MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE RISES SHARPLY

SALEM - Growing numbers of Oregonians are turning to medical marijuana to
treat pain, pressuring local law enforcement to make sure patients and
their caregivers are using the program properly.

More than 10,000 Oregonians use medical marijuana, a number that has almost
doubled in the past year. Many patients are too poor to afford other
treatment, or prefer marijuana to synthetic drugs, said Shawn Flury, who
directs the Independence-based Oregon Green Cross.

The group provides 2 ounces of marijuana per month to each of its 35
patients. But Clackamas County Sheriff's officers confiscated all of the
group's 110 plants in May for suspected violations.

Flury immediately replanted their garden.

"Our patients cannot afford to be without medicine," Flury said.

Law enforcement officials say they look for patients and caregivers who
grow in excess or otherwise try to manipulate the system.

"As people become more and more educated about what's legal and not legal,
it makes it more complex for us," said Officer Marty Miranda of Community
Response.

Oregon law does not restrict the number of patients a caregiver can have.
Many provide marijuana to at least five, Miranda said.

Under Oregon's 6-year-old medical marijuana program, patients designate a
primary caregiver and provide the address of a grow site, said acting
program manager Mary Leverette. Caregivers can grow up to seven plants for
each patient.

The largest site in the state serves 16 patients, according to program data.

Caregivers cannot legally provide services for cash or any exchange with
monetary value.

"I get nothing out of this except that I'm helping somebody," said Jess
Hanson, a caregiver in Dallas.

Caregivers say a seven-plant garden initially costs at least $1,000.
Outdoor sites can yield one major crop per year, but plants can be damaged
by insects or disease.

Indoor grows involve high energy costs year-round for the lighting.

"It's more cost-effective with more patients," said caregiver Hal Ballard,
who provides for seven patients besides himself.