Researching LE Violations of OMMP Cardholder Privacy

I'm sending this email to a broad range of marijuana activists in Oregon because I am collecting research data on how many people have been adversely effected by Law Enforcement violating OMMP Cardholder rights to privacy. I've attached a flyer for you to please print this out and post wherever OMMP cardholders may see this: clinics, resource centers, glass & pipe shops, hemp clothing stores, etc. Please don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions. Please leave your name and phone number: 541-393-8494

thank you for your time and consideration,
Christine McGarvin, President
Institute for Cannabis Therapeutics
PO Box 4058
Medford, OR 97501
541-393-8494

ARE YOU AN OMMP CARDHOLDER? HAVE YOU BEEN HASSELLED by any member of LAW ENFORCEMENT? HAVE YOU HAD A “COMPLIANCE CHECK” conducted by Law Enforcement WITHOUT A SEARCH WARRANT? HAVE YOU SUFFERED ANY HARMS FROM LAW ENFORCMENT VIOLATING YOUR RIGHT TO PRIVACY? My name is Christine McGarvin and I am collecting data regarding the harms that OMMP cardholders have suffered resulting from law enforcement officers who have used the OMMP database and list of names to conduct warrantless searches, in violation of your 4th Amendment Right to Privacy. If any policeman, sheriff, or state trooper has contacted you for no reason other than to “inspect” your garden, home, automobile or other personal property for violations of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Law – then I would like to speak with you about your experience. Please call me at: 541-393-8494 and leave your name and phone number so I may call you back to discuss what has happened to you. I am the President of the Institute for Cannabis Therapeutics and we conduct research, and provide education and patient advocacy. I am very interested in supporting all OMMP cardholder rights to privacy.

Help End the International War on Medical Cannabis (Marijuana)

In days, a group of powerful world leaders will ask the UN to end the war on drugs and move towards regulation. But politicians say that the public will not support alternative drug policies. Let's give this unique opportunity massive public support and get urgent action. Follow this link below -

>> Click here <<

- and tell everyone you know about it. Then everyone you don't know ... yet! In days, we could finally see the beginning of the end of the 'war on drugs'. This expensive war has completely failed to curb the plague of drug addiction, while costing countless lives, devastating communities, and funneling trillions of dollars into violent organized crime networks.

Experts all agree that the most sensible policy is to regulate, but politicians are afraid to touch the issue. In days, a global commission including former heads of state and foreign policy chiefs of the UN, EU, US, Brazil, Mexico and more will break the taboo and publicly call for new approaches including decriminalization and regulation of drugs. This could be a once-in-a-generation tipping-point moment -- if enough of us call for an end to this madness. Politicians say they understand that the war on drugs has failed, but claim the public isn't ready for an alternative. Let's show them we not only accept a sane and humane policy -- we demand it. Click below to sign the petition and share with everyone --if we reach 1 million voices, it will be personally delivered to world leaders by the global commission -

>> Click here <<

- and Act Now! to End Medical Cannabis Prohibition around the World by Stopping the War on (Some of the People doing Some of the) Drugs. For 50 years current drug policies have failed everyone, everywhere but public debate is stuck in the mud of fear and misinformation. Everyone, even the UN Office on Drugs and Crime which is responsible for enforcing this approach agrees -- deploying militaries and police to burn drug farms, hunting down traffickers, and imprisoning dealers and addicts - is an expensive mistake. And with massive human cost -- from Afghanistan, to Mexico, to the USA the illegal drug trade is destroying countries around the world, while addiction, overdose deaths, and HIV/AIDS infections continue to rise. Meanwhile, countries with less-harsh enforcement -- like Switzerland, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Australia -- have not seen the explosion in drug use that proponents of the drug war have darkly predicted. Instead, they have seen significant reductions in drug-related crime, addiction and deaths, and are able to focus squarely on dismantling criminal empires.

Powerful lobbies still stand in the way of change, including military, law enforcement, and prison departments whose budgets are at stake. And politicians fear that voters will throw them out of office if they support alternative approaches, as they will appear weak on law and order. Many former drug Ministers and Heads of State have come out in favour of reform since leaving office, and polls show that citizens across the world know the current approach is a catastrophe. Momentum is gathering towards new improved policies, particularly in regions that are ravaged by the drug trade. If we can create a worldwide outcry in the next few days to support the bold calls of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, we can overpower the stale excuses for the status quo. Our voices hold the key to change -- Sign the petition and spread the word, visit -

>> Click here <<

- and Spread The Word! We have a chance to enter the closing chapter of this brutal 'war' that has destroyed millions of lives. Global public opinion will determine if this catastrophic policy is stopped or if politicians shy away from reform. Let's rally urgently to push our hesitating leaders from doubt and fear, over the edge, and into reason.

Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.

Avaaz.org is an 8-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 13 countries on 4 continents and operates in 14 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns Facebook or Twitter.

To contact Avaaz, write to us at www.avaaz.org/en/contact or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).

With hope and determination,

Alice, Laura, Ricken, Maria Paz, Shibayan and the whole Avaaz team

SOURCES:

Reports that show the war on drugs has failed: http://idpc.net/publications/failure-regime-selected-publications

Reports that show alternative approaches of decriminalisation and regulation are working: http://idpc.net/publications/alternative-strategies-selected-publications

General report on drug law reform in practice: http://www.tni.org/report/legislative-innovation-drug-policy

The Global Comission on Drug Policy that will call on the UN to end the war on drugs http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/Documents.aspx

Drug War by the Numbers http://www.drugpolicy.org/facts/drug-war-numbers

Final Report of the Latin American Comission on Drugs and Democracy http://www.drogasedemocracia.org/English/Destaques.asp?IdRegistro=8

Medical Marijuana Programs Under Attack - Act Now

Have you ever been in so much pain that you couldn't fall asleep? That's what Joel White's life was like every day for twenty years. Joel was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 22 years ago. His doctors gave him a variety of medications with risky side-effects to help him cope, but a few years ago the medications stopped working and the intolerable pain returned. Exhausted, frustrated and unable to find relief, Joel finally decided to try marijuana. It worked. It eased the pain, and he could finally get some sleep.

But now, the federal government is threatening to take away the medicine that Joel and others like him need. Ask U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to stop attacking medical marijuana patients like Joel. Click > here < now!

Two years ago, the Obama administration promised not to waste federal resources interfering with state medical marijuana laws. But in recent months they've broken that promise, raiding licensed medical marijuana dispensaries and sending threatening letters to state officials.

This isn't just a war on drugs – it's a war on people. It's a war on patients like Joel, and on families forced to watch their loved ones suffer because the federal government won't let them use the medicine that works for them. Write the Attorney General and urge him to keep the administration's promise not to mess with state medical marijuana programs. Click > here < now!

This is a blatantly political act of intimidation designed to stop the growing legitimacy of medical marijuana – even if it means depriving people with cancer, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating conditions of the relief they need. Don't let anti-marijuana hysteria keep patients in pain. Click > Write the Attorney General today!

Please Help Medical marijuana patients across the country

Despite the Obama Administration's promise to respect state laws, lawyers in the federal government are now threatening to arrest and prosecute people who are legally licensed to grow medical marijuana under state law. These ideologues are trying to block sensible regulation - and they've already succeeded in Washington State.

We must stop them from erasing all the progress we've made and from leaving patients out in the cold. Write U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder today to demand that the federal government keep its promise to respect state medical marijuana laws. Click here to write Attorney General Holder.

Back in 2009, the Obama Administration said they wouldn't use "justice department resources to circumvent state laws" on medical marijuana. They've kept their promise for the past two years, even issuing a memo that made this hands-off approach official policy. But now, federal government lawyers are intimidating states with new medical marijuana programs in an attempt to end these programs before they even get started. It's already happened in Washington State, where the governor vetoed a promising medical marijuana bill. And if these threats continue, they could jeopardize our efforts in every state where medical marijuana legislation is on the table.

These lawyers are playing politics with the lives of patients who need medical marijuana to cope with debilitating pain and nausea. Take action now and ask the Attorney General to keep the Administration's promise to leave state medical marijuana programs alone. Take action now!

To put a stop to these scare tactics, we don't need any laws changed - we just need the Attorney General to tell the handful of people sending the threats to stop. Write Attorney General Holder today and ask him to keep his word by respecting patients' needs. Send a letter now!

Then please spread the word - everything we've worked so hard to achieve is at risk! Thank you again for your help.

Sincerely,

Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance
www.DrugPolicy.org.

Just Say NO to Fear and Loathing, Rally for Patients' Rights!

At ASA they are fighting hard for patients’ rights, and this year they’re taking a whole new approach, calling it ASA 3.0. They’ve been holding stakeholders’ meetings across the nation, and they designed this approach based on what you – local activists and patients – want and need. They’ve developed a plan for improving safe access across the nation, but they need your help to make it happen. Can you commit just $1 a day to ASA’s important work? When you give to ASA, you are giving back to yourself because they build our strategies based on your needs.

They know you want to see change on the federal level, so they have been working diligently on the Hill. And, they got results: Three new bills were introduced in the House of Representatives that would protect patients and providers. Ask your representative to sign on as a sponsor to these bills. It only takes a minute to make the call, and the impact you make is much more powerful than even the best-paying lobbyists. The federal legislation is just the beginning. You asked for help with local and state legislation, so they created a Medical Cannabis Think Tank and Policy Shop. While state medical cannabis laws vary tremendously, the needs of patients remain consistent across the nation. Many regulations look good on paper, but their impact can be detrimental to the patients they seek to help. ASA’s Think Tank and Policy Shop provides local activists the support they need to analyze pending legislation and lobby for the best law possible.

You asked for support in developing your grassroots community, so they created the Online Training Center.  If we are going to keep the safe access we have now and build on it, we will need fight at every level of the political spectrum. With over 4 ½  hours of video content and over 400 pages of instruction manuals and worksheets, the Online Training Center gives patients and patient advocates the tools they need to accomplish their goals. Of course, state law provides little protection from the federal government. That’s why they’re vamping up the response to federal interference. They’re taking ASA’s proven raid response trainings across the nation and have released their new and improved Raid Response Center web-page to better prepare for interference across the country. (If you haven’t already, be sure you’re signed up for their Raid Alert Text Messages.)

Since federal interference is rooted in cannabis’ listing as a Schedule I drug, they continue to fight to remove cannabis from that list. This time, they’re taking the issue to the courts. ASA, as part of the Coalition to Reschedule Cannabis, recently filed a lawsuit for the DEA’s unreasonable delay in responding to a rescheduling petition they submitted in 2002. Yes, it has been nine years, and the DEA has neglected to respond. Not only should this lawsuit force the DEA to respond to the petition, but it will provide the opportunity for all of us to highlight the disconnect between the federal government’s policies and science. We’re excited about ASA 3.0, and want to Spread the Words! So, tell everybody you know, then everybody ou don't know ... yet. And remember, For just $1 a day, you can move ASA forward and keep their valuable Tools and Resources functioning. That’s less than a cup of coffee – and that cup of coffee isn’t going to fight for your rights. Commit to the movement. Commit $1 a day to ASA. See the results.
On The Web: ASA's Mission
ASA Forums
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Take Action
ASA's Online Store
"Gear up" for medical cannabis activism with ASA's new T-shirts, hats, stickers, bags and more! All proceeds go to ASA advocacy

Patients vs. Federal Agents

Tell Attorney General Holder: "Stop federal raids of medical marijuana dispensaries" by >>> Signing the petition <<< now!

28 raids in 24 hours. That's the unfortunate reality for medical marijuana patients in Montana and California. Federal agents shutdown 26 dispensaries across Montana and 2 in the medical marijuana sanctuary city of West Hollywood, California this month in their latest attack on patients and legitimate businesses. The DEA isn't even supposed to be conducting these raids in the first place. In 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder issued a memo ordering an end to federal raids of medical marijuana dispensaries. Yet, despite his memo, federal agents have continued these operations sporadically for years, without regard for patients', states' or business' rights.

Attorney General Eric Holder clearly doesn't have control of his own cavalry. This assault on patients rights has to stop now. Sign our letter telling Attorney General Holder to enforce his memo and prohibit federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries.

Click here to sign the letter: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/fedraids

But is Holder being dishonest and hypocritical? Or does he simply lack strong leadership among US Attorneys General? A memo issued on February 1st by US Attorney Melinda Haag (who, ironically, represents Northern California) directly contradicts Holder’s edict. She declares that ANYONE engaging in the buying or selling of marijuana, regardless of their protection under state laws, will be punished by the federal government.

That doesn’t just mean dispensaries and the patients who rely on them, but goes as far as to include landlords, financiers and property owners as well. It’s a full-court press designed to intimidate supporters of reform and ostracize patients seeking their prescribed medications. This attitude puts lives in jeopardy and undermines our democratic institutions by foiling state attempts to provide solutions for their own people. We need to put an end to the federal harassment of medical marijuana patients now.

Tell Attorney General Holder to enforce his own memo banning federal raids of medical marijuana dispensaries and take a stand for patients rights.

Click here to sign the letter: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/fedraids

This kind of official hypocrisy at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens is a disgrace to the notion of basic human rights everywhere. Thank you for standing up for a patients’ basic rights to treatment. Please help Just Say Now in supporting marijuana legalization.

Thanks for all you do.

Brian Sonenstein
Just Say Now.com

Protest The Oregon Medical Board (OMB)

It is darkly comical that governmental bodies at every level in this country cry out against bullying and violence in our culture because in this country, that many citizens here mistake as free and just, ALL governmental bodies bully us on a daily basis. Every day our governmental bodies perpetrate and condone violence against us and the rest of the world. This is just one story about the State of Oregon and the Oregon Medical Board (OMB) and how they are disregarding our civil rights. It describes in detail the level of abuse and bullying the OMB and Assistant Attorney General Warren Foote are willing to go to destroy people and physicians in this state, especially in regards to medical cannabis. We encourage any physicians or others that have been abused by the OMB and AAG Warren Foote to come forward and share your story even if it’s anonymous. Very interested in any incriminating evidence or questionable behavior regarding the OMB in general or its individual members, including the AAG. We can certainly understand why you might want to withhold your name, so You can make contact anonymously via this blog > http://drdovervsoregonmedicalboard.com/ < here.

Please send complaints and letters of concern to the OMB, State Attorney General John Kroger and Governor Kitzhaber. Please see info on how to so, links and sample postcards > here. If you have any complaints against physicians, in particular regarding medical cannabis, please make contact thru the blog. If you don’t complain nothing will change except for the worse. It is time to take the battle to them. Nothing changes until you stand up and fight and demand change!