, ending their assault on our beautiful state while
providing both work for Oregonians and funds for state coffers.

If the issue is about harm ... well ... we better ban cigarettes, cars
and alcohol.

Allan Erickson, Drug Policy Forum of Oregon

Eugene