Oregon - A recent court case raises the question, can medical marijuana card holders possess marijuana in public places?
But the answer remains unclear after a Lane County judge dismissed the case Thursday. A police captian, a local politician and the Springfield man who filed the suit all say they're frustrated by the continued murkiness of Oregon's medical marijuana law.
"As it stands today, nothing has been resolved as far as we're concerned," said Capt. Rich Harrison of the Springfield Police Department.
The judge dismissed the case filed by Paul McClain, who received a ticket for illegally possessing marijuana in February, even though he has a medical marijuana card. Police found the marijuana during a routine search at the Springfield Municipal Court.
McClain said he has mixed emotions about the result.
"I was happy and a little bit peeved actually," McClain said.
McClain said he would have liked to see the case go before a judge. Springfield police agree.
"The law hasn't been changed and we will take the same actions tomorrow that we took several weeks ago," Harrison said.
State Senator Floyd Prozanski sent the judge a letter clarifying what the medical marijuana act was intended to do.
"To me the intent was not to prohibit someone to have it on their person or in their belongings in a public place, but to actually use it in the sense of ingesting it," Prozanski said.
Prozanski said he plans to make changes to the the law during the next legislative session that begins in January 20-11. That's one action politicians, police and Paul McClain all agree needs to happen.
"It needs to be addressed and it needs to be clear," McClain said.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: KVAL CBS 13
Author: Molly Blancett
Copyright: 2010 Fisher Communications, Inc.
But the answer remains unclear after a Lane County judge dismissed the case Thursday. A police captian, a local politician and the Springfield man who filed the suit all say they're frustrated by the continued murkiness of Oregon's medical marijuana law.
"As it stands today, nothing has been resolved as far as we're concerned," said Capt. Rich Harrison of the Springfield Police Department.
The judge dismissed the case filed by Paul McClain, who received a ticket for illegally possessing marijuana in February, even though he has a medical marijuana card. Police found the marijuana during a routine search at the Springfield Municipal Court.
McClain said he has mixed emotions about the result.
"I was happy and a little bit peeved actually," McClain said.
McClain said he would have liked to see the case go before a judge. Springfield police agree.
"The law hasn't been changed and we will take the same actions tomorrow that we took several weeks ago," Harrison said.
State Senator Floyd Prozanski sent the judge a letter clarifying what the medical marijuana act was intended to do.
"To me the intent was not to prohibit someone to have it on their person or in their belongings in a public place, but to actually use it in the sense of ingesting it," Prozanski said.
Prozanski said he plans to make changes to the the law during the next legislative session that begins in January 20-11. That's one action politicians, police and Paul McClain all agree needs to happen.
"It needs to be addressed and it needs to be clear," McClain said.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: KVAL CBS 13
Author: Molly Blancett
Copyright: 2010 Fisher Communications, Inc.
