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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2009)
letters TO THE EDITOR SMOKE SIGNALS Rick Levin was misled by Jerry Wade when he was told that SB 388 would have no effect on patients (cover story, 4/30). He didn't mention that patients, caregivers and growers would have to waive their 4th Amendment Rights between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm. He didn't mention that police wanted to be able to get names, addresses and birthdates for patients with a call to DHS, and no HIPPA release from the patient or even notifi cation that information was released. He didn't tell Levin that thousands of patients would lose their grower or caregiver. The bill once again singles out medical marijuana patients by treating them differently than prescription drug patients, leaving the state open to thousands of ADA lawsuits. I don't appreciate Jerry Wade and Stormy Ray trading away my civil rights or the Legislature attempting to erode my civil rights just because they have passionate feelings about a plant that keeps me from going to the ER 10 times a year. Between this bill and the workplace bills, they have dragged me up off my deathbed. I-28 has been brought as a bill in the Legislature known as SB 812. It would generate more than $37 million for Oregon health-care programs next year. Some of those funds are allocated to research and data collection to bring transparency to the OMMP program. Part is allocated to the Oregon Pain Management Commission's Pain Survey. This data is needed to bring an end to claims of abuse and to determine patient outcomes. The OPMC has announced that there will soon be a shortage of pain management drugs due to the closure of two production facilities. Jim Greig has reported that shortages are already being felt in the Eugene nursing home where he lives. I expect to see a surge in OMMP applications as a result of the shortages. I-28/SB 812 would create a solution that is self-funding and creates an integrated system where the public sector regulates and the private sector produces and distributes. Consumers, producers and distributors are licensed, and provision is made for the indigent. Jenifer Valley Willamette Valley NORML CANNABIS UNITED While there are many voices in our movement, the cannabis community has demonstrated the organizational skills and motivation to truly unite when pat- ients are at risk. Save for the Stormy Ray Cardholders' Foundation, an organization with just a handful of members, the entire medical cannabis community united to defeat Senate Bill 388, a bill that would have harmed patients and our state. Even though the powerful law enforcement lobby worked tirelessly to foster an atmosphere of fear and mislead the Oregon Legislature, concerned activists and patients were not deterred. The cannabis community also united to defeat a bill that would have allowed employers to discriminate against patients even though the bill was backed by Associated Oregon Industries, a powerful business lobby with more paid lobbyists than any other Oregon special interest. Defeating the law enforcement lobby and Big Business demonstrates the power of the cannabis reform movement and should help end certain stereotypes and show that we are not as divided as we may seem at times. Unfortunately, Oregon's representative democracy doesn't refl ect the will of the people, and the cannabis community must utilize the initiative process to improve our cannabis laws. Initiative 28 is favored by 59 percent of voters and has collected more than 34,000 signatures. The initiative will ensure a supply of medicine for patients and generate millions of dollars for the state. Of course, such a common-sense proposal cannot even get a hearing at the Legislature. However, on Nov. 2, 2010, the people will have their say. Anthony Johnson Voter Power Portland SHAME ON SENECA Missing from the discussion about Seneca's proposal to build a cogeneration biomass plant in northwest Eugene is the company's forest practices on its private lands, which may well rival the slash and burn policies of lawless Third World countries. Clearcut the forest, burn the slash, spray with chemicals, repeat. Seneca and other giants in the timber industry have transformed the storybook rainforests of Oregon Coast Range into homogenous tree farms, which has greatly contributed to the compromise of the region's renowned biological diversity. Seneca also buys the rights to log older forests nearby on our public land, like the D ISCOVER highly controversial Trapper timber sale above our treasured McKenzie River on the Willamette National Forest and the towering rainforests of the little-known Elliott State Forest near Reedsport. Creating locally produced energy with a waste product is arguably a good concept, but the cheerleaders for the project haven't told you the whole story. If this project is going to be billed as "sustainable," drastic reform of the company's forest practices must be a priority. Josh Laughlin Cascadia Wildlands Project Eugene BUILDING BLOCKS Characterizing 300 Country Club Road as "suburban" (Slant, 4/23) and "a departure from ... city policy against sprawl" is off the mark. It is a shorter walk from that building's location to much of downtown than the stroll from the EW offi ces. As a taxpayer opposed to building a new police building, particularly wedging one up against the new Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y - O W N E D G RO C E R Y Mother’s Day gifts from the Co-op.... Good for Mom, Good for the Earth! F RESH • L OCAL • O RGANIC • Good-For-You A T TWO LOCATIONS IN C ORVALLIS North Store: 452-3115 29th & Grant Open 7-9 daily 4 MAY 7, 2009 EUGENE WEEKLY South Store: 753-3115 1007 SE 3rd St Open 9-9 daily WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
