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Medical Marijuana Dilemma
Chris Conrad | Mail Tribune | 08/07/06

Medford police Lt. Tim George remembers the good old days when a cop could simply chop down a marijuana plant and ask questions later.

Now, eight years after medical marijuana became a reality in Oregon, the line between right and wrong has become somewhat murky, George said.

"You ask any dope cop in Oregon about medical marijuana and they'll laugh you out of the room," he said. "There are probably some scenarios where people really need it for things such as glaucoma or cancer, but we have people with symptoms such as 'chronic pain' that are clearly taking advantage of the act."

George criticizes the Legislature's raising the amount of medical marijuana a card holder can possess. It is now legal for a user to have 24 ounces of usable pot, six mature plants and 18 seedlings.

"That's more than one person can smoke in a year," George said, laughing.

Jackson County ranks third in the state in the number of medical marijuana card holders, according to state statistics.

In fact, Jackson County's 1,038 card holders are not far behind higher populated counties such as Lane (Eugene), with 1,379, and Multnomah (Portland), with 1,838.

Those numbers look to climb as the state received 5,579 new applications for marijuana cards between July 1, 2005, and June 30 this year. Also, medical marijuana advocacy clinics such as the Southern Oregonians Helping Ease Medical Problems (S.O.H.E.M.P.) advertise themselves in local classifieds, promising that a licensed physician will help people with documented ailments qualify for cards.

The fallout from this, George said, is a bump in crime surrounding medical marijuana users in recent years.

"We've had five recent burglaries reported to us where the suspects broke into homes looking to steal medical marijuana," said Medford Detective Sgt. Tim Doney.

Considering a pound of marijuana can fetch between $1,500 and $2,500 on the street, it is a profitable target for burglars, George said.

Jackson County sheriff's Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan said the motivation for most medical marijuana burglaries — including Tuesday's robbery in which four men bursting into a Talent home and stole medical marijuana at gunpoint — is money.

"It's fairly common for us to receive reports of marijuana rip-offs," Fagan added. "And I can assure you that there are people with cards that are making a profit selling their excess marijuana."

Both George and Fagan described how tough it is for cops to navigate the gray area created when marijuana went from being illegal in all cases to legal in a select few.

Sheriff's detectives recently worked a case where marijuana plants were found growing on property belonging to Boise Cascade in White City. It turned out the pot belonged to a man with a medical card who apparently didn't know you had to grow it on your own property.

"So there are times when law-abiding people are put into peril when marijuana is found on their property," Fagan said. "And most district attorney's don't see the use in prosecuting people who grow too many plants or place them where they shouldn't. It's hard to go after someone suffering from a disease who may need it for treatment."

Fagan said most cops have learned to focus their energy on larger grows run by drug cartels.

"If they're going to treat it like a prescription drug, then they should dose it out from pharmacies," George added. "I'm not cold enough to think that there aren't people who really need it, but the way it's being handled now simply makes it more accessible on the street."

Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail cconrad@mailtribune.com.

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Buzzby

Is this police officer, who I doubt has a medical degree, saying that people don't suffer from chronic pain or that chronic pain isn't worth treating? Medical marijuana has proven to be a non-toxic, non-addictive alternative to opiates for many people suffering from chronic, painful conditions. Rather than being doped into near-unconsciousness with Vicodin, Oxycontin, and morphine, these people are quite able to function normally after quickly developing a tolerance to marijuana's intoxicating effects.

George is thinking of typical recreational marijuana smokers. Medical users often use very large quantities for several reasons. Because of their frequent use they develop a hefty tolerance, requiring more weed to get the desired effect. To avoid the irritation of smoking and to increase the length of time it will work, medical users often consume their marijuana in food, requiring larger amounts

Hmmm... On that basis we should outlaw possession of cash, jewelry, TVs, and stereo equipment - all targets for burglars. The fact that criminals go after valuables is not generally considered a reason for outlawing the valuables. Why, then, do you suppose they blame marijuana because people want to steal it?

Diversion of prescription drugs for recreational purposes is a major problem. Do you suppose that they have a problem with people carrying prescription bottles? Why would they have problems, then, with people carrying physicians recommendations for medical marijuana?

I agree. But until such time as our legislators and government agencies get around to making marijuana available by prescription, the point is moot. People need their medicine now, not some vague time in the distant future.

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The Fin

Hey Buzzby and all,

Long time lurker, first time poster here.

As a Crohn's sufferer who has in the past known the benefits of medicinal cannabis firsthand, thanks Buzzby and everyone else for all your work on this site. It is encouraging to see you deconstruct articles like this one. The things I have learned here help to empower me -- and many others like me, I am sure -- when discussing the (sadly) taboo subject of marijuana with friends and family.

Right now I am wishing I lived in Oregon. My question is this(which hopefully makes this post relevant to the thread): can anyone give me some insight into how difficult it is to procure said prescriptions in states such as Oregon and Washington? I recently moved from Orange County California where, although medicinal marijuana was legalized, I could not convince my specialist to prescribe it, his reason being the temporal nature of the law and possible Federal intervention. I am curious if this differs state to state, or if my doctor was an exception, or what.

Thanks guys -- keep up the good work.