Marijuana Dispensary Critiques: This is Not a Dear John Letter

Despite all of the garbage, the Oregon Program is the best, most successful in the U.S.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I have known John for at least 10 years. He arranged many Medical Marijuana Clinics for me from Portland to Ashland, and our working relationship was excellent. However the running of the clinics was chaotic. All of them, his and others were the same.

The state regulations were so ambiguous that no one knew if any of us were doing what we should have been doing. The DHS (Department of Human Services) had no clue as to how to do it. They estimated we would have about 500 patients. We will soon have 40,000. The Medical Director of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program doesn’t have the time or inclination to do any direct examination or review of the tsunami of application papers, now about 1000 per week.

The Oregon Medical Board got their noses completely out of joint and falsely assumed Medical Marijuana Doctors were promoting Marijuana addictions and giving anybody who wanted to use it a permit. They didn’t even know that Marijuana was at one time the most prescribed medicine in the U.S. for about 100 different diseases and that it was neither addicting nor dangerous in any way.

Despite all of the above garbage, the Oregon Program is the best, most successful in the U.S.

Now for clarification of John Sajos Critique, see Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, July 27, 2010. Real legalization may not be imminent but thousands of patients ignore this and the Police Associations whine and cry “now we have 40,000 people we can’t arrest”. Boo hoo!

Patients do need safe, convenient access. This is O.K. in western Oregon but what about eastern Oregon where dispensaries cannot be financially practical. A dispensary would require no less than 50 customers per day. Maybe only Bend east of the Cascades can support that.

Oregon Health Authority has no one capable of setting Quality Control Standards. John suggests they can.

John says dispensaries add another choice for patients to get their medicine. We CANNOT have two parallel systems, one taxed and the other ignoring taxes. The controlling mechanisms would be too huge and far too expensive. How many cops at $70,000 per year would it take to monitor and control this? The blockades I mentioned would be just that, the monitoring and control system. Does John propose a controlling person in each dispensary?

California is almost certain to legalize Marijuana this year. Their system is so far out of control even with about 600 California Highway Patrolmen (CHPs) already spending too much time arresting “potheads”. When or whether California does or does not legalize Marijuana all that Oregonians will have to do is go to the nearest California town to get a local permit holder to buy them some “grass”. They’re probably doing it now!

Yes, I am in favor of Measure 74, but I cannot see how it can work. The Marijuana Clinics are chaotic enough, the dispensaries will be much worse.

One comment along with John Sajos critique by Duncan says, “The California Program has been a well-intentioned disaster. With the regulators not having the foggiest idea what they were/are doing”. AMEN!

The word SNAFU was invented for the California system!
Does anybody else have any plan for a workable distribution system??

More information on the history of Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of Phil Leveque about his experiences in WWII.
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier.

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com: Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

Salem-News.com Marijuana Coverage

Where and How to Smoke Legal Marijuana without Fear of Arrest in the U.S.

Eulogy of a Great Warrior: Hoss Plourde

The Ripple Effect How Marijuana Laws Are Impacting Society

Audit the Audit

Welcome Home, Tom

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

Richy Rich March 22, 2011 12:21 pm (Pacific time)

i believe the selling of marijuana (but for hemp purposes) should be illegal. the growing of it however should become legal. it is the only way to take the weed out of the hands of cartels and put it back into the hands of the people. devalue the product, by making it easily available to all and you destroy the market for it. do you really want your weed taxed?

Vic Pittman September 4, 2010 8:34 am (Pacific time)

The anon posting of Sept 1, 7:03 PM was mine. I did not intend to send it anonymously..just forgot to type in my name. I was an "illegal" pot grower for six years and am proud of it. I gave starts to many people and gave away bud trimmings to people that I knew that could not afford to buy it. I had several friends that needed it, including one who has rheumatoid arthritis that knew that even if they had no money at all, they just had to ask me and they would get a nice sack of Oregon chronic. If I could have done it legally, I would not have. It is a matter of principle. If the State of Oregon passed a law that said that having sex with my wife was illegal unless I purchased a "card" and registered with the state, I would ignore that law also. I admit that my "bravery" in relating this has to do with the fact that I own nothing in the US that can be seized. My children are grown and cannot be kidnapped by CSD. If I had gotten caught growing, I would have lost everything I owned, including my house. THAT is the motive, I believe, for this archaic prohibition of a plant..."revenue enhancement".

Allergic To Growing September 1, 2010 2:59 pm (Pacific time)

I have been an omma patient for 9 years. I was able to grow for 6 years. I became allergic to growing *dont laugh folks its not any fun*..so i had a grower for a couple of years..bless his heart..now i do not. I hope that the dispensarys get the go-ahead. Voter Power--bless all of you---i used to go to your downtown clinic*waaay back when*..you all were so very kind & helpful. (Thanks Salem-news for all the MJ coverage)

Anonymous September 1, 2010 7:03 pm (Pacific time)

"An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law." M. L. King Let's grow some balls, people...break bad laws..stand up for ourselves ! When do we stop being scared little sheep ? When I was living in Oregon, I grew a lot of weed, and i sold it cheaper than anyone else I knew..If I were ever to move up there again, Id grow again...and I would do it "illegally"...Bad laws NEED to be broken...on a massive scale, repeatedly...

Allergic To Growing September 1, 2010 2:58 pm (Pacific time)

I have been an omma patient for 9 years. I was able to grow for 6 years. I became allergic to growing *dont laugh folks its not any fun*..so i had a grower for a couple of years..bless his heart..now i do not. I hope that the dispensarys get the go-ahead. Voter Power--bless all of you---i used to go to your downtown clinic*waaay back when*..you all were so very kind and helpful. (Thanks Salem-news for all the MJ coverage)

John Sajo September 1, 2010 8:58 am (Pacific time)

I agree that Mexican cartels with thousands of armed men growing in our national forests is a problem and that it will only be solved by legalizing, taxing and regulating the sale of marijuana to adults. But that is not on the Oregon ballot this year. Measure 74 is on the ballot. It won't solve every problem relating to marijuana prohibition but it will solve the problem of getting marijuana to the patients who need it because it is their medicine. I understand Leveque's skepticism about the bureaucracy because he was burned by it. In spite of that, the Oregon Health Authority is the best government agency to regulate the medical cannabis industry. Measure 74 will create a regulated supply system to supplement the current system that requires patients to produce their own medicine. "Growing your own" just doesn't work for all patients and the current law's prohibition of commerce in medical marijuana keeps us in the dark ages. When dispensaries can sell medical marijuana products, research and innovation will occur. Patients will be able to try more strains and different non-smoked formulations. After M 74 passes science will govern policy decisions instead of fear. Measure 74 will give ALL patients safe reliable access to medical marijuana. Vote yes! For more information visit www.regulatemedicalmarijuana.org

mmj September 1, 2010 12:01 am (Pacific time)

If California CANNOT even regulate medical marijuana, how do you think California will be able regulate legalizing marijuana? With medical marijuana, anyone can get a medical marijuana card including teens. So you really expect California to control and regulate marijuana? Alcohol, Tobacco, FireArms and Explosives are handled at the federal level. So California will create a bureau or agency to control, regulate and tax marijuana? Who will regulate smuggling of CA marijuana to other states? Who will regulate underground sales of marijuana to avoid taxes? Who will regulate mass illegal cultivation of marijuana in California forests for the purpose of smuggling to other states? If a driver looks stoned, will the police have marijuana analyzers to analyze level of marijuana in the body of the driver? Who will check the state borders for smuggled CA marijuana? Many out of state drug dealers will go to California to grow their marijuana then transport them to another state to sell for millions of dollars. Who will regulate the manufacturers of cannabis? Do you honestly believe that the manufacturers of cannabis will focus their sales of marijuana in California? NO! There is more money to be made if they ship their marijuana to other states where marijuana is illegal and they can sell them underground for millions of dollars.

Jillian Galloway August 31, 2010 8:10 pm (Pacific time)

$113 billion is spent on marijuana every year in the U.S., and because of the prohibition *every* dollar of it goes straight into the hands of criminals. Far from preventing people from using marijuana, the prohibition instead creates zero legal supply amid massive and unrelenting demand. According to the ONDCP, at least sixty percent of Mexican drug cartel money comes from selling marijuana in the U.S., they protect this revenue by brutally torturing, murdering and dismembering thousands of innocent people. If we can STOP people using marijuana then we need to do so NOW, but if we can't then we need to legalize the production and sale of marijuana to adults with after-tax prices set too low for the cartels to match. One way or another, we have to force the cartels out of the marijuana market and eliminate their highly lucrative marijuana incomes - no business can withstand the loss of sixty percent of its revenue! To date, the cartels have amassed more than 100,000 "foot soldiers" and operate in 230 U.S. cities, and the longer they're able to exploit the prohibition the more powerful they get and the more our own personal security is put at risk.

[Return to Top]

Marijuana Dispensary Critiques: This is Not a Dear John Letter

Quick Links

DINING

MUST SEE SALEM

AUCTIONS - APPRAISALS

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

ONLINE SHOPPING

Advertise with Salem-News