Pubdate: Tue, 07 Jun 2005 Source: News Register (McMinnville, OR) Copyright: 2005 News-Register Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.newsregister.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2622 Author: Nicole Montesano Cited: Oregon Medical Marijuana Program http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/ommp/ Cited: Gonzales v. Raich ( www.angeljustice.org/ ) Cited: Marijuana Policy Project ( www.mpp.org ) Cited: Drug Enforcement Administration ( www.dea.gov ) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Raich (Angel Raich) OREGON FREEZES MEDICAL POT PROGRAM Following Monday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that federal authorities may prosecute users of medical marijuana, the Oregon Department of Human Services has halted issuance of medical marijuana cards pending issuance of an opinion by the Oregon Attorney General's Office. In response, the Washington D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, a marijuana advocacy organization, has threatened to sue the state. Oregon is one of 10 states in which residents have voted in medical marijuana programs. It was not immediately clear how the other states will respond, but Oregon moved swiftly, taking a conservative posture. "We need to proceed cautiously until we understand the ramifications of this ruling," said Dr. Grant Higginson, who oversees the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program in his capacity as Oregon's public health officer. "We have contacted the state attorney general to ask for a formal legal opinion on how the court's ruling affects Oregon's program." DHS will continue to receive and process applications, Higginson said, but no registration cards will be issued until the Department of Justice provides further direction. The Marijuana Policy Project said that "may actually be more harmful than the relatively small threat of federal interference," as most marijuana arrests are made at the state and local levels anyway, not at the federal level. "Oregon has done more harm to patients today than the DEA ever could," said Executive Director Rob Kampia. "By depriving patients of the only protection they have under state law, Oregon is saying that not only federal agents, but also state and local police, can raid, arrest and prosecute seriously ill medical marijuana patients. This is grossly unjust, and we look forward to suing the Oregon government in court." Andrea Canulette of McMinnville, who uses medical marijuana to control painful symptoms of multiple sclerosis, was upset by the federal ruling on a much more personal level. "Good grief," Canulette said. "You know, we have these horrible diseases, and painful ones, and here our state has approved it. We put it to the vote and everyone said yes. And now the federal government is going to arrest us? "It's totally crazy, because all marijuana is, is an herb. I can't believe the federal government." Canulette said use of marijuana helps her stay off more severe pain medication that would affect her ability to care for herself and her children. She is one of 161 Yamhill County residents holding cards for medical marijuana. And she said, "The majority of people I know who are on it have MS." Statewide, there are 10,421 cardholders. More than 9,000 of them use the drug to combat severe pain, according to the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program website. More than 3,000 cite "persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to, those caused by multiple sclerosis." The drug also is used to treat nausea, cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, seizures and cachexia, the latter a wasting away that can be caused by chronic disease. Multiple sclerosis is a neurological illness marked by loss and scarring of the myelin - the tissue that protects nerve fibers - in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The damage causes a variety of unpredictable and varying symptoms that can include painful "pins and needles" or burning sensations, muscle spasms, problems in walking, bladder and bowel dysfunction, dizziness and fatigue, according to the National MS Society. Canulette said she suffers from a sensation of "pins and needles," painful muscle cramps and a sense of being too hot, all of which are alleviated by marijuana use. "I don't smoke it every second," she said. "I smoke it when I need to. "I can't give it up, it helps so much. What am I supposed to do, then?" It is unclear at this early stage what impact the ruling ultimately will have on users of medical marijuana in Oregon, or on the doctors who prescribe it in the state. The Oregon law, approved by voters in 1998, allows residents to use a small amount of marijuana for medical purposes. They must grow their own or designate a caregiver to do so for them. A doctor must verify that the patient has a "debilitating medical condition," or a symptom such as nausea or severe pain. More than 1,700 Oregon doctors have signed at least one patient application, though a relative handful account for a large share of signings. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake