Latest Oregon Med NEws on the State Level

Tim Fox

Well-Known Member
John Sajo
10 hrs ·
THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA MANDATE

At today's meeting of the Patient Access Subcommittee of the Oregon Cannabis Commission I proposed legislative changes that will create a program to provide low-income patients with free medical cannabis products. A key element is a proposal that all OLCC licensees be required to participate in a program to help patients. OLCC producers and processors would have to contribute a percentage of their inventory to a pool of medicine to be made available to qualified patients who can't afford to buy their medicine.

The context of this proposal is a failing Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). The number of registered patients has fallen from 77,000 to less than 40,000 over the last two years. I believe the biggest reason for the decline in the program is that patients that can't afford to buy their medicine are dropping out. For twenty years Oregon has had a system where designated OMMP growers provide free medicine to patients. Since Oregon voters legalized marijuana in 2014, dozens of legislative changes have driven out these OMMP growers and created a new system of OLCC regulated farms. The problem is the OMMP growers took care of the patients but the OLCC farmers don't. My proposal would change that.

The goal of this program is to provide access to medical cannabis products to every qualified patient that could benefit from using cannabis. The patients who can afford to buy their medicine are not the issue here because they now have access to thousands of different strains, edibles, extracts, salves and new products being created. Low income patients should have access to all these high quality products.

Voluntary efforts to assist patients within the OLCC system have been tried. They have failed. There is a "bump up" program where OLCC producers can grow more for patients but its confusing rules scared off virtually every participant. Producers can currently donate to patients, but only through dispensaries. Again almost no producers are able to make this work.

OLCC farms produced over 1 million pounds of marijuana last year. Less than 400,000 pounds were sold. There are approximately 20,000 OMMP patients who qualify for discounted fees and might qualify for a low-income access to medicine program. Providing them each with two pounds (or the equivalent in edibles, concentrates, extracts or other products) would take 40,000 pounds or 4% of the overall inventory.

There are many details to this proposal and the OCC can merely make suggestions to the Legislature that will ultimately decide on these ideas. I am including my complete memo describing this in my comments below. I look forward to feedback on this proposal.
 

petert

Well-Known Member
You don’t need to go through all this legislative bullshit!
Greed is what fucked up the OMMP both from the state and probably some growers as well!

I used to grow for patients and depending on my harvest give them up to 3oz a month and i paid for their medical card! I did this because i had an agreement to sell my excess to a couple dispensaries. I actually had patients with needs too, you know, cancer, migraine, Parkinson’s.

But the grow site fees, tracking fees are all bullshit to drive growers out of the market. Make the OMMP what it was intended to be!
 

petert

Well-Known Member
Compassionate? Bullshit!!

I used to pay my patients card fee and supply a minimum of 1oz and up to 3oz a month!

Then I had to pay for my card fee, all the supplies to grow, wet trim, dry trim, cure and supply them. It wasn’t a big money maker for me.

Now they want the grow site fee AND tracking fee!! That’s bullshit. It’s farming!! It’s expensive and time consuming to grow well.

The OLLC has made the black market problem worse!!
 

Bodyne

Well-Known Member
Dude. Those new limits are for dispensary purchases. It will affect the black market ZERO!!!
yea, I couldn't believe the idiots they caught, and the way they did it. You are prolly right, between the rec black market and the medical black market, why you guys got 300 per unit goin on, right? And now you got another big bumper harvest coming. When the Goodwill Gals got popped a few yrs ago, the med black market scene got found out. That's why this year they have less medical growers than ever. You are right. Hey, did the smoke mess with any of your plants, I know many complain it does.
 

petert

Well-Known Member
Not mine. I’m mostly in greenhouses. I was spared horrible smoke this year. Last year totally sucked. Pretty much blocked out the sun the month of September
 

Bodyne

Well-Known Member
point I was making was it kinda made the med people look worse if that team of med patients were hitting clubs getting max legal weight, then reselling. What I want to know is what they resold it for, considering club prices, jeez who bought it, lol? The patients arguement was that many needed to get more for edibles, oil, etc. I don't think they bought that excuse. When the places are already making those things.
 

petert

Well-Known Member
yea, I couldn't believe the idiots they caught, and the way they did it. You are prolly right, between the rec black market and the medical black market, why you guys got 300 per unit goin on, right? And now you got another big bumper harvest coming. When the Goodwill Gals got popped a few yrs ago, the med black market scene got found out. That's why this year they have less medical growers than ever. You are right. Hey, did the smoke mess with any of your plants, I know many complain it does.

You can find $300 units but it’s complete shitweed! Most good outdoor growers ( not selling to state dispensaries) are getting $700 a unit.

The reason their is a rec black market is the OLCC issueing WAY to many producer licenses! I know tier two rec growers still sitting product because dispensaries are paying between .30 -.50 cents a gram for outdoor. So.. rather than take a bath producers are selling it out the back door!
 

Bodyne

Well-Known Member
I also heard there is yr old meds being sold, some in clubs, some wholesale, is that true? I mean I realize it can be stored proper for that long I guess, but just something I heard. Not sure if true.
 

stsin

Well-Known Member
I also heard there is yr old meds being sold, some in clubs, some wholesale, is that true? I mean I realize it can be stored proper for that long I guess, but just something I heard. Not sure if true.
FWIW It can easily be stored for years with minimum issues, BUT I don't think OR has had enough of a glut that supply is sitting around for a year yet. As long as everyone's happy with what they get it doesn't matter how old something is (except edibles and especially concentrates.) Hell, I'd prefer a more cured flower to what I've seen in dispensaries myself ;)

As far as prices, IMHO we've not hit bottom yet (especially you guys out at the coast) We'll see what the prices are come January. If OR wanted to cut off as much of a flow to the black market as possible they'd have a med/rec possession limit more in line with Colorado (whatever you grow you may keep.) But OR correcting that is my particular pipe dream, until then, I'll be a medical grower for myself finding the right plants for my needs...
 
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petert

Well-Known Member
point I was making was it kinda made the med people look worse if that team of med patients were hitting clubs getting max legal weight, then reselling. What I want to know is what they resold it for, considering club prices, jeez who bought it, lol? The patients arguement was that many needed to get more for edibles, oil, etc. I don't think they bought that excuse. When the places are already making those things.
IF they were reselling on the black market they must be selling to absolute idiots!! Black market outdoor is going for $600-800 a unit, greenhouse bud $800-1,000 and indoor from 1,100 - 1,400

You can buy shit weed at dispensaries for $100 an oz. Even at the med patient prices you can’t come anywhere near street prices.
 

petert

Well-Known Member
Yes. There are rec growers I know selling last Octobers harvest out the back door.
I’ve got a person stock of Burmese Kush from last year. Stored in a gallon glass jar with a Boveda packet inside keeping the moisture level right. It tastes great!!
 
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