Medford, Oregon - Police Chief Randy Schoen took some heat last week from medical marijuana proponents across the state when he criticized certain aspects of the program in the department's newsletter.
Schoen said he misspoke in one portion of the newsletter, in which he suggested marijuana growth within the city is "destroying the safety, the fabric and the livability of our neighborhoods."
"What I meant to say was that growing marijuana criminally is affecting livability in Medford," Schoen said.
The chief said the department has no issue with people who have legally attained a medical marijuana card through the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program and those who are registered caregivers who grow for card holders.
"We are not in the business of taking medicine away from sick people," Schoen said. "Those people who abide by the letter of the law do not hear from us."
Schoen argues that the language written into the OMMP opens the door to care givers growing much more marijuana than needed. He said this has led to a boom in marijuana sales to non-card holders who purchase their pot from registered growers.
"A lot of people who are getting marijuana in Medford are buying it from care givers who are using the program to make a profit rather than simply provide medical marijuana for card holders," Schoen said.
Rita Sullivan, executive director of OnTrack, an addiction and recovery center based in Medford, said her agency has heard a large number of testimonials from patients saying they have bought marijuana from OMMP care givers.
"It is clear to us that there needs to be more regulation on how medicinal marijuana is handled in Oregon," Sullivan said. "We have heard how easy it is to get marijuana illegally through medicinal growers."
Jackson County ranks third in the state for registered marijuana card holders, with 2,931.
Oregon law limits medical marijuana growers to six mature plants, 18 seedlings and 24 ounces of usable marijuana per patient at any one time. "Usable" refers to dried leaves and flowers with medicinal value.
Schoen would like to see the number of mature plants a card holder is allowed to possess cut down to two and the amount of usable pot one can have slashed to 1.5 ounces. There also should be a limit to how much pot can be possessed over a specific time period, he said.
Medford Deputy Chief Tim George points to recent busts across the state that involve OMMP care givers.
In December, Oregon State Police seized 225 pounds of pot from people who allegedly grew and distributed more than is legally allowed under the OMMP.
"We want medical marijuana to be treated like any other pharmaceutical drug," George said. "You are not allowed to have an endless supply of, say, Vicodin, so then why should you have an endless supply of marijuana. It should be put under the supervision of the Oregon Pharmacy Board."
However, OMMP supporters such as Christine McGarvin argue police departments are using the examples of a few growers who defy the law to condemn the entire program.
"These police departments are using scare tactics to attack the OMMP," McGarvin said. "They cannot substantiate their claims large numbers of providers are breaking the law. They are using the language of the failed drug war to spread fear."
McGarvin criticized Schoen's request for Medford citizens to report all marijuana gardens they see within the city.
Schoen believes by reporting all the gardens, officers will have a better idea of which ones are legal and which ones are outside the boundaries of the OMMP.
"As of right now, we don't know who is a provider unless we come across a grow and call it in to the OMMP," Schoen said. "If a grow is reported, we can go check it out and make a note of it."
McGarvin said she wonders why the department would want to use resources to investigate legal marijuana gardens.
"Shouldn't the police be using taxpayer money to deal with *************** and other drugs that are dangerous?" she said.
Schoen said he does not want to frame the debate over whether medical marijuana serves a medical purpose.
"We do not question whether someone gets relief from pain when using medical marijuana," Schoen said. "We are concerned with those who abuse the program to make money."
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: MailTribune.com
Author: Chris Conrad
Contact: Mailtribune.com - News for Medford, Ashland, Jacksonville and Southern Oregon
Copyright: 2010 Southern Oregon Media Group
Website:MPD chief clarifies marijuana comments
Schoen said he misspoke in one portion of the newsletter, in which he suggested marijuana growth within the city is "destroying the safety, the fabric and the livability of our neighborhoods."
"What I meant to say was that growing marijuana criminally is affecting livability in Medford," Schoen said.
The chief said the department has no issue with people who have legally attained a medical marijuana card through the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program and those who are registered caregivers who grow for card holders.
"We are not in the business of taking medicine away from sick people," Schoen said. "Those people who abide by the letter of the law do not hear from us."
Schoen argues that the language written into the OMMP opens the door to care givers growing much more marijuana than needed. He said this has led to a boom in marijuana sales to non-card holders who purchase their pot from registered growers.
"A lot of people who are getting marijuana in Medford are buying it from care givers who are using the program to make a profit rather than simply provide medical marijuana for card holders," Schoen said.
Rita Sullivan, executive director of OnTrack, an addiction and recovery center based in Medford, said her agency has heard a large number of testimonials from patients saying they have bought marijuana from OMMP care givers.
"It is clear to us that there needs to be more regulation on how medicinal marijuana is handled in Oregon," Sullivan said. "We have heard how easy it is to get marijuana illegally through medicinal growers."
Jackson County ranks third in the state for registered marijuana card holders, with 2,931.
Oregon law limits medical marijuana growers to six mature plants, 18 seedlings and 24 ounces of usable marijuana per patient at any one time. "Usable" refers to dried leaves and flowers with medicinal value.
Schoen would like to see the number of mature plants a card holder is allowed to possess cut down to two and the amount of usable pot one can have slashed to 1.5 ounces. There also should be a limit to how much pot can be possessed over a specific time period, he said.
Medford Deputy Chief Tim George points to recent busts across the state that involve OMMP care givers.
In December, Oregon State Police seized 225 pounds of pot from people who allegedly grew and distributed more than is legally allowed under the OMMP.
"We want medical marijuana to be treated like any other pharmaceutical drug," George said. "You are not allowed to have an endless supply of, say, Vicodin, so then why should you have an endless supply of marijuana. It should be put under the supervision of the Oregon Pharmacy Board."
However, OMMP supporters such as Christine McGarvin argue police departments are using the examples of a few growers who defy the law to condemn the entire program.
"These police departments are using scare tactics to attack the OMMP," McGarvin said. "They cannot substantiate their claims large numbers of providers are breaking the law. They are using the language of the failed drug war to spread fear."
McGarvin criticized Schoen's request for Medford citizens to report all marijuana gardens they see within the city.
Schoen believes by reporting all the gardens, officers will have a better idea of which ones are legal and which ones are outside the boundaries of the OMMP.
"As of right now, we don't know who is a provider unless we come across a grow and call it in to the OMMP," Schoen said. "If a grow is reported, we can go check it out and make a note of it."
McGarvin said she wonders why the department would want to use resources to investigate legal marijuana gardens.
"Shouldn't the police be using taxpayer money to deal with *************** and other drugs that are dangerous?" she said.
Schoen said he does not want to frame the debate over whether medical marijuana serves a medical purpose.
"We do not question whether someone gets relief from pain when using medical marijuana," Schoen said. "We are concerned with those who abuse the program to make money."
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: MailTribune.com
Author: Chris Conrad
Contact: Mailtribune.com - News for Medford, Ashland, Jacksonville and Southern Oregon
Copyright: 2010 Southern Oregon Media Group
Website:MPD chief clarifies marijuana comments
