Oregon's Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA) will be ten years old next year, and with the nation's second largest number of registered patients -- some 16,000 of them -- it is certainly a success by some measures. But while the self-financing, state-regulated program rolls along, it looks as though it is going to be a hot issue in next year's elections.

Oregon petitioning (courtesy voterpower.org)

It is very early in the game, with the filing of initiatives being only the first step in a long and sometimes Byzantine process, and it is not certain that either of these two initiatives -- or a number of others already filed -- will actually be going before the voters in November 2008. But the maneuvering has already begun.

Former Republican state legislator and 2002 gubernatorial nominee Kevin Mannix has made a political career as a moralizing, tough on crime politician. In 1994, he authored a successful initiative instituting mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of violent crimes. Other accomplishments he touts are a crime victims' rights amendment to the state constitution and an anti-stalking law.

Ruling Protects Pot Patients

A federal judge has thrown out sweeping subpoenas for patient records kept by Oregon's medical marijuana program and a private clinic, saying privacy concerns overruled a grand jury's demand for information.

Chief U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley in Yakima ruled on the subpoenas four months after a grand jury in that city issued them. The grand jury wanted to know about 17 patients who got medical marijuana from a grower with operations in Oregon and Washington.

OREGON LEGISLATIVE ACTION:  Senate Bill 465, the Patient Discrimination Bill, died in committee this week. Unfortunately, this bill will likely not rest in peace as it will probably rear its ugly head in future legislative sessions, but we have some time to celebrate this victory, support our friends, and let our enemies know that there are political consequences when you work to discriminate against patients.  We have recently gotten word that this bill will likely not be taken up by the legislature during the interem 2008 session, but we must be prepared to fight this bill then and in the 2009 session.

Thanks to all the patients and activists who lobbied the legislature this session. A special thanks to Representatives Diane Rosenbaum and Peter Buckley who stood up for patients even when besieged upon by powerful business groups and politicians. Our work is clearly not done, but it is nice for the good guys to win one every now and again.

It is important that patients and activists educate their legislators regarding medical marijuana.  Let them know that marijuana should be treated the same as other medicines.  Marijuana is less addictive and intoxicating than many pharmaceutical drugs such as oxcontin and vicodin, yet no patient gets fired for using those drugs.  None of us want impaired workers at dangerous jobs, but the fact that a patient used medical marijuana within the past month, does not make that person impaired.  Simply put, law-abiding patients should not be discriminated against.