Craigslist pot blurs legality of medical marijuana
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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- The line between legal medical marijuana providers and illegal operations has been blurry every since the passing of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act of 1998, and online advertising of the drug is adding to the problem.
"You know, it doesn't fight pain like an opiate does, but it makes you think about other more pleasant things,” said Jim Greig, a medical marijuana patient who has lived with a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis for more than 20 years.
“I have designated a grower I know to grow my medicine and provide it to me at production cost,” said Greig at his home in Springfield on Monday.
But he added that not every Oregon medical marijuana card holder has access to a grower they trust.
“There’s not enough growers to take care of all the patients in the states now,” said Greig. “A lot of patients are having to resort to other methods.”
One of those methods is the Internet. With a quick search on Craigslist, dozens of advertisements for Oregon medical marijuana providers pop up.
Greig said while the advertisements may look legitimate, he would not recommend finding a supplier online.
“There’s a wide range of potencies of marijuana,” said Greig. “Marijuana growers can use pesticides, themical adulterants and things of that nature.”
At the Springfield Justice Center, Sergeant John Umenhofer said online advertisements for medical marijuana make his job more difficult.
“What is legal? What is illegal? What are the parameters there? And that’s where you get into a lot of grey areas,” said Sgt. Umenhofer at the station on Monday.
Umenhofer added that he worries medical marijuana will get into the wrong hands with the Internet’s easy access.
Greig said he understands the dilemma facing law enforcement.
"Let's get this thing handled,” said Greig. “Let's get some safe regulations, and allow the police to focus on major crimes like theft, burglaries and things of that nature."
According to the Oregon Health Authority, there are around 55,000 medical marijuana card holders in the state.
In November, The Oregon Cannibus Tax Act is on the ballot. Voters will get to decide if they want to legalize marijuana for personal use as well as create an agency to tax the sale of the drug.
M80 is not legalization! Do not be fooled people! Do you think it will allow you to grow that strain you have been holding on to? Or will you be forced to grow GMO seed? Sounds to me, like you will be lucky to be able to grow anything. Do we really need a whole separate entity to tax the sale of marijuana? Aren't those systems in place already? I say regulate it like a carrot, people can grow their own or purchase it at the supermarket. This is just a continuation of the war on drugs. Don't be fooled by fake legalization!
OUT OF COMPLIANCE
M8O would put Oregon out of compliance with the federal Drug Free Workplace Act, according to research done by the California Chambers of Commerce. Oregon could lose millions annually in federal aid and grants affecting schools, businesses and government contracts.
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TOTAL CONTROL
M8O would permit the forming of a new 7 member State Agency designed to cultivate and sell marijuana in government operated stores throughout Oregon, with 5 of those seven members being elected solely by marijuana growers and processors
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DRUGGED DRIVING
Under M8O, Oregonians will see more Driving under the Influence of marijuana accidents, as where alcohol has an impairment BAC level, there is no defined THC impairment level in Measure 80.Â
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INCREASED ADDICTION
Studies have shown that expanded availability and perceived social acceptance will increase marijuana use among youth. Oregon currently has the nationâs third highest rate of marijuana use among youth, ages 12 â 17.5Â
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MEXICAN CARTELS
Mexican cartels are not in Oregon because their customer base is in Oregon they are in Oregon for the growing season.  The cartels donât work in a vacuum or on a market price theory. They go where they can grow it and distribute nation-wide where they can sell it.
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UNREGULATED OVER 21 YEARS OLD
M8O would allow anyone 21 to grow marijuana anywhere â in a vacant lot near a school yard or in a house next door to you. A user could grow football fields of marijuana without any restrictions for personal use.Â
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PROHIBITS ANY REGULATIONS OR FEES OF GROWING HEMP
M8O prohibits any regulations and fees to grow Hemp with undefined THC levels, which is the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, posing the possibility that thousands of acres of rural farmland across Oregon could be bought up for the sole purpose of growing marijuana and hemp.  Federal law currently prohibits the growth of hemp. Because the Hemp seeds would not be regulated seeds and starter plants could virtually be available at your local garden and plant nurseries, therefore leaving the door open for anyone to purchase including youth.
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TAXES
Marijuana still remains illegal under federal law. Thus, any locally imposed taxes are legally uncollectible because, according to case law, no one can be compelled to pay a tax that might subject them to prosecution by the federal government.
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It is a NO for Measure 80.
Itâs still a NO on Measure 80
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According to Dr. Kevin Sabet the financial benefits of marijuana legalization would never outweigh its social and health related costs. Promising everything from increased tax revenue and a cure for cancer, to a reduction of violence near the Mexican border and fewer criminal justice costs, legalization advocates have convinced almost half of America that their policy of choice is inevitable and desirable. But their arguments are high on hyperbole and low on facts. Rarely discussed are the potential downsides of such a policy, ranging from increased addiction to greater health and criminal justice costs. In fact, both of our already legal drugsâalcohol and tobaccoâoffer chilling illustrations of how an open market fuels greater harms. They are cheap and easy to obtain. Commercialization glamorizes their use and furthers their social acceptance. High profits make aggressive marketing worthwhile for sellers. Addiction is simply the price of doing business. Would marijuana use rise in a legal market for the drug? Admittedly, marijuana is not very difficult to obtain currently, but a legal market would make getting the drug that much easier. Tobacco and alcohol are used regularly by 30% and 65% of the population, respectively, while all illegal drugs combined are used by about 8% of Americans. Â
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Why is Kevin A. Sabet Against the Legalization of Marijuana? http://loop21.com/politics/kevin-sabet-against-legalization-marijuana
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Vote NO on Measure 80
 @Impacts of Marijuana Oh it's Impacts again. I see you are still doing copy and paste work for Calvina Fey and Mel Sambler's Save Our Society From Drugs:  http://www.saveoursociety.org/about-us/board-directorsÂ
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I'm going to pull back the curtain to show the readers the shocking truth about Mel Sambler's former organization, Straight Inc. and why it was shut down. From Wikipedia: Â http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight,_IncorporatedÂ
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Impacts of Marijuana is all a cut and paste, so here are my cut and paste answers, from the previous time I encountered and bothered to reply...."OUT OF COMPLIANCE M8O would put Oregon out of compliance with the federal Drug Free Workplace Act, according to research done by the California Chambers of Commerce. Â Oregon could lose millions annually in federal aid and grants affecting schools, businesses and government contracts. " Â
Not true. The DFWA only requires a small portion of employers to comply with its strict standards - specifically those funded with federal dollars or federal employees. Further, just because marijuana is legal doesn't mean that everyone will be using it - nor does it mean that employers will have to accept the use of marijuana. That is a debate for another day...AFTER we legalize. Â
"TOTAL CONTROL Â M8O would permit the forming of a new 7 member State Agency designed to cultivate and sell marijuana in government operated stores throughout Oregon, with 5 of those seven members being elected solely by marijuana growers and processors"Â
Not "government operated" for one - they are state-LICENSED. These will be privately owned entities that simply get licensed with the state, like a thousand other industries...second, the board is required to operate within the guidelines established by the law - they don't get to make it up as they go along. The reason these people are voted on by the growers and processors is to ensure that the industry rules and licensing processes make sense. Prohibitionists have a way of complicating anything marijuana-related....OMMP is proof of that. Only a prohibitionist would define plant maturity with a completely arbitrary, non-botanical measurement like "height" and "width" instead of actual botanical maturity (ie "flowering")
"DRUGGED DRIVING Â Under M8O, Oregonians will see more Driving under the Influence of marijuana accidents, as where alcohol has an impairment BAC level, there is no defined THC impairment level in Measure 80." Â Â
If this is really a problem, then it is already a problem. We have laws against drugged driving TODAY that will not change with passage of Measure 80. We have "Drug Recognition Experts" that are trained in identifying impaired drivers, and studies have demonstrated that they are accurate well over 90% of the time, and typically can even identify the class of drugs that has caused the impairment with great accuracy as well. There seems to be some strange belief that "no one" is driving high today, and simultaneously, that people who are not driving high today because marijuana is illegal (ie they are constrained by the law) will suddenly become law-breakers when marijuana is legal and start driving high. Again, that only makes sense in a prohibitionist's head. Â
"INCREASED ADDICTION Studies have shown that expanded availability and perceived social acceptance will increase marijuana use among youth. Â Oregon currently has the nationâs third highest rate of marijuana use among youth, ages 12 - 17.5" Â Â Â
Studies have also demonstrated that education has far more impact on use rates than prohibition. That is why Measure 80 gives a portion of the profit to our school systems to help ensure kids are receiving drug education that is based on knowledge and personal responsibility, instead of fear and threats. Looking at the statistics of tobacco, we can see that education has had far more success in reducing use. Further, a much larger percentage (7%) is given to drug treatment on demand to help ensure that drug treatment is available to those that need it. Finally, by making marijuana legal for adults - many drug rehab beds that are currently occupied by those arrested for marijuana and court-ordered into rehab can instead by used by those who are ACTUALLY addicted and NEED the beds. We have problems with meth and heroin in this state and those people cannot access addiction services because people who got busted with marijuana are court-ordered to be there instead.
"MEXICAN CARTELS Mexican cartels are not in Oregon because their customer base is in Oregon they are in Oregon for the growing season. Â The cartels donât work in a vacuum or on a market price theory. Â They go where they can grow it and distribute nation-wide where they can sell it. " Â
And unlicensed cultivation for sale or unlicensed sales of marijuana will still remain illegal. Won't it be great when our law enforcement gets back to enforcing the laws against actual criminals destroying our forests, instead of targeting patients and average consumers of marijuana? Â
It is still a NO on Measure 80
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And won't it be great when everyone 21 can grow unlimited amounts of marijuana for their own personal use, and just how many law enforcement officers will be needed to monitor all of the 21 and over who will grow as much as they want, and sell illegally creating a new black market to undercut the government pot stores.
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Don't think so. It is still a NO on Measure 80
It is still a NO on Measure 80
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Marijuana causes DUIs and fatal car wrecks. A study from the New England Journal of Medicine, found nearly half of impaired drivers who were not using alcohol tested positive for marijuana. That's why the number of fatal car wrecks involving marijuana skyrocketed in Montana when their medical marijuana law went into effect. Out of 303 cases, 43% of DUID cases involved THC the active ingredient in marijuana.
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In Oregon, law enforcement officers donât specify what controlled substance caused the impairment as they do not have the expertise to do so, it requires a specially trained drug recognition expert to determine, which requires significant training and costs. There are 5333 law enforcement officers in the State, out of those 200 are Drug Recognition Experts. The estimated costs of training 5133 officers to become DRE experts would be over $25.6 million dollars for Oregon law enforcement agencies. That cost does not include DPSST training cost or the cost of analyzing blood done by the Oregon State Police crime lab.  Â
continued...
"UNREGULATED OVER 21 YEARS OLD M8O would allow anyone 21 to grow marijuana anywhere �" in a vacant lot near a school yard or in a house next door to you.  A user could grow football fields of marijuana without any restrictions for personal use."   Â
That isn't exactly true. "without any restrictions" is in direct conflict with "for personal use." Further, I cannot grow corn on a "vacant lot" to feed my family - what makes you think Measure 80 would allow you to grow marijuana on a "vacant lot?" Finally, the legislature is free to add any restrictions that they deem are necessary, and the laws are well established for other crops on what is deemed personal use, so this isn't as wide open as you might think. Also, currently, any adult can grow hops anywhere for personal use, and they can grow tobacco anywhere for personal use - and most people choose NOT to grow. Frankly, after passage of Measure 80, many people are going to refrain from growing - it is just far easier to purchase it from a store, where you have a diverse selection at your fingertips - and many that grow are going to want to get licensed in order to be able to make a living from their skills. Â
"PROHIBITS ANY REGULATIONS OR FEES OF GROWING HEMP Â M8O prohibits any regulations and fees to grow Hemp with undefined THC levels, which is the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, posing the possibility that thousands of acres of rural farmland across Oregon could be bought up for the sole purpose of growing marijuana and hemp. Â Â Federal law currently prohibits the growth of hemp. Â Because the Hemp seeds would not be regulated seeds and starter plants could virtually be available at your local garden and plant nurseries, therefore leaving the door open for anyone to purchase including youth." Â Â
Federal law does NOT prohibit the cultivation of hemp - it actually explicitly allows it. The problem is that the DEA pretends that they cannot tell the difference between hemp and marijuana and refuse to issue licenses that are required to grow hemp. Hemp seeds and starts are not psychoactive, and cannot harm our children. And to pretend that our children are going to collect hemp seeds and starts, hide it somewhere attempting to grow it out, all for the joy of some marijuana that they will harvest months later demonstrates that you are not familiar with the attention span of children. Why would they bother? This is an inflated risk, not an actual risk. There is no reason why children shouldn't have access to hemp seeds, just like they have access to corn or beans. And last note on this point - the higher THC varieties of hemp are far superior for industrial purposes - and hemp is cultivated and harvested completely different from marijuana. There will be no confusion.
"TAXES Â Marijuana still remains illegal under federal law. Thus, any locally imposed taxes are legally uncollectible because, according to case law, no one can be compelled to pay a tax that might subject them to prosecution by the federal government. Â " Â
I disagree with this statement more than the rest of what you said. If this were true, no drug dealers would have ever been charged with tax evasion - they could simply claim that they could not be "compelled" to pay taxes. I'm sure Al Capone would have appreciated your legal services in arguing that point. Regardless of the source of income, whether lawful or not, the law requires that taxes be paid on it. So the federal status of marijuana has no bearing on the ability of the state OR federal government to collect taxes on these transactions. Â Â
"It is a BAD IDEA FOR OREGON-VOTE NO on Measure 80." Only if you haven't thought it through. I'm voting yes. I would love to see you explain how prohibition solves any of the concerns you have brought up. The plain and simple truth is that prohibition does NOT solve any of these concerns. Our children have access to marijuana NOW. People are driving high NOW (and getting caught and prosecuted!) Taxes are being collected on marijuana businesses across the nation NOW. These are all claims that have nothing to do with Measure 80. VOTE YES!
Why would a MM grower advertise on craigslist to grow for a stranger without making a profit off of him?