LAWMAKERS PITCH LATE-SESSION BILL TO CHANGE OREGON'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA
PROGRAM

SALEM -- State lawmakers didn't move forward with any of the 20 bills
that attempted to change Oregon's medical marijuana laws. But a small
bi-partisan coalition of legislators has breathed new life into this
controversial issue some thought tabled for the session.

Today, the House Rules committee will hold a public hearing on House
Bill 3664, which aims to put more restrictions on who can receive a
medical marijuana card and how many plants growers can produce. The
bill also aims to give police greater access to patient and grower
records.

Medical marijuana advocates say the bill is too far reaching and
attempts to criminalize those who use the drug.

Rep. Andy Olson, R-Albany, chief proponent of the bill, said he is not
trying to kill the program but ensure that the option is available for
patients who need it.

"There's a real concern in this building among legislators when we
have 20 bills on an issue," said Olson, a retired police officer. "The
thing that drove most of those bills was a sense of abuse in the
system. We wanted to move forward with something that puts in more
accountability but still protects the patient and their needs."

House Judiciary co-chairs Wayne Krieger, R-Gold Beach and Jeff Barker,
D-Aloha, pushed for a workgroup to develop one bill to resolve what
they say are clear problems and lax rules in the medical marijuana law
approved by voters in 1998.

Robert Wolfe, director of the Oregon Marijuana Policy Initiative,
which represents 14 medical marijuana advocacy groups, predicted that
the bill would lead to more limited access for patients and more
targeting by law enforcement.

"The bill itself is a big problem," Wolfe said. "It only loosens the
reins for this cowboy justice by sheriffs to pick on medical patients."

As proposed, the bill would require Oregon Medical Marijuana Program
patients to be Oregon residents and require additional proof and
monitoring for users under 18.

Olson said he's been disturbed by the high rates of marijuana use
among eighth-grade students in Oregon and believes part of that use is
due to the loose rules about how minors qualify for medical marijuana.

One of the most controversial proposals in the bill is a requirement
to provide a database of marijuana growers and their locations to the
Oregon State Police. The agency would then create rules about how
police could access the information.

Now, police can request information from the program during an ongoing
investigation. Wolfe said attempts to expand that access will lead to
abuse. Already, he says law enforcement make as many as 100,000
inquiries annually.

Similarly, Wolfe opposes language that would force doctors to meet a
higher standard before writing prescriptions, a move he believes will
result in fewer doctors writing prescriptions and more patients going
around the program to get marijuana.

Under current law, doctors can prescribe marijuana if they believe it
may be of value to the patient. With the changes, doctors would need
to document specific "therapeutic value."

About 2,000 doctors currently have patients registered in the Oregon
Medical Marijuana Program, which has issued cards to about 40,000
patients and 21,000 caregivers.

Within the past year, the program has received 23,000 new
applications. About half are pending.

In Montana, the state legislature last month voted to heavily restrict
its medical marijuana law, effectively curtailing the growth of the
industry over the strident protests of medical marijuana advocates.

Since 2009, the number of Montana cardholders grew from 4,000 to
30,000. Federal and state authorities recently raided marijuana grow
sites and state leaders said it was evidence that the program was out
of control.

Olson points to Montana as a cautionary tale. Barker says the state
needs to move now to adjust the law because of the program's rapid
growth and to prevent attempts to end the program altogether.

"No one wants sick people denied medicine," Barker said. "But this
bill does make doctors pay more attention when writing prescriptions,
to know that they are going to be held accountable."