Group works to legalize dispensaries

In Oregon, legally smoking "green" requires a green thumb, or knowing someone who does.

Medical marijuana cardholders — even those who are terminally ill — must grow their own marijuana or find someone else to grow it for them, according to state law.

But some local activists are aiming to change that. Voter Power, a medical marijuana activist group with an office in Medford, plans to put a measure on a 2010 ballot to create dispensaries in Oregon, similar to those in California.

"Currently, we have the grower-caregiver patient system, but a lot of patients do not have access to their medicine," said Alex Rogers, outreach coordinator for Voter Power, who works in Jackson County. "They don't have the time or money to grow their own, nor are they connected to someone who does."

Voter Power, which led efforts to legalize medical marijuana 1998, hopes to create a limited number of nonprofit dispensaries where cardholders can receive marijuana.

Under the plan, licensed growers would sell marijuana to the dispensaries, where it will be distributed either at a minimal cost or for free. Customers would need a valid Oregon Medical Marijuana Program card to receive marijuana from dispensaries.

The dispensaries would be taxed and the money would go to other health department programs and help to fund research into medical marijuana, Rogers said. A health department regulated program would also be implemented to help patients get access to marijuana.

Voter Power is collecting signatures for its initiative, which was finalized in August, before it can be placed on an upcoming ballot.

If the dispensary system is approved, patients will still be able to grow their own marijuana or select a grower, Rogers said.

"We have a two part strategy — make the best of the current law and at the same time work for a better law," said John Sajo, Voter Power's executive director. "The OMMA (Oregon Medical Marijuana Program) has done pretty well at stopping most patients from being arrested, but it has not really addressed how the patients are supposed to get their medicine."

ScienceDaily (Aug. 7, 2008) — In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the impact of smoked medical cannabis, or marijuana, on the neuropathic pain associated with HIV, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that reported pain relief was greater with cannabis than with a placebo.

The study, sponsored by the University of California Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) based at UC San Diego, will be published on line, August 6 in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

Led by Ronald J. Ellis, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurosciences at UCSD School of Medicine, the study looked at 28 HIV patients with neuropathic pain not adequately controlled by other pain-relievers, including opiates. They took part in the controlled study as outpatients at the UCSD Medical Center. The proportion of subjects achieving pain reduction of 30 percent or more was greater for those smoking cannabis than those smoking the placebo.

"Neuropathy is a chronic and significant problem in HIV patients as there are few existing treatments that offer adequate pain management to sufferers," Ellis said. "We found that smoked cannabis was generally well-tolerated and effective when added to the patient's existing pain medication, resulting in increased pain relief."

Each trial participant participated in five study phases over seven weeks. During two five-day phases, randomly selected participants smoked either cannabis or placebo cigarettes made from whole plant material with cannabinoids (the psychoactive compound found in marijuana) removed, both provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Outcome was tested by standardized tests measuring analgesia (lessened pain sensation), improvement in function and relief of pain-associated emotional distress.

Posted by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on July 01, 2008 at 05:40:42 PT
By Peter Schrag  
Source: Sacramento Bee  

Calif. -- Almost anybody who's lived in California for even a few years knows from where that acrid smell in the air and the yellow haze in the sky have been coming. And we know the scary feeling that comes with them. The only exceptions are the narcs, state and federal, who think it's marijuana smoke.

As California's wildfires overwhelm the resources to fight them, federal and state agents – hundreds of them – have been sweeping through Humboldt County and a sliver of Mendocino County in pursuit of commercial pot growers.

Senator Barack Obama made very encouraging remarks to the Willamette Week regarding his intention to stop wasting our federal resources by arresting, prosecuting, and jailing medical marijuana patients and their providers in states that have legalized medical cannabis.  In his strongest and most clear pledge yet, Obama stated that he would stop the federal Drug Enforcement Agency's raids on Oregon's medical marijuana providers because "our federal agents have better things to do, like catching criminals and preventing terrorism."

Further, Senator Obama stated that he wanted to base his policies on medical cannabis on science and not politics.  He informed WW reporter James Pitkin that, "The way I want to approach the issue of medical marijuana is to base it on science, and if there is sound science that supports the use of medical marijuana and if it is controlled and prescribed in a way that other medicine is prescribed, then it's something that I think we should consider."

The Republican National Committee, on the other hand, wants the next president to continue the failed Bush Administration policy of wasting our limited resources by targeting patients and providers and ignoring scientific evidence.  The RNC attacked Obama with a press release stating that his policy based upon science and common sense "reveals that Barack Obama doesn’t have the experience necessary to do the job of President, or that he fundamentally lacks the judgment to carry out the most basic functions of the Executive Branch."   The RNC not only ignores science and sound policy, but as Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project told The New York Times , also the fact that “15 Republicans voted last year for the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment to cut off funding for Justice Department medical marijuana raids, including such flaming liberals as Tom Tancredo of Colorado and Dana Rohrabacher of California, a former Reagan staffer.”  Furthermore, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul also is a supporter of allowing states to determine their own medical marijuana laws.

It seems that today’s Republican Party establishment not only ignores science and common sense, but also the principle of limited government, a principle that the party once believed in.   Unfortunately,  Republicans  who follow the tradition and principles of Barry Goldwater are now  demonized and attacked right along with Barack Obama.