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Measure 74 would establish a system of dispensaries to sell marijuana to medical users registered in Oregon. Currently medical marijuana patients in this state must either grow their own marijuana or have plants grown for them by a third-party provider, who cannot be paid for the costs of production. Under Measure 74, patients could obtain marijuana from licensed dispensaries, who along with producers would be reimbursed for their efforts.
Proponents of the measure champion dispensaries because of the projected economic benefits (pdf) — like job creation and tax revenue — as well as the ability to increase access to medical marijuana for patients who may not be able to grow their own. Opponents charge that by allowing unlimited dispensaries and failing to establish standards for product quality control, Measure 74 sets the stage for crime and corruption.
Are you a medical marijuana patient? Are you familiar with the dispensary systems in California or Colorado? What do you think of Measure 74?
Tagged as: 2010 election · measure 74 · medical marijuana
Photo credit: r0bz / Creative Commons
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I want to see legalization and the end to the black market. But patients need medicine now. That can pass. Vote yes on 74.
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Anything that moves this country closer to legalization will get my vote.
Sidebar: In addition to job creation and tax revenues, I'd like to hear estimates as to the reduction in law enforcement and prison costs as a result of this measure (or outright legalization).
Tongue in cheek: Will evil corporate entities begin to monopolize the dispensary industry or will dispensaries follow the craft-brew model.
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Corporations will not want to touch an industry that forces 10% of the revanue to be paid back to low income patients and research.
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The polls* are showing legal cannabis will soon be available in California. Whatever we do with 74, we may have to contend with commercial cannabis crossing the border into Oregon. This will be interesting.
*http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=legal+cannabis+california#sclient=psy&hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&source=hp&q=legal+cannabis+california+poll&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=9923b0be8b85c0de
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Follow the money.......This measure is a way to allow big growers, then big business, to dominate and eventually abolish marijuana's black market in Oregon. Sadly, the black market is the last place to achieve the american dream. The "open" market is so corrupt, a moral person can't compete. Show me real regulation, for example, one grower can have no more than 24 plants and no more than 4 cards. Then, I would consider this type of measure.
Wal-bud.
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This measure does limit producers to growing 24 plants. Why not support this measure?
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OMMP laws state that one grower can have up to 4 patients who each can have up to 6 plants which amounts to 24 mature plants. The 18 plants also allowed are to be under 12 inchs. This allows the grower to establish the females from the males to get the maximum mature plants in the end.
Measure 74 will allow a producer to have up to 24 mature plants without having patients so I hope this clears it up for you. We are not going to let big business in and ruin it for the patients who need good medicine and take out the small growers who are more compassionate with the quality and care of growing this great medicine.
It does take away the black market aspect and let us growers actually become farmers where we can make a living as a business and hire workers that will be future tax payers. It is a win win for everyone. P8n
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What is the implication of legalizing a formerly illegal product? If California passes the Marijuana legalization what is the effect on the market of this NOW very LUCRATIVE product?
There is an illegal Premium of MJ. Growers, transporters and sellers risk FELONY CONVICTION and PRISON TIME. THerefore they get an added premium for their risks. That is why drug lords use Planes, Helicopters, Submarines, Jet Backpacks, Parachutes and extensive tunnels to transport what is really a cheap herb.
This premium is variously estimated from 100x to 1000x the natural cost of the product. So the REAL price of the MJ is really the cost of production of growing a garden plant, let's say a TOMATO plant. So the $5,000 price in absence of the illegal Premium is really only $5.00 per plant or at most $50.00.
If it were legal, where is the natural sites of production? Answer: Like any COMMODITY, it will grow in commercial agricultural fields in Third World countries, most conveniently MEXICO. Cheap labor, free sunshine, known soil fertility, familiarity in plant pathologies and unregulated use of Herbicides and Pesticides.
It will be as simple and as cheap as growing a Tomato. Yes most are grown in California and the cheapest come from Mexico. Some people grow in their own backyards what they feel are the Tastiest Heirlooms. But the price of 5-10x more than the commercial grade and the inconvenience of backyard gardening will drive people to cheaper global NAFTA products. And thus this warm weather plant will migrate south and so will the market. You will see Mexican plantations the size of an average Iowa corn farm, 2000 acres.
Hasta La Vista MJ Bubble. Perhaps we will be too 'stoned' to care.
From Previous Post— Wed June 23rd 8:05a.m.
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You are right, it is a WEED. Let's take the power away from the criminals and possibly have a great source of fiber for clothing and biofuels!
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Measure 74 in Oregon is of little consequence because of much larger influence in two places: the ballot initiatives in adjacent California. And ultimately the MJ market will be dominated by cheap producers in Mexico bringing in weed to Northern California and spilling into Oregon.
The ultimate lynch pin will be the Marijuana Legalization in California. IF it is legal across the California border to consume, transport and produce MJ, we will have no choice but to liberalize the product.
Perhaps with a declining Nation, Economy in the toilet, and the end of the American Century, we all need to drink Weed Flavored Koolaid or at least a hot cup of Weed Tea for Tea Party Members to extinguish the last of our ambition. I see stock in 7-11 Markets going up, as the need for late night munchies grows...at least those 7-11 Clerk Jobs will be preserved!
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I think we see more BC weed then mexican weed.
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While caring for a dying relative who had a legal card and needed marijuana to stimulate his appetite and dull his pain, I, a State of Oregon social worker, was reduced to illegally seeking out the drug from underground dealers, jeopardizing my job. With less than three months to live, there was no time to grow it myself. Dispensaries would have allowed us to safely and legally obtain his medicine.
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my spouse gets benefit from ingesting cannabis in the medium of butter. Also in a pain-relieving salve. Inhaling it gets him stoned and makes him paranoid and doesn't do much beyond that to alleviate his medical condition.
The problem is that there's no certainty in the effectiveness of the cannabis used to make the products we use:
effects vary with the type of plant
effects vary with the carefulness of preparation
and there's no way of knowing what's in the product you've been given, herbicides, pesticides etc.
It would be WONDERFUL if there was a strain of cannabis that was excellent for cancer. A strain for neurological issues. And you could buy a consistent product. But the way things are now, its pot luck [pun intended].
This measure doesn't have the scientific evaluation and dosing that I'd really like to see in a dispensary.
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I have a rare genetic disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, the premiere symptom of EDS is severe pain. Cannabis provides me with much-needed relief w/o the use of opiads. Because I am unable to access cannabis as much as I need I must in fact rely on high doses of opiads. The use of these prescription drugs places me in danger of liver damage and as a woman with an extremely rare genetic disorder I am not eligible for a transplant. I consider safe access to medicinal cannabis a matter of life and death.
As far as I'm concerned safe, affordable access to medicinal cannabis is a human rights issue.
Thank you for this opportunity to share my opinion on this forum.
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Would the guests rather have organized crime and gangs sell and profit from marijuana sales, or legally recognized and (potentially) tax paying vendors? Why not take the power away from criminals by having vendors? Oakland, CA is a model.
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I don't have all the answers. I was diagnosed with MS and chronic pain a few years ago. I went to see an Oregon MD who gave me a prescription for medical marijuana. It took my husband and I 3 years to figure out how to grow this. We knew no one who smoked marijuana. I am 53 and my husband is 70 years old. We live in a small town in eastern oregon.
Finally someone gave us a small plant and we started growing just enough. It took a whole season, of course to produce anything. We were determined to stay within the bounds of the law so we never bought on the black market.
Just as a side note...sometimes the amount seems like a lot to outsiders but if you are making tincture, like I am, you seem to need a lot.
Anyway, us old people, with no connections with the younger "pot heads' need dispensaries.
Thanks,
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Josh doesn't seem to understand that some outdoor growers are growing for the year and therefore will need to have the right to hold on to a decent supply for the entire year. Couldn't they find someone in opposition who even understands this program better?
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The people that will make money under measure 74 will have to give 10% of their revenue to the state for low income patients and research. This won't be about making money. Also, they will be subject to inspection. It will be about legitimate business.
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My spouse has a neuropathy that is well recognized as being helped by marijuana. Normal pain medications - including opiates - make him quite ill, unable to work. He is a fantastic gardner, so growing his medication is no problem for him. However, as his condition continues to worsen, I do not feel competent to grow for him. If the measure passes, will he be able to continue to grow as long as he is physically able to do so? By the way, getting a MM card is not as simple as some make it seem, and it's not inexpensive. Our medical provider commented he rejects at least 85% of requests, but my spouse is a prime example of why medical marijuana is a good thing.
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Yes. The current cardholders will still be able to do everything they can do now under Measure 74. The only changes will be for the two new cards created. The producers and dispensary employees will be created and there will be added regulations for them only. I am so sorry he has pain that cannot be treated under legal pharmaceuticals.
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We are talking about MEDICAL marijuana use, Not recreational use... But either way... Why does this guy CARE if marijuana is legalized. Are you just scared that you might not be able to lock people up for getting a buzz? It has already been proven that all those lie that the Anti-Pot people state are just that... LIES. This guy is a Prosecutor and just wants to justify oppressing poor pot-heads. More people die in Alcohol-related crimes than because of Pot use. If marijuana dispensaries were allowed, that would Stop illegal pot sales to people who have a card. But these conservatives just want to Control people. They have no legitimate reason to want to stop marijuana despensaries! Their true reason is to exert Control! Not that it makes any real difference to them, it is just a control thing. Dispensaries would add tax money to the State also... But y'all just are skeered someone might have some FUN! If these people NEEDED the marijuana themselves, they would be asking for a Tax Break to subsidize their Pot.
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We're wasting a lot of money and energy on an issue that we could easily resolve by legalizing marajuana and selling it in liquor stores. It would increase our tax revenue and hopefully cut down on alcohol use which is the real drug problem.
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So do you support Measure 74? You should because it will get us closer to the idea of legal use of marijuana.
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Wow there is a lot of misinformation coming out of this broadcast. Call it what you will but "exemption from prohibition" is the same thing as saying that it is in fact REGULATED, cleverly hiding the truth in double negatives does not actually create a good atmosphere for discussion.You have a strict limit to how much you can have ready to smoke AND growing at any one time. I do however agree that outside of police interdiction there is no state oversight of these grow ops
On another one of this guy's points murders and rapists can start producing marijuana after they get out, honestly this is a weak arguement because couldn't we further argue that these people are dangerous enough to society that they should not be released.....
As for me what expertise do I have in this area? I was named a caregiver on 4 medical marijuana cards from 2002-2008. I know the law fairly well and I know how to build a LEGAL grow op. The way it works is the patient (card holder) can grow it themselves or involve up to two more people a care giver and a grower. in my situation since the grower was out of town and pretty far away I was given care giving rights to make sure the patients who entrusted me ith thier perscription get thier medicine in a timely manner as well as monitioring for quality controls and any signs of illegal activity. I also represented them at grower meetings and made sure they were getting the best medicine available. any one grower has a limit of 4 cards same with a care giver. So someone who grows or does care giving has the limitation of four cards. This limitation was imposed in either 2007 or 2008 by vote of the Oregon public.
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I think what we don't understand is, with anything like this there will be a criminal element. I think dispensaries should not charge more than what it cost to produce. If the prices are high then the black market will grow. But if the dispensaries make it cheap like non name brand drugs then the black market will go down. This should not be a money making issue at all.
Medical Marijuana should be free or, pay the cost to produce, to the people who have a card.
At this point I'm not a big fan of full legalization; I really like how it is now. We just need better networking for people who need it but have trouble finding it.
Remember people, there is way worst drugs out there with a lot more violent crime associate with it.
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This dispensary initiative will bring about more free marijuana than ever before. One tenth of their revanue has to go toward the low income program and research. Only by allowing people to spend money on marijuana will we be able to funnel money into helping those that need the medicine for free.
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Cheapest High: Hyperventilation. Breathe rapidly at 20 times a minute. It is Free!
Next Cheapest High involves a One Cent Plastic Bag: Carbon Dioxide Hypoventilation. Breathe thru a plastic bag. There is a weird trend among teen agers of self strangling their own necks for the high.
...Breathing gasoline can do it but it is almost $3/ gallon.
Some People can even get 'High' rising too quickly from recumbency. Or doing a headstand for too long.
Bored, underachieving young people try the darndest things to fill the hours of the day.
Why can't they get a high from running a 4 minute mile, climbing Mt Hood, Swimming across the Columbia River, doing challenging Calculus problems, or solving issues like turning dog poop into biofuel
We don't need chemical highs. Or Drug Dealers. Or Huggie Bear gifting us some free dope.
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Today's opponent to medical marijuana raises a couple of interesting points.
He obviously believes that the majority of people with medical marijuana cards were given them for no reason. So why isn't he after prosecuting the issuing doctors?
He raises the point, "why don't you get it legitimized and regulated as other drugs?" He doesn't point out that the roadblocks to that are at the national level, not the state level. We can't address those with a state referendum.
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Oregon Measure 74 will provide compassionate, safe access for Oregon's patients. It is simply unconscionable to force cancer patients to go without a medicine that helps them survive through their chemotherapy treatment. Diabetics aren't forced to risk their well-being on the black market to acquire insulin, and neither should medical cannabis patients diagnosed with severe and debilitating medical conditions.
Besides displaying compassion for patients, Oregonians will have the opportunity to create thousands of jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue for the state. The Oregon Health Authority estimates that Measure 74 will create over 5,000 new jobs and generate $20 million in the first year alone. By year four the health agency estimates over 12,000 jobs and over $40 million will be generated. The jobs are obviously needed during our current economic crisis. The revenue generated will help fund Oregon health programs and medical research, benefiting all Oregonians.
Vote compassion. Vote smart. Vote YES on Measure 74. To learn more, check out Oregon Measure 74 on Facebook or visit any of these websites:
www.yesfor74.com
www.coalitionforpatientsrights2010.com
www.measure74oregon.org
www.regulatemedicalmarijuana.org
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Mr. Marquis is not fairly evaluating the other side of the argument. After trying many, many prescriptions for combating daily vomiting related to pancreatic cancer, my mother finally tried Marinol (medicinal marijuana) which stopped the vomiting. At one point, the insurance company denied coverage for the drug, so I put the $1,000+ prescription bill on my credit card so she wouldn't throw up every few hours. At another point, the pharmacist said the FDA tightly controlled production of Marinol, so we may not even be able to get it the next time I tried to fill the prescription. I have never done any type of drug in my life, but you can bet your life I would have gone into a dark alley at 3:00 a.m. to find some marijuana for my mother if that is what we needed to do. Would it have been more convenient to visit a dispensary? You bet. Doctors currently write all sorts of unnecessary prescriptions, put able-bodied people on disability, etc. I think medical marijuana is the least of our worries as a society.
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Pot should just flat out be legalized. In all forms, including hashish.
And that would benefit the hemp industries along the way.
I never did like pot but back in the US Army in Germany in the early 1970s, I sure liked hash. I'd probably try it again if it was legal.
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And let me add, I'd bet that many medical pot users would like to eat hashish rather than smoke pot, and the eating would be less harmful than ingesting smoke into their lungs.
I don't know why, but eating hash never made me laid back like smoking pot did, and that's why I didn't like pot.
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Unfortunately, Stormy Ray is out of touch with most patients. Not many Oregon patients support her, evidence being that she could not get the donations or signatures to place an argument in the Oregon Voters' Pamphlet. If Stormy Ray can produce medicine as cheaply as she claims, Measure 74 will allow her and other compassionate people and organizations to provide for even more patients.
It is sad that Stormy Ray actually spends more time discussing medical marijuana law reforms with law enforcement officers in secret back-room meetings than with patients. These "reforms" are adamantly opposed by patients as they often threaten patients' gardens and impose undue burdens upon sick and disabled patients. Whenever Stormy Ray's proposals are discussed at the Oregon Legislature, extra rooms must be opened up to hold all of the patients who travel to Salem to let legislators know that, "Stormy Ray does not speak for me."
www.stormyraydoesnotspeakforme.com
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Josh Marquis made so many false statements that it is difficult to take any of his concerns seriously. Measure 74 is not that hard to understand, especially for a district attorney. Please read the text, the explantory statement (which Mr. Marquis helped write), fiscal estimate and voter pamphlet arguments before casting your vote. If educated on the issue, Oregon voters will agree with the Oregon Citizens' Initiative Review that, "Measure 74 creates a safe, compassionate and prompt access program for Oregon medical marijuana patients, introduces regulation, and is financially sound."
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Sad and interesting that legalizing marijuana, which I favor, will hurt lots of small towns in Oregon and elsewhere, who will export their products to places where it's still illegal and thus costs more.
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Honestly... Do it or don't. California had the gall to at least put it on the ballot to leagalize it. Oregon has been beating around the bush for too long. This is slowly leaning toward it it, but for goodness sake? Just make it legal, challenge the courts, and do it. I would vote against this measure because of how passive aggressive it is. It's the nature of the culture of the NW in general...passive aggressive.
This is coming from a college student who is a Republican (former President of the PSU College Republicans).
Do it...or don't.
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Measure 74 was very well thought out, it was vetted across the state over two years among the medical cannabis community. We are the ones with the need : )
The overwhelming issue that Oregon Medcial Marijuana Patients brought to the table was the need for safe, reliable access to medical cannabis without having to invest in a grow room or trust a stranger to grow for free something which is very valuable.
That is what brought us M74 in it's current form.
Some folks may be worried that so much is left up to Administrative Rules instead of being written into statute and that inspections are not relegated to law enforcement ( though through rules they could be).
Many laws are written this way. It is how we leave room for needed changes. Certainly with a new industry we are going to need some changes as time passes and we see what is working and what is not
The measure was written as a framework and as a directive from the voters to the Health Department to regulate the distribution of medcial cannabis in Oregon.
This is a good idea.
Right now, noone is regulating, except law enforcement after the fact.
M74 gives us some middle ground.
I would like to see law enforcement come to the table in partnership to make this law the best it can be for all of us.
Since when is no regulation better than regulation unless you are in the underground economy?
Legalization did not make the ballot this round, although we will likely see it introduced in the Legislature next session.
Meanwhile, patients need their medicine and are tired of having to go without or go to the black market where they are risking their safety.
What is so difficult to understand about this?
Please support M74.
It will make law enforcements job easier.
If they need to understand how, I would like to help them understand.
Maybe some conversations over coffee instead of debates where it is so difficult to get to the truth in a short time : )
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I am a current OMMP patient. In the Rogue Valley we have several head shops that sell weed to patients [for a donation] including SONORML cheaper than dispensaries in California. I had no trouble finding a grower. Several growers were advertising on Craigslist last spring offering 3 pounds for each card holder. My grower told me if this measure passes he won't need my card any more. I don't believe in taxing marijuana. When they quit requiring a prescription for ibuprofen they didn't start taxing it!
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Comments are now closed.
I don't understand why we keep skirting around the real issue: legalization. All these medical and decriminalization marijuana measures remind me of the debate about same-sex marriage. They’re just half way steps like domestic partnerships and civil unions. The real solution is legal same-sex marriage. The same is true for marijuana: the real solution is full legalization (production and consumption).
All victimless "crimes" like drug use should be legalized. Legalizing marijuana is a triple win: less state/local spending on arrests and incarceration (1), less money for drug cartels (who get 60% of their profits from marijuana according to the White House: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press10/mjrevenue.pdf) (2), and more tax revenue for state/local governments (3).
Here's to hoping California legalizes it this year via Prop 19 and Washington state + Oregon follow in 2012!