Truth Seeker
New Member
The number of Oregon Medical Marijuana Program cardholders has nearly tripled in the past three years, and the growth trend also is present in the mid-Willamette Valley.
In that time, Oregon and Linn and Benton counties all saw an increase of about 165 percent in medical marijuana patients.
Officials with the Oregon Health Authority, which administers the program, said that the agency tracks figures but doesn't analyze them.
State Rep. Andy Olson, R-Albany, took a dim view of the increase in cardholders – though he emphasized that he supports medical marijuana.
"I think what you are seeing is a serious track of abuse going on throughout the state right now," said Olson, a former lawman with the Oregon State Police.
Olson noted that out-of-state residents can get cards in Oregon, said that doctors need to be held more accountable in recommending the drug, and that minors using medical marijuana need to be evaluated frequently by a pediatrician.
Efforts to change how medical marijuana is handled in Oregon might be overtaken by events, though. Oregon voters will decide in November whether to legalize the drug.
The Drug Policy Alliance, which is advocating more liberal drug laws in the United States, could not be reached for comment.
The growth in medical marijuana cardholders has slowed after sharp climbs in 2010 and 2011, according to Oregon Health Authority quarterly figures.
Oregon cardholders increased by 9 percent since last July, while Benton County rose 11 percent and Linn County 15 percent.
Despite the trend of the past three years Oregon medical marijuana patients actually have declined slightly since January, according to state figures.
The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act was approved by voters and later the Oregon Legislature in 1998.
The law provides legal protection for qualified patients, mandates a state registration system, and requires a physician-written statement of the medical condition that marijuana is needed to treat.
The standard application fee to use medical marijuana in Oregon currently is $200. If the patient chooses a grower other than himself, there is an additional $50 required.
During the first year of the program, only 600 patients were registered to use medical marijuana, according to an Oregon Health Authority packet.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: democratherald.com
Author: Kyle Odegard
Contact: Contact Information | Democrat-Herald
Website: Number of medical marijuana cardholders in Oregon triples
In that time, Oregon and Linn and Benton counties all saw an increase of about 165 percent in medical marijuana patients.
Officials with the Oregon Health Authority, which administers the program, said that the agency tracks figures but doesn't analyze them.
State Rep. Andy Olson, R-Albany, took a dim view of the increase in cardholders – though he emphasized that he supports medical marijuana.
"I think what you are seeing is a serious track of abuse going on throughout the state right now," said Olson, a former lawman with the Oregon State Police.
Olson noted that out-of-state residents can get cards in Oregon, said that doctors need to be held more accountable in recommending the drug, and that minors using medical marijuana need to be evaluated frequently by a pediatrician.
Efforts to change how medical marijuana is handled in Oregon might be overtaken by events, though. Oregon voters will decide in November whether to legalize the drug.
The Drug Policy Alliance, which is advocating more liberal drug laws in the United States, could not be reached for comment.
The growth in medical marijuana cardholders has slowed after sharp climbs in 2010 and 2011, according to Oregon Health Authority quarterly figures.
Oregon cardholders increased by 9 percent since last July, while Benton County rose 11 percent and Linn County 15 percent.
Despite the trend of the past three years Oregon medical marijuana patients actually have declined slightly since January, according to state figures.
The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act was approved by voters and later the Oregon Legislature in 1998.
The law provides legal protection for qualified patients, mandates a state registration system, and requires a physician-written statement of the medical condition that marijuana is needed to treat.
The standard application fee to use medical marijuana in Oregon currently is $200. If the patient chooses a grower other than himself, there is an additional $50 required.
During the first year of the program, only 600 patients were registered to use medical marijuana, according to an Oregon Health Authority packet.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: democratherald.com
Author: Kyle Odegard
Contact: Contact Information | Democrat-Herald
Website: Number of medical marijuana cardholders in Oregon triples
