cannabisnews.com: Oregon Medical Pot Measure Draws Fire Oregon Medical Pot Measure Draws Fire Posted by CN Staff on October 31, 2004 at 06:57:28 PT By Linda Brad Cain, The Associated Press Source: Associated Press Salem, Ore. – A measure on Oregon's ballot Tuesday to expand the medical use of marijuana is drawing fire from state district attorneys and the White House drug czar, who says it would turn the state into a "safe haven for drug-trafficking." Measure 33 would make it easier for ailing people to obtain marijuana and allow them to possess more of it – up to a pound at a time. It requires that indigent patients be given free marijuana. Yet White House drug czar John Walters, echoing criticism by Oregon's district attorneys, calls Measure 33 a fraud on Oregon voters and a back-door attempt to legalize marijuana. "People are being played for suckers," Walters said in an interview from Washington, D.C. "Their compassion for sick people is being used to do something that's destructive for the state." However, proponents say Oregon's program is too restrictive and Oregonians have shown they support allowing ill people to have the drug by overwhelmingly approving its current law in 1998. The chief petitioner for the measure is John Sajo, a longtime marijuana activist who sponsored an unsuccessful 1986 ballot measure to legalize marijuana. But he said that isn't the issue in Measure 33. "Our opponents don't have any good arguments against medical marijuana, so they call this a legalization measure. That is nonsense," Sajo said. Measure 33 would represent a significant expansion of Oregon's medical marijuana program, which was approved by the state's voters in November 1998. Oregon is among nine states with medical marijuana laws. The others are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada and Washington. Under Oregon law, qualified patients are allowed to grow and use small amounts of marijuana without fear of prosecution as long as a doctor says it might help their condition. The measure on Tuesday's ballot would create state-regulated dispensaries authorized to supply up to 6 pounds of marijuana per year to qualified patients, and the patients could possess 1 pound at any given time. The current possession limit is 3 ounces, an amount advocates say is too low, often leaving patients scrambling to find enough marijuana to ease their suffering. The Oregon District Attorneys Association opposes Measure 33 mainly because of the provision allowing patients to possess 6 pounds of marijuana a year plus 10 mature plants. That would give patients enough pot to smoke a joint every hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, said Benton County District Attorney Scott Heiser. "This is not about medicine; this is about recreational use of dope," Heiser said. Heiser also objects to the measure because it requires the dispensaries to give free marijuana to poor patients. The Oregon Medical Association, representing more than 7,000 physicians statewide, has paid for a page in the state voters pamphlet to urge Oregonians to vote "no" on Measure 33. "It is a thinly disguised effort to legalize the use of marijuana, without any medically scientific justification," it says. For Angelique Yeakle, one of 10,000 Oregonians who hold state-issued cards allowing them to possess marijuana for medical reasons, the issue boils down to making what she considers a humane law work better. Yeakle, who suffers from lupus, a disease that attacks the body's immune system, said smoking marijuana has greatly improved her quality of life by restoring her appetite and relieving body spasms. "People shouldn't have to suffer when they don't have to," she said. Note: Amount allowed would increase.Newshawk: Sukoi Source: Associated Press Author: Linda Brad Cain, The Associated Press Published: October 31, 2004 Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Voter Power Foundation http://www.voterpower.org/Measure 33 Would Improve Marijuana Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19632.shtmlEase Up on Marijuana, Tighten Up on Meth http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19625.shtmlYes on 33: MMJ from a Patients Perspectivehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19427.shtmlOregon To Vote on Easing Medical Marijuana Use http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19124.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 13:00:16 PT Just Something Cool I go to a Neil Young board and one of the really nice regulars there just won the lottery. $1,000,000! I am so happy for her and her husband that I just had to say something here. Now back to the regularly scheduled program! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by John Tyler on October 31, 2004 at 12:29:03 PT Don't insult the voters John Walters' insulting the Oregon voters by calling them "suckers" doesn't like a very good way to influence an election in his direction. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by siege on October 31, 2004 at 12:18:18 PT Acceded Suicide Oregon's district attorneys Association,, Compassion is Acceded Suicide for the SWAT TEAM and DEA to hand out. we will help you out of this world. JUST smoke MMJ. and we will Jail you patients with NO medical medicine to be given then you will die IN jail then we will not have to care for you citizens and big brother wins again being Bushie spends all the money for his FAVORITE PASS TIME what?? what is it the way he acts could it be Drugs or could it be on the happier side Alzheimer's to help him along in live. and when he falls will there be any one to help him with the medical marijuana that will help him in his reclining days/years. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by lombar on October 31, 2004 at 09:57:50 PT Compassion is not expressed with a swat team. "People are being played for suckers," Walters said in an interview from Washington, D.C. "Their compassion for sick people is being used to do something that's destructive for the state."A person who sends armed swat teams to arrest sick people, then advocates the continuing arrest of people for seeking relief should not use the word compassion. It is obviously only an abstract idea to JP. However, I do agree...the people are being played for suckers. Their fear of cannabis legalisation is being used to do something that is destructive to the state, the maintaining of failed policies. They have no valid arguments and thus must depend upon an emotional response to manipulate people. An emotional response that is conditioned by years of repeating outright faleshoods. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by global_warming on October 31, 2004 at 08:23:04 PT Another Approach-GO Oregon "Yet White House drug czar John Walters, echoing criticism by Oregon's district attorneys, calls Measure 33 a fraud on Oregon voters and a back-door attempt to legalize marijuana.""The Oregon District Attorneys Association opposes Measure 33 mainly because of the provision allowing patients to possess 6 pounds of marijuana a year plus 10 mature plants. That would give patients enough pot to smoke a joint every hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, said Benton County District Attorney Scott Heiser...This is not about medicine; this is about recreational use of dope," Heiser said."Notice who is complaining the loudest..not he people, not the doctors, not the nurses, not the sick people, but the people who stand to lose the most money, whose jobs depend on continuation of these unjust laws against cannabis.Maybe a back door approach is required, since a direct approach has been stymied and delayed, those good ol boys up in Washington have been too busy stuffing their pockets with money from the special interest groups to worry about what the people are asking. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment