McDonnell Says Dispensaries Could Replace Home Grows Of Medical Marijuana

[Ganjarden]

Mark McDonnell, from the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, believes that dispensaries in Oregon would remove the need for individuals to grow their own medical marijuana, according to an April 29 article in the Portland Tribune by Peter Korn. This is not a new idea; in January, Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger stated that medical marijuana should be purchased from a pharmacy and controlled "...just like any controlled substance that is prescribed". However, many are not happy with the potential loss of personal cultivation of cannabis proposed by law enforcement officials.

Madeline Martinez, Executive Director of Oregon NORML and one of the co-chief petitioners for the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, expressed her concern: "I want to grow organic, and I don't want anybody taking that away from me." Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of NORML, has described private cultivation as the "single most important" aspect of any legalization effort: "Allowing for the legal, personal cultivation of cannabis provides consumers with the option to grow their own product should commercially available sources offer cannabis that fails to meet the consumers' needs because it is excessively expensive, too heavily taxed, or of inferior quality."

There are also concerns about pricing under Initiative 28, which Korn described as creating "...the first state in the country with legal, for-profit marijuana growers." While dispensaries will be required to be nonprofit organizations, licensed "producers" will not be required to be nonprofit under I-28. Stormy Ray, who helped pass the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act in 1998, was quoted by Korn, "The same people we call the black market right now will be running those dispensaries." She claims that medical marijuana can be grown for $40 per ounce when compassion, not profit, is the incentive.

Dispensaries in other states, such as California and Colorado, could indicate future potential dispensary pricing in Oregon: Green Life, a Westminster, California dispensary, boasts that it has the "lowest priced medical marijuana" at $18/gram cap (approximately $500 an ounce); and in Colorado, Boulder County Caregivers lists their prices between $375 - 420 per ounce. Russ Bellville, host of the NORML SHOW LIVE and The NORML Stash Blog, wonders why marijuana, "the flowers of a locally-grown bush," should cost more than one of the world's most expensive flowers saffron, which has a "suggested $129.95 retail" price per ounce. He is not convinced that prices in Oregon dispensaries will be much different than other dispensaries: "With 70 Colorado dispensaries and over 700 California dispensaries, how much longer before that competition factor kicks in?"

John Sajo, Executive Director of Voter Power, disputes claims that prices will be inflated: "We face a barrage of criticism that we will be exploiting patients and selling medicine at top dollar, but we've done everything we can to structure the system to avoid that."

Share your comments: Do you feel that dispensaries will improve access to safe and affordable medicine for medical marijuana patients, or will patients suffer from inflated dispensary prices and low-quality medicine?


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Examiner.com
Author: Jennifer Alexander
Contact: Examiner.com
Copyright: 2010 Clarity Digital Group LLC d/b/a Examiner.com
Website: McDonnell says dispensaries could replace home grows of medical marijuana

 

[gangalicious]

It is always a joy to read the ramblings of a law enforcement "Barney Fife Combo" (sheriff/district attorney version) on medical marijuana. Yes, Mr. McDonnell, and what happens once you have perceived to have "removed the need for individuals" to grow their own medical marijuana? Will it then be illegal for an individual patient to grow a plant in Oregon, one that has been grown and safely consumed (and utilized for numerous other purposes) for thousands of years, across cultures no less, even if that person has a recommendation from a licensed medical professional to use marijuana?

Oh, I think I get it now, Mr. McDonnell. Smart move. And since people no longer have a need to grow their own food (because we've got all those mega-marts), then maybe we should throw grandma and grandpa into the slammer for their backyard vegetable garden habit. They don't NEED to be gardening anyway, do they ? ? ? Everyone knows you can get seemingly perfect produce at the Wally World. And, (here comes the good part) the reason it looks so great is because it's been genetically modified, then planted in soil "enriched" with chemical fertilizers, then sprayed with herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides - and since we've already done it for you, you will NEVER NEED to do it yourself, grandma. And, besides, grandpa might get hurt planting those soon-to-be-illegal watermelon seeds!

I see, Mr McDonnell, it's actually for the protection of the individual. Thanks, man. You're swell. And what individual really needs rights anyway when we've got folks like you looking out for us, protecting us.

And dear Sheriff Evinger. What can I say? Here's what:

Number of people killed in Oregon last year in backyard, mom-and-pop organic watermelon seed planting/growing operations: 0

Number of people in Oregon last year dropping dead from smoking their own organically grown "controlled substance," whether inhaling or not: 0

When will the insanity ever end? It's Reefer Madness in 2010 ! ! !

 

[ProfessorWit]

Stormy Ray does not speak for me!

Stormy Ray does not speak for Oregon Medical Marijuana Patients or the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP)

Stormy Ray Does Not Speak for Me! | Help Protect & Grow the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program

Measure 74 would give Oregon the most sophisticated, regulated and advanced medical marijuana supply system in the United States, if not the world.

 

[DrProfessor]

Who the hell wants saffron it's used in a few dishes growing and drying process is less time consuming is the point the demand is not there why is gold 1200 it's all about demand. I think things will settle between 200 and 300 when things are said and done the time involved to grow a oz of nice Kali Mist organically + work and energy not going to be 40 any day soon. They want to scare everyone with the money saying the price will be so low growers wont make any money. So do it I'm all for it but cannabis is not tobacco it requires more love. If you don't love it you get buds that reflect that.....just like food it can be cooked or cooked with love and I think we all know the difference. Shit if I smoked cigarettes I think I'd grow my own tobacco and make my own but I don't and all I want is some freedom to pursue my happiness.