POT BUSTS WASTE TIME

To the Editor:

All Oregon taxpayers should be very concerned about the 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.

There have 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