Russ Belville – Portland, Oregon
Law enforcement will be given warrantless, at-will access to the patient and caregiver registry if a bill sponsored by Oregon Rep. Andy Oslon becomes law. House Bill 3664, The Omnibus Medical Marijuana Bill, would also require the Oregon Health Authority to provide to law enforcement a listing of addresses of registered medical marijuana grow sites every quarter.
Robert Wolfe of the Oregon Marijuana Policy Initiative, a coalition of cannabis activist groups, has been lobbying Rep. Olson to strike the worst provisions of the bill. “I believe that Olson is quite serious about this bill,” writes Olson in a recent email. “I think we need to take this threat more seriously than any of the previous bills. The final bill is much less dangerous than the original proposal he showed me — that said, it still has some terrible provisions, particularly regarding law enforcement access to the patient registry.”
In addition to the unfettered access to patient information by law enforcement, the bill contains provisions to require quarterly physician recommendations for patients under the age of eighteen and that the physician specialize in the treatment of children. Furthermore, an age requirement of twenty-one is added to the qualifications for caregivers and growers.
A recent decision by the Oregon Attorney General recognized that Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Act does not require patients to be Oregon residents. That is changed by HB 3664 to require residency in the state. HB 3664 would also add national background checks to the law, with additional fees to be paid by the patients, caregivers and growers. There would also be a new fee for registration of a grow site address.
