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June 15, 2011
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J une C alendar
photo by M indy C ooper /T he P ortland O bserver
Madeline Martinez, founder o f Portland's Cannabis Café, joins supporters Anna Diaz and lawyer Paul
Loney at a rally on Friday outside City Hall to counter an effort by Oregon's federal prosecutor to
crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries.
M edical M arijuana Supporters R ally
Counter threat of crackdowns on dispensaries
by M indy C ixiper
"Judges decide the law in this
A number of individuals with
country, not sheriffs, not district Cannabis Cards issued to them by
M edical m arijuana supporters attorneys," Oregon NORML Legal the state held signs, which read
rallied outside City Hall on Friday Counsel Paul Loney told the crowd. ‘Let’s be sensible Oregon’ and ‘Can­
to protest a recent letter from
Anna Diaz, a board member of nabis Prohibition: Ineffective, Ex­
O re g o n ’s fe d e ra l p ro s e c u to r Oregon NORML, also spoke at the pensive and Harmful.’ They said
threatening a crackdow n on m ari­ protest. She said Oregon doesn’t they were rallying because they
juana dispensaries.
have medical marijuana dispensa­ don’t believe they are breaking any
“I think this is a civil rights is­ ries written into the law, which makes laws and doing anything wrong.
sue,” said Madeline Martinez, the it difficult for patients to have ac­
Cher Muttall, who has been a
founder of Portland’s Cannabis Cafe. cess to medicine.
card holder for seven years, coun­
“This is discrimination on a certain
But According to the Oregon tered any notion that marijuana dis­
group of people who are all follow­ Medical Marijuana Program, the 1998 pensaries are bad for youth.
ing state laws.”
Oregon Medical Marijuana Act pro­
“This is the safest way to keep it
The June 3 letter from U. S. Attor­ tects medical marijuana users who out of children’s hands. Drug deal­
ney Dwight C. Holton, and district comply with its requirements from ers don’t ID,” she said.
attorneys, sheriffs and police chiefs state criminal prosecution for pro­
Martinez said if any other pro­
from across Oregon, but not includ­ duction, possession or delivery of a gram within the state showed the
ing Multnomah County, served controlled substance.
success the medical marijuana pro­
notice on Oregon businesses sell­
“ You have to either grow your gram has shown, it would be receiv­
ing marijuana that the sale of the own or designate people to grow ing kudos from the government.
drug for any purpose, including for it for you,” said Diaz. “But a lot
“1 am a disabled Oregonian,” she
medical purposes, violates both fed­ can go w rong.”
explained to rally supporters. “We
eral and Oregon law.
To fill this gap, she said medical want to be free of pharmaceutical
“Drug traffickers are hiding be­ marijuana places are popping up all poison. I will not take vicodin.”
hind the medical marijuana law to over the state, and they are doing
Raphael M artinez, M adeline
protect their sham operations,” said their best for patients to have a safe Martinez’s son, called medical mari­
Marion County District Attorney place to medicate, like Martinez’s juana card holders’ innocent by­
Walt Beglau. “We have to rein in Cannabis Café where no medical standers who “just want to be well.
this outlaw atmosphere before any marijuana is sold, but is given away
“To make them go back to the
kid can walk into a storefront on to medical marijuana holders who black market and commit crimes—
Main Street in any town in Oregon pay membership fees.
it’s really sad,” he said.
and buy marijuana illegally.”
“To get this letter from the De­
He explained as N ative A m eri­
But those within the medical partm ent o f Justice, saying they cans, he has been tau g h t the
marijuana activist community dis­ are going to shut us down for
c o n c e p t h is w h o le life th a t
agree, and said they are not break­ being an illegal dispensary is ri­
m other earth gives m edicine for
ing any Oregon laws.
diculous,” Diaz said.
ev ery o n e to use.
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