OREGON MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACT FACT

To the Editor:

All Oregon taxpayers should be very concerned about criminal justice
and law enforcement resources being wasted arresting, jailing, and
prosecuting a legal medical marijuana patient for making hash oil.

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA) clearly states that usable
marijuana includes the dried "leaves and flowers of the plant" and
"any mixture or preparation thereof, that are appropriate for medical
use." Clearly, converting marijuana into hash oil is a "preparation
thereof" of the marijuana plant.

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program is willing to educate local law
enforcement about (OMMA). Such education will save local resources for
serious crimes and offenses. Those knowledgeable about OMMA are
certain that this patient will eventually be found innocent of these
charges, but it is still a shame that limited local resources are
being used to arrest, jail, and prosecute a medical patient instead of
being utilized to combat severe and dangerous crimes.

Through September of this year, there have already been 83 calls for
service to the Keizer police regarding burglaries, 173 calls for
assaults, 52 sex crimes reported, and 667 calls reporting thefts.
Citizens of all communities should demand that crucial law enforcement
and judicial resources be used to combat serious crimes instead of
arresting sick and disabled patients.

Anthony Johnson

Portland