Right-wing Republican Kevin Mannix has filed an initiative that would abolish Oregon's Medical Marijuana Program, instantly making criminals of over 16,000 sick Oregon patients. Mannix, an insurance defense attorney and former chairperson of Oregon's Republican Party, even plans a tax-payer-funded-gift to the pharmaceutical industry by requiring the state of Oregon to purchase less-effective prescription drugs, like Marinol, for Oregon's medical marijuana patients, who he intends to treat like criminals.
This terrible initiative has national implications because if the right-wing Republicans, insurance companies, and Big Pharma manage to dismantle the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, they will be emboldened to kill the programs of all of the other medical marijuana states. This is an important time for our movement and all of us, especially sick patients, need us to move forward, not back to a time where grandmothers stricken with glaucoma and cancer are treated as drug dealers. Kevin Mannix's Act can be read at:
Sec 1 This Act shall be known as the Oregon Crimefighting Act. The purpose of this Act is to reduce all types of crime in Oregon, thereby better protecting our people and stimulating economic growth through improved and aggressive prevention, early intervention, investigation, prosecution, accountability, and rehabilitation. Drug abuse and addiction are heavily associated with crime, and these problems are important targets of criminal justice laws. To fight crime, this Act:
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b. establishes Meth Strike Forces, to focus on drug crime,and a Coordinated Grant Program to improve funding for drug prevention and treatment programs;
c. allows tax credits for contributions to Meth Strike Force and drug prevention or treatment programs;
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g. replaces the Medical Marijuana Act with a more medically appropriate Marijuana Derivative and Synthetic Cannabinoid Prescription Program to focus help on those with legitimate needs
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Section 10. In order to reduce abuse of the system currently in place, the people hereby replace the "Medical Marijuana Act" with the following Marijuana Derivative and Synthetic Cannabinoid Prescription Program.
a. Cesamet and marinol are synthetic cannabinoids which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating loss of appetite and for treating nausea.
b. The provisions of this section, relating to Cesamet and Marinol use, may be expanded to include other drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration that include cannabinoids, their derivatives or synthetic cannabinoids, if such drugs are to be used for purposes covered by this section. Such extension shall be by way of rules established by the Department of Human Services, which is authorized to make such rules.
c. When an attending physician or nurse practitioner determines that a patient will likely benefit from use of prescribed Cesamet or Marinol for a diagnosed debilitating medical condition, so as to prevent or mollify decreased appetite or severe nausea, or for control of intractable pain or other symptoms of the condition, and the patient does not have health insurance which covers the cost of such medication, the patient may apply to the Department of Human Services for provision of that part of the cost which is not covered by insurance. The Department of human Services shall promptly process the application and, upon confirming that the application meets the requirements of this Act, shall pay or reimburse the amount necessary to ensure delivery of Cesamet or Marinol to the patient.
d. The Department of Human Services shall establish rules for carrying out this Program. The Department may use the Oregon health Plan as a process for carrying out this Program, if the Department finds this will be efficacious.
e. The purpose of this program is to ensure the availability of Ceasmet and Marinol to patients who need such medication, regardless of coverage by health insurance. Because this is a benefit for Oregonians, at the expense of Oregon's government, no patient is eligible for participation in the Marijuana Derivative and Synthetic Cannabinoid Prescription Program unless the patient has been a legal resident of Oregon for at least one continuous year immediately preceding application for coverage under the Program.
f. The attending physician or nurse practitioner shall monitor the patient's use of Cesamet and Marinol on the same basis as other controlled substances.
g. For purposes of this section:

• i. "Attending physician" means a Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy licensed in oregon under ORS Chapter 677.
  ii. "Controlled Substance" has the meaning given in ORS 475.005.
  iii. "Diagnosed debilitating medical condition" means a condition diagnosed by an attending physician or nurse practitioner who determines that the practice is cancer; multiple sclerosis; glaucoma; positive status for acquired immune deficiency syndrome; or any other condition where the attending physician or nurse practitioner believes that a prescription for the use of Cesamet or Marinol is a preferred form of treatment or a preferred form of necessary palliative care.
  iv. "nurse Practitioner" has the meaning given in ORS 678.010.

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Talking Points
To what "abuse of the MMA does he refer? This would be, it seems to us, a soft place in logic and would require some major evidence to prove. Wonder what it is, huh? There is report after report, study after study that attests that its definitely more efficacious when ingested by smoking or vaporizing as opposed to Marinol. Folks we know have tried Marinol and it was completely ineffective, and had uncomfortable and intractable diarrhea as one side-effect.
Give Mr. Mannix a call and tell him what you think of his crime initiative. Or better yet, fax him with mmj studies and reports. Request that he assist efforts against "abuse" of OMMP by providing the specifics of the evidence for "abuse" which this #104 is "responding" to. Please let him know that you oppose his plan to treat Oregon's sick patients like criminals. You can contact him at: