* Arrests only include personal possession, not sales, trafficking, or manufacturing..
† includes murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
Drug War Clock
Oregon House passes Industrial Hemp 46-11
(Hemp News) June 30, 2009 – SALEM, Ore., — Yesterday, by a vote of 46 to 11, the Oregon House passed SB 676, a bill that permits production and possession of industrial hemp and trade in industrial hemp commodities and products.
“I am glad that Oregon has joined the list of states that have agreed that American farmers should have the right to re-introduce industrial hemp as an agricultural crop,” says SB 676 sponsor, Sen. Floyd Prozanski. “By passing SB 676 with strong bi-partisan support, the Oregon Legislature has taken a proactive position to allow its farmers the right to grow industrial hemp, to provide American manufacturers with domestically-grown hemp, and to profit from that effort.”
The Oregon Senate passed the bill by an overwhelming majority vote of 27 to 2 on June 19.
Vote Hemp is optimistic that Governor Kulongoski will sign the bill. Oregon would become the ninth state to authorize regulated hemp farming under state law.
If you're heading toward Mt. Hood from Portland on your way to enjoy some skiing in the winter and spring or returning to Portland from the great camping sites in the Government Camp area in the summer and fall, you'll probably travel Highway 26.
Pay close attention between mileposts 14-16 and you'll see the new Oregon NORML Adopt-a-Highway sign!
Volunteers from Oregon NORML periodically gather here to clean up garbage from the side of the road as part of this civic program. This helps us to integrate with the community and show that we care about our society. We want to legalize marijuana for adults not because we like to get high, but because prohibition exacts a terrible toll on our state and country. (If you'd like to volunteer, contact volunteerornorml.org.)
(What a nice change of pace to have cannabis consumers volunteering to clean up the highway, instead of being forced to do so in an orange jumpsuit by the county sheriff!)
Oregon NORML joins Oklahoma NORML and five chapters in Missouri as members of the Adopt-a-Highway program.
THCF's Paul Stanford featured on CNN - Oregon NORML Cardholder meeting seen, but not acknowledged
Anderson Cooper 360° special America's High: The Case For and Against Pot, aired throughout the week of June 15th on CNN.
On Wednesday, the segment focused on a "the man some call 'King Bong'" according to Anderson Cooper, telling the story of Paul Stanford's THCF medical marijuana clinics, but labeling him a "Legal Pot Pusher" who "Owns $3 million business".
CNN also failed to air any of their interview with Madeline Martinez and showed only a brief glimpse of the Oregon NORML Cardholder Meeting, implying by omission that the meeting was organized and run by Stanford.
Oregon NORML releases Special Report:
The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program -
The Gold Standard of Government Programs
Contained within are statistics for the program, straight from DHS and OMMP, plus statistics on drug use, health, safety, impairment, grow sites, and physicians signing for medical marijuana cards. Citations are hyperlinked so you can check out the official data for yourself!
A Thousand Oregonians March for Marijuana Legalization
Our Tenth Annual Global Cannabis March was a roaring success! Early clouds and drizzle didn't keep away an estimated 1,000 people who gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square. A lucky sunbreak came through right at High Noon as we marched 1 mile through the streets of Portland with a full police escort.
Back at the square, we enjoyed great music from Chief Greenbud (from Nashville), The Human Revolution (at left), Franco & The Stingers, and Marquee. Even a sudden torrential thunderstorm didn't dampen the spirits of the cannabis community who came out to dance to the music and hear motivational speeches from Executive Director and NORML Board's Madeline Martinez, NORML's Outreach Coordinator, Russ Belville, NORML Legal Committee's John Lucy, and the Oregon NORML Boardmembers Anna Diaz, Melodie Silverwolf, Paul Loney, Renee Pelster, and Scott Gordon. A big thanks goes out to our vendors, whose names and websites appear in our Business Supporters link.
Videos and pictures are forthcoming, and if you've got any you'd like to contribute, email them to webmaster@ornorml.org.
WE DID IT! Senate Bill 388, lobbied for by law enforcement to restrict medical marijuana, IS DEAD!
UPDATE: Rep. Schauffler's and Rep. Hanna's attempt to resuscitate SB 388, by calling on the House to call a rarely-used vote to pull the bill from committee and onto the House floor for a full up-or-down vote, failed in a tie vote of 29-29. SB 388 is now truly dead for this session.
After nine attempts at amendment, Senate Bill 388, submitted on behalf of the Stormy Ray Cardholders Foundation and lobbied for heavily by law enforcement, has not been moved out of its committee by today's deadline, effectively killing it for the 2009 Oregon legislative session. Oregon NORML's Executive Director and chief lobbyist Madeline Martinez received the following email from the legislative assistant for the chairman of the committee:
After consultation with other members of the Senate Human Services Committee this morning, Senator Morrisette decided not to move SB 388 out of committee, effectively killing the bill for this session. He said the bill -- or some variation -- could be brought back for further consideration if the Legislature meets, as expected, next February.
Despite everyone's best efforts and multiple amendment attempts, the bill was still meeting strong opposition, from both patients and law enforcement. Sometimes that's an indication of a successful bill, but it was clear that there was still too much work to be done on this one.
The reason the bill met so much opposition is that it was based on the faulty premise that the OMMP is subject to "widespread abuse", which we disproved in our Gold Standard report (below), and motivated by moral, not practical issues (the medical marijuana law "says something about the permissiveness in this state," said business lobbyist Dan Harmon).
Thanks to your donations of time and effort to Oregon NORML, as well as an unprecedented alliance of other Oregon medical marijuana groups like Voter Power, Oregon Green Free, and Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse all standing together in opposition to this horrible bill, registered patients, caregivers, and growers rights have been protected as follows:
Cardholders will still be able to possess up to 24 ounces hashish, as it is still a "preparation" of the 24 ounces of cannabis a patient may possess. SB 388 sought to create a hash limit to 2 ounces, which would've desperately harmed the patients who cannot use other forms of cannabis. Also, language to limit edible marijuana preparations to a "four month supply" were killed, a vague wording that caused so much trouble with Washington's law.
Growers may still possess 24 ounces of cannabis for each patient they are growing for. SB 388 sought to set a firm 24 ounce limit, regardless of patients cared for, which would have immediately reduced the supply of medicine to patients in at least 20% of the medical marijuana grow sites.
The OMMP will not be forced to print up a medical marijuana manual and cardholders will not be subject to some future punishment based on signing for that manual. SB 388 sought to create such a manual (at considerable cost, since they'd also have to print it in Braille) and require cardholders to sign an agreement binding them to understanding of the manual. Cardholders already sign paperwork with DHS to obey the OMMA; this would've been unnecessary and simply a tool for law enforcement to further punish patients slightly out of compliance with the law.
Growers will not be subject to government inspections by DHS and subject to binding arbitration by the department when there are disagreements between grower and patient. This change would've severely curtailed the number of people willing to grow marijuana for patients, knowing that government inspectors could drop by anytime and would forward any out-of-compliance grows straight to law enforcement.
Your voice and your dollars made a difference! Thank you for supporting Oregon NORML!
New Oregon State Survey Data released for 2007: New All-Time Low for Workplace Injuries and Illnesses!
According to the latest Oregon Occupational Injury
and Illness Survey, "Oregon workers employed in the private sector
during calendar year 2007 suffered work-related
injuries and illnesses at a rate of 5.1 for every 100
full-time employees, the lowest ever recorded." This new achievement in workplace safety is achieved in the same year as the tenth anniversary of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program and surpassing 20,000 registry identification cardholders. See the data for yourself.
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