cannabisnews.com: Initiative Lets Patients Buy Marijuana Initiative Lets Patients Buy Marijuana Posted by FoM on February 16, 2002 at 08:19:07 PT By Tim Christie, The Register-Guard Source: Register-Guard Oregon's medical marijuana patients could buy marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries under an initiative filed Thursday by advocates of the law.The initiative, filed with the Secretary of State's Office by the newly formed Life with Dignity Committee, would make a number of other changes to the law, which was approved by Oregon voters in 1998. The law makes it legal for certain sick people to smoke, possess and grow marijuana. The changes are needed because of the difficulty many patients have with growing their own marijuana, said John Sajo, director of Voter Power, a Portland-based medical marijuana advocacy group that's leading the initiative campaign.Initiative sponsors need to gather 66,786 valid signatures by July 5 to qualify the measure for the November ballot.The medical marijuana dispensaries would be run by non-profit organizations that would pay a $1,000 fee and pay a percentage of sales to Oregon Health Services, which administers the program. The dispensaries also would be required to provide free marijuana to indigent patients.Other changes proposed in the initiative include:Lowering the annual fee paid by patients from $150 to $20.Allowing nurse-practitioners and naturopaths to sign applications for qualified patients. Only physicians and osteopaths may now sign.Allowing patients to use marijuana for any medical condition, so long as their medical provider believes it could help.Increasing the amount of marijuana a patient could grow and possess. Patients could possess up to one pound of marijuana, up from the three ounces now allowed. And they could grow up to 10 plants, up from three mature and four immature plants. Any plant under 1-foot tall would not count against the 10.Specifying that caregivers - people designated under the law who grow for patients - could grow for up to 10 patients.Allowing patients to compensate caregivers for their time and labor.Requiring Oregon Health Services to set up a system that would enable law enforcement officials to verify the status of card-holders 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Currently police are able to verify card-holders only during business hours on week days.Medical Marijuana Program: http://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/oaps/mm/welcome.htmComplete Title: Initiative Lets Patients Buy Marijuana from DispensersSource: Register-Guard, The (OR)Author: Tim Christie, The Register-GuardPublished: February 15, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Register-GuardContact: rgletters guardnet.comWebsite: http://www.registerguard.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmMedical Marijuana Proposals Criticizedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11515.shtmlHealth Division Begins Hearings on Marijuana Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11508.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by SirReal on February 16, 2002 at 17:01:56 PT Oregon "Mr. Oregon....tear down this wall...!" [ Post Comment ] Post Comment