Monday in Salem, activists from four Oregon medical marijuana groups (Oregon NORML, Voter Power, Oregon Green Free, and MAMAs) joined forces in opposing Senate Bill 388. The act was written in cooperation with law enforcement by a fifth medical marijuana group, The Stormy Ray Cardholders Foundation, which is headed by Stormy Ray, a patient who was one of the co-chief petitioners of Oregon’s medical marijuana act. (Oregon NORML’s complaints with the bill can be found here.)
Activists were limited by the chair to only ten minutes for testimony. Many patients drove from long distances and took time off work to explain how the language in SB 388 would affect them. Law enforcement was to present a PowerPoint presentation at the beginning of the hearing, but as the gavel knocked at 8am, they were nowhere to be found.
Following Stormy Ray’s testimony endorsing the bill and explaining the need for its provisions, Jerry Wade of the Stormy Ray Foundation was to testify next. Mr. Wade asked the Chair if his testimony could follow all the testimony from other activists gathered, presumably to act as rebuttal to the opposition gathered in the hearing room and overflowing into the adjacent room. Sen. Morrissette, the chair, granted the request.
Testimony was then heard from Oregon NORML’s Madeline Martinez, Voter Power’s John Sajo, MAMA’s Sandee Burbank, and NORML Legal Committee attorney Leland Berger, as well as many other medical marijuana patients affiliated with all these organizations plus Oregon Green Free. Opposition to the bill was uniform throughout the remaining testimony regarding one provision or another in the bill. Some complained that a 2oz limit on hashish will make storage and acquisition of this medicine difficult. Others took issue with limiting caregivers and growers to 24 ounces possession total, even if they care for multiple patients.
As Leland Berger was testifying, about 90 minutes into the hearing, law enforcement showed up. Mr. Berger generously ceded the remainder of his time for the three testifiers from law enforcement to begin their PowerPoint presentation, which is shown in its entirety below. Law enforcement testimony took the remainder of the allotted hearing time, allowing no time for medical marijuana advocates to respond. Chair Morrissette gaveled the hearing to a close and declared a follow-up session of testimony would be heard on Wednesday to accommodate rebuttal and patients who hadn’t had a chance to testify.
This guy goes on and on … and on…. But where is the victim? So he showed a picture of a wanna be gangster and a kid doing some herbology, so what. All these scary pounds of marijuana – who are they harming again?
Thats great that they are finding the law breakers, but come on man, who are you trying to kid. Lest babble on forever to brainwash these poor old farts, who are probably half asleep in the first place, into thinking there is something wrong with to many people getting cards and smoking herb.
If I showed up 90 minutes late to a hearing, I’m liable to be charged with contempt.
“No Program Oversight” – by law enforcement
“Limited Access to Records” – for law enforcement
Then they claim:
“Significant abuse of the act” and
“Victimized Patients”
How can an agency with no powers of oversight and no access to records truly know if there is significant abuse or victimized patients?
The evidence that most prescriptions are written by 10 physicians is evidence that doctors are still afraid to prescribe medical marijuana, probably due to the Federal ban. This could also be do to doctors favoring synthetic pharmaceuticals. Perhaps patients are also timid or embarrassed to asked their primary care physician (family doctor) for a MMJ recommendation. Imagine if your doctor went to your church, like mine does.
I watched the first 10 minutes before my nausea took over. When will lawmakers realize that law enforcement officers shouldn’t be consulted for matters related to healthcare? Why aren’t law enforcement officers coming out for bans and restrictions on the prescription of opioid pain killers? The presentation is just more reefer madness.
I don’t mind letting the cops have their say, but it’s a bit rude to keep us all waiting and then time it so nobody can rebut their scary assertions.
“about 90 minutes into the hearing, law enforcement showed up”
If you were in court for a trafic ticket and the cop that gave you the ticket didnt show up or showed up late – you win.
I belive the polices powerpoint speech should have not been herd at all,after all the gavel pounded at 8:00 Thes cops were over an hour and a half late.
They shouldnt have even been let into the building.