Oregon -- The group Protect Your Rights 420 says many Oregon law enforcement officers don't distinguish between medical marijuana users and illegal pot users. Members say that's why it's even more important that people who used marijuana medicinally know their rights.
"I've heard it all," says Lorri Duckworth, a member of Protect Your Rights 420. "Most people who have that reefer madness way of thinking don't know you can use medical marijuana in other ways than smoking it."
Group members say that misunderstanding is giving them a bad name and it creates all sorts of headaches and unnecessary run-ins with the law.
"It's the specter of reefer madness," says member Christine McGarvin. "It really hasn't changed in a number or law enforcement perceptions."
Many supporters of medical marijuana use say law enforcement officers often conduct illegal searches and seizures of what they consider medicine. So Protect Your Rights 420 is on a statewide tour to help medical marijuana users, growers and caregivers understand what their rights are.
"They don't see what we see," says McGarvin. "They don't see the grandmas and grandpas and the 70-year-olds and the 80-year-olds who are using medicine to improve their quality of life."
Virginian Bensinger is a medical marijuana caregiver for her husband, who's battling barin cancer. She says she just wants to be within in the law.
"If we did have someone you know complain about a certain smell or something, we knew exactly how to respond to that," she says.
"If we do it the right way, the legal way then maybe law enforcement would open their eyes to the fact that we're not all the typical couch potato stoners," adds Duckworth.
KEZI 9 News did try talking with Eugene Police about the group's comments. The department's public information officer said this isn't a story EPD wanted to be involved in.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: KEZI
Author: Jeff Skryzpek
Contact: KEZI
Copyright: 2010 KEZI
Website: Group Pushes Medical Marijuana Rights
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
"I've heard it all," says Lorri Duckworth, a member of Protect Your Rights 420. "Most people who have that reefer madness way of thinking don't know you can use medical marijuana in other ways than smoking it."
Group members say that misunderstanding is giving them a bad name and it creates all sorts of headaches and unnecessary run-ins with the law.
"It's the specter of reefer madness," says member Christine McGarvin. "It really hasn't changed in a number or law enforcement perceptions."
Many supporters of medical marijuana use say law enforcement officers often conduct illegal searches and seizures of what they consider medicine. So Protect Your Rights 420 is on a statewide tour to help medical marijuana users, growers and caregivers understand what their rights are.
"They don't see what we see," says McGarvin. "They don't see the grandmas and grandpas and the 70-year-olds and the 80-year-olds who are using medicine to improve their quality of life."
Virginian Bensinger is a medical marijuana caregiver for her husband, who's battling barin cancer. She says she just wants to be within in the law.
"If we did have someone you know complain about a certain smell or something, we knew exactly how to respond to that," she says.
"If we do it the right way, the legal way then maybe law enforcement would open their eyes to the fact that we're not all the typical couch potato stoners," adds Duckworth.
KEZI 9 News did try talking with Eugene Police about the group's comments. The department's public information officer said this isn't a story EPD wanted to be involved in.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: KEZI
Author: Jeff Skryzpek
Contact: KEZI
Copyright: 2010 KEZI
Website: Group Pushes Medical Marijuana Rights
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
