Examples -

LTL Example #1 - Is there any way to peal off the increase in the fee (from $100 to $200) for registering with OHA as a medical marijuana patient? Although the program allows a reduced rate for indigents, this increase will prevent many from enrolling and expose legitimate patients to potential felony arrests and conviction for their medicinal use. Thanks, Lee Senators Bates, Prozanski, and Kruse and Representative Buckley, I recently learned that SB5529 which increases patient fees to the OMMP from $100 to $200 was just passed out of ways and means. This is terrible! This, to me, is a 100% TAX INCREASE, even though they call the increase a "fee." I have breast cancer, and the medical treatments and medications are already beyond my means to pay for. I was just given anti-biotics that cost me $345 even though I am on the Oregon Prescription Drug Program. I am further sickened by the predominate attitude in the legislature that government should continue to lower taxes for corporations ($93,000,000 for corporate welfare) while increasing burdens on the sick and disabled. Further, I am completely opposed to increasing any MONIES related to the OMMP until they can get caught up on all the outstanding applications not yet processed. They have been behind up to 5 months and 12,000 application, and never have enough staff. As a member of the ACMM, it is obvious that their system of accounting is flawed. If other government accounting programs and finances are guestimated as poorly as the OMMP, then our state's budget is flawed. The OMMP patient application fees are currently such a hardship, that many people who have been on the program have not reapplied because they can't afford $100 - exposing sick and disabled to potential felony arrests and conviction for their medical use. Please oppose any action on this bill. thank you, Christine LTL Example #2 - Dear Senator, I am a patient under the OMMP program and I live in your district in Medford. I must let you know of my disappointment in the Ways and Means Committee's passage of the budget containing the severe increases to the OMMP fees, and I hope you plan on opposingthe bill due to the unreasonable increase. Many Oregonians are no able to afford the current fee to register with the state, and as we have learned, law enforcement has been abusing the system as it exists, making inquiries to the system at an alarming rate. Furthermore, as I understand it, the increase of revenue will be cannibalized AWAY from the OMMP program anyway, placing the cost of balancing the Oregon budget squarely on the backs of a few, Sick, people. Please do not support this budget as it stands, it is entirely unfair. Sincerely, Keith LTL Example #3 - In Nov., 1998, "We the People" (of Oregon) voted on a medical marijuana program to be funded by application fees...fees ONLY to fund the program, NOT additional taxes for the State of Oregon General Fund. My understanding is that in Oregon a 2/3 majority of the Oregon Legislature is necessary to increase taxes. ...Clifford LTL Example #4 - We should oppose the fee increase because it is an unfair regressive tax on a vulnerable poor population. Despite our efforts it may pass anyway and legislators will get a bit more accustomed to having marijuana money, regardless of our message. We did propose a "tax" on patients indirectly with M 74. But the revenue raised would have funded medicine for indigents, research and the OMMP. It would have allowed the registration fee to be reduced or eliminated. The richer patients would have spent the most money and paid the most taxes but it would have helped the poor. M 74 would have been fairer and would have raised the revenue increasing safe access for patients. And M74 would raise closer to $50 million over two years. JS LTL Example #4 - Representative Frederick, I sincerely appreciate the difficult decisions plaguing legislators this session as you work to fill huge budget gaps that have resulted from our current economic crisis. I certainly support funding for emergency medical services, the safe drinking water program, school-based health centers and family planning programs. However, Senate Bill 5529 makes two huge mistakes. First of all, it attempts to fund programs on the backs of sick and disabled medical cannabis patients who are not only battling illness and disease, but also severe poverty. Under SB 5529, more than 21,000 patients who qualify for food stamps and OHP who currently pay $20 to apply for or renew their medical marijuana card, will have to pay $200, a 1000% increase and a very difficult amount to pay for patients on limited fixed incomes. To make matters worse, if the patient doesn't grow for themselves, they are forced to pay an additional $200 fee, a whopping 2000% increase. Second of all, the amount of revenue these fee increases are expected to generate are based upon speculation and very well may not materialize. Many patients won't be able to afford the fees and many others are thinking about not renewing as a sign of protest. Our state could even lose money overall as we spend more on law enforcement costs, incarceration and more medical expenses as many patients have managed to decrease their prescription drug use and medical visits due to the benefits of medical cannabis. I hope that you will join Senators Chip Shields and Floyd Prozanski in voting "NO" on this budget bill as it unfairly harms the poorest and sickest among us. Your Democratic House colleague, Mitch Greenlick has stated his opposition to the budget stating, “The Public Health budget is significantly underfunded and that has long term consequences.” He also questioned the reliance on the medical marijuana card fee increase saying, “This is not the best way to manage things that are basic functions for the state.” SB 5529 is bad for patients, bad for the state and bad politically for the Democratic Party as many marijuana law reformers who have been loyal to the Democratic Party have noticed that, so far, more Republicans are opposing this bill than Democrats. Please make the vote that is right for patients, your party and the state and vote "NO" on Senate Bill 5529. Sincerely, Anthony LTL Example #5 - Here is the response I received from Rep. Buckley's office ( I am his constituent). Melanie, Thank you for sharing your concerns. Unfortunately, this fee increase is necessary to balance the Oregon Health Authority budget. The state is facing a $3.4 billion budget shortfall for the coming biennium, and Rep. Buckley and his colleagues have had to make extremely difficult choices to plug this gaping hole in the state budget. While he has worked tirelessly to avoid the most harmful of options, the Legislature has had to cut services and raise fees in every sector of state government to balance the budget. That said, I believe Rep. Buckley is working with his colleagues on a plan to reinstate a discount for patients on OHP or food stamps in response to the concerns expressed by his constituents. I do not know the details or whether he can secure the support necessary to get it passed, but he is committed to protecting the most vulnerable Oregonians and will do his best. Thank you again for your email. Thanks, Andrew Ainsworth Legislative Aide Rep. Peter Buckley I'm not his constituent but here is my reply, emailed to his address...... To the Honorable Representative Peter Buckley: I am disheartened to learn that you will be voting in favor of SB 5529-A. This bill goes against the findings of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act which states that : 475.300 Findings. The people of the state of Oregon hereby find that: (1) Patients and doctors have found marijuana to be an effective treatment for suffering caused by debilitating medical conditions, and therefore, marijuana should be treated like other medicines; Do you know of any other medicine that requires users to register and pay exorbitant fees? Furthermore, it is illegal to buy this medicine anywhere in Oregon. The OMMA is becoming more unworkable every day. This new outrageous tax on our sick and dying citizens is unconscionable and will have political repercussions. I just do not understand why getting medicine, without using expensive and dangerous pharmaceuticals drugs, has to be made nearly impossible. I sincerely hope none of your loved ones ever get so sick that they need cannabis to survive or ease their suffering. It seems to me that Oregonians must now follow the lead of the Maine legislature and make the registration of medical marijuana patients voluntary, to protect the safety, security, privacy, and pocket books from the State of Oregon. Law enforcement has shown us during legislative hearing this year how they have abused the registration checks. Sincerely, Douglas LTL Example #6 - Governor Kitzhaber, You may remember that we were classmates in medical school. At that time we were told that marijuana was just a "drug of abuse". All information about the medical uses of marijuana had been removed from the medical library. We didn't even know that tetra-hydro-cannabinol was the most active ingredient in marijuana. Since then, much has been learned about the medical value of marijuana. We now know that there is a complex cannabinoid receptor system in the body. We also know that many cannabinoids other than THC have medical value. We now have analytical labs in Oregon that test samples of marijuana for THC, CBN, CBD and other medically useful compounds. Many Oregonians now use marijuana on the recommendation of their doctor. We have limited the list of diseases that may be treated with marijuana. This is unfortunate because there is strong evidence that marijuana effectively treats Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder, Autism, and that it has tumor-shrinking as well as anti-nausea effects in cancer patients. The current finance bill contains fee increases for Oregon Medical Marijuana Program patients and growers which would essentially prevent our poorest people from being legal medical marijuana patients. I understand the need to increase revenue for the State, but this approach is wrong. Our medical marijuana program can contribute to the budget if we allow doctors to recommend marijuana for any disease that they think may be helped by marijuana. And we can license growers who are honest and caring to provide the medicine patients need. Please send the current finance bill back to the legislature. We can do much better. Best wishes, Arthur Livermore National Director American Alliance for Medical Cannabis national.director@letfreedomgrow.com http://www.letfreedomgrow.com LTL Example #7 - Dear Co-Speaker Roblan, When my husband and I attended the gathering at Siuslaw Library to hear you speak, we were impressed with you and delighted to learn of your background in education. One of my 4 daughters is a school teacher. We were pleased we had voted for you. Both of us are OMMA patients . Neither of us would be around to vote for you were it not for the efficacy of cannabis medicine. Our stories are duplicated throughout the OMMA patient registry. When OMMA passed in '98, the patient fund was set up so that the program was financially self-sustaining. It seems to be one of the few programs in the state that is. When the OMMP patient fund had grown to around a million dollars, all of us patients expected that patient fees would be reduced. It is, after all, the only medicine that requires patients to pay a fee to use. Instead, the patient funds went to help bail the state of OR out of budgetary shortfalls created by programs not financially self-sustaining. I believe we became the first state in the US to benefit directly from cannabis as medicine. It was my hope that the benefit to the OR budget would wake up our elected officials to the concept that the safest therapeutic substance available should be legalized, taxed and regulated for the highest good of all concerned. Instead, we have SB 5529 which will double fees for those of us who currently pay $100 per year to renew our permits to $200 a year. Even worse, for those on food stamps and public assistance, the fee will increase from $20 annually to $200 annually. I know folks in this income level who struggle to get the $20. What are you people thinking? In my opinion, SB 5529 will not double revenues available from the OMMP fund. It will decrease revenues as you are pricing permits way out of the pocket book of many of the patient registry. And it does not address giving patients safe access to safe medicine which should be the primary concern of our elected officials. Do not place such a financial burden on the sickest and poorest among us. Re-legalize cannabis, tax and regulate it. It gives a much broader base for collecting money for the state. It also gives all Oregon citizens access to a safer medicine and a safer recreational choice than those presently legal. License growers and create a Green Market instead of forcing a Black Market. Free LEO to deal with real criminals. Rapists, murderers, thieves, for example. Since the Tea Party folks are heavily invested in the 10th Amendment, you should be able to put together a Coalition of the Practical and Compassionate. Pass legislation that keeps OR solvent . And keeps compassion as one of our most important attributes here in the Pioneer State. If you need any facts and figures to use to convince your compadres to apply the smartest solution, please let me know. Even the International Drug Policy folks are calling for an end to Nixon's failed War on Drugs. I urge you to make Oregon the first state to restore Cannabis to its historical and necessary place in our economy and our environment. Blessed Be, Linda

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