William Conde (Mailbag, "Our Most Expensive War," Dec. 23) got an arrow-splitting bull's eye: where would President-elect Obama be if .?

Once Obama takes office, there should not be another responsible U.S. citizen caged for using or possessing small amounts of cannabis (marijuana) ever again.

Conde was mistaken about the expense of incarceration, however. Caging humans for using the relatively safe, socially acceptable, God-given plant cannabis is a money-making gravy train for the prison industry, police, drug testing industry and their unions; lobbying efforts are one of the reasons cannabis and hemp prohibition perpetuates.

A sane argument to continue caging responsible citizens for using the plant doesn't exist. Cannabis prohibitionists are like vampires.

Stan White

Dillon, Colo.

[end]

An Open Letter To President-Elect Obama:

Conspicuous in its absence has been any intelligent dialogue concerning one of our largest financial drains and human rights violations: The USA's longest (decades long), most expensive (hundreds of billions annually with totals now into the trillions of U.S. dollars), with by far the largest number of casualties (millions of families and lives destroyed annually) of any war to date.

Must we mention the hit on the rest of the world? More than 3,000 brutal executions of police, prosecutors, journalists, politicians and more, this year so far in Mexico alone.

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How long should it take to fire a sheriff's deputy whose marijuana use shows disrespect for the law?

Try about nine years. It took Washington County and the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training that long to prevail in the courts.

The Oregon Supreme Court made a decision this week in the case of Paul Cuff, a county corrections officer who repeatedly bought and smoked marijuana and expected to keep his job.

In the case, Cuff had a job driving a bus of inmates into and out of the county. He was tested in a routine screening for drug use in January 1999. The test came up positive for marijuana. Cuff's superiors confronted him, and he initially denied using pot.

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Portland grower sweeps the Oregon Medical Cannabis Awards with "Lemon Pledge," "Train Wreck" and "Dynamite."

A very mellow gathering of 100 medical-marijuana users got some delicious news at the seventh annual Oregon Medical Cannabis Awards on Saturday night.

Apparently, the weed keeps getting better and better," announced Russ Belville, associate director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws' Oregon branch.

Belville based his statement on the scores this year's 27 entries received from a lucky pool of 28 judges who are medical marijuana patients. Each judge got a gram of each type to sample over six weeks, and rate on appearance, taste, aroma, potency, smoothness and medicinal effect.

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In Oregon's small county jails, prisoners suffering from mental illness come in all shapes and sizes.

They include men and women, some from the local area and others from out of state. A few are homeless, but most have a place to go when they leave jail, said Capt. Craig Ward, the Union County undersheriff who runs the jail.

"I remember one who was 19, and we've had them well up in their 60s," he said.

Some have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Others "abused hard drugs so often and so long, their brains are fried," Ward said. About 20 to 25 percent agree to take their medication in jail and level out before being released, he said, and the jail can't force those who refuse treatment.

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The Fight Over Medical Marijuana At Work Is On-Again.

A corporate lawyer is reigniting a four-year legislative battle to stomp out thousands of Oregon medical marijuana users in the workplace. And cannabis advocates fear this time they'll finally lose the fight.

Dan Harmon, vice chairman of Associated Oregon Industries, has been touring the state telling business leaders and policy makers he'll push the 2009 Legislature to allow employers to fire medical marijuana users-even if they toke only at home.

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Cannabis or marijuana has been an important herbal medicine used by many cultures for thousands of years. Though federal law prohibits use of this herb, 14 states have now passed medical marijuana (mmj) laws over the last decade. These laws protect more than 20% of all Americans.

The first state to modify criminal penalties was California in 1996. Oregon voters were close behind, passing the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA) in 1998. Since state laws do not change federal laws, marijuana remains illegal until Congress changes federal laws or a new President issues administrative orders.

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The Bulletin again wrongly stands against marijuana (cannabis). In the Oct. 28 editorial "Pot politics and business," The Bulletin suggests that in 2009, Oregon legislators will have another opportunity to pass a discriminatory statute allowing employers in our state to fire anyone who tests positive for cannabis (SB 465), even if that person is registered in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program.

The Bulletin published a story the following day, "Group takes aim at medical marijuana law," focusing on the efforts of Dan Harmon and his group, the Drugfree Workplace Legislative Work Group.

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Former Oregon Resident Says The Law Clearly Requires Confidentiality

Does Washington County Sheriff Rob Gordon have it out for medical marijuana users?

That's what a Vancouver man is asking in a complaint filed with the state agency that monitors police conduct.

Marcus Griffith, a 27-year-old former Oregon resident, filed a complaint last month with the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, questioning Gordon's contention that his office can release information about participants in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act if they break the law.

[continues 390 words]

Your Oct. 28 article correctly describes Dan Harmon and his big business cronies attacking the popular and successful medical marijuana law. But the article missed a lot. Over 22,000 patients have been qualified for the medical marijuana program by over 3,000 different doctors. The program is growing because patients and their physicians are finding that marijuana is a better alternative than many pharmaceutical medicines. For some patients, marijuana relieves pain and suffering with fewer side effects.

Most patients in the marijuana program are too ill to work. Those who are able to work should be subject to the same laws and rules that patients using other potentially impairing medicines are. But that's not what Harmon is after. He wants the law changed so businesses can fire patients just for being in the program. The law already allows employers to fire workers if they use marijuana at work or cause problems.

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Don't Go Halfway With Measure 57

Oregon voters are playing a gambling game with Measures 57 and 61. How are we gambling? There are three scenarios: 1. Neither 57 or 61 pass, and neither take effect, 2. Only one passes and takes effect, and 3. Both pass--but the one with more votes takes effect. If you want neither 57 nor 61, but happen to prefer one to the other, then there is a chance at getting the one you don't want.

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Chamber Group Accepted Money, Then Turned Them Away From Meeting

Local marijuana advocate Sandee Burbank got the bum's rush at an event described as a drug-free workplace forum.

Burbank, who lives in rural The Dalles, founded Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse (MAMA) 26 years ago and chairs the state's Advisory Committee on Medical Marijuana in the Department of Human Services, described the Workplace Legislative Work Group as a "moral crusade" against Oregon's Medical Marijuana Act, which was approved by voters 10 years ago this month. MAMA operates a medical marijuana clinic in Portland.

[continues 540 words]

While public opinion was overwhelmingly censuring the folly of library book censorship on the Opinion page (Oct. 26), a front page story informed us of another "moral crusade."

It appears that a well-financed effort is underway to inflict a mortal blow to the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA). Dan Harmon, its leader, asserted without substantiation that the law is widely abused. Widely abused? The article reveals that, 10 years after passage of OMMA, the number of medical marijuana cards statewide and in Linn and Benton counties translates to only 8.0, 6.9 and 4.5 per 1,000 persons, respectively. Harmon also said that OMMA "says something about permissiveness in this state, and we've got to stop this permissiveness. It's a very symbolic issue."

[continues 128 words]

Dan Harmon is not celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.

Harmon chairs the Drugfree Workplace Legislative Work Group, which wants the state Legislature to make substantial changes to the law approved by voters in November 1998.

"We are going to push hard this next session," Harmon told members of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce last week.

One of the first orders of business, Harmon said, is to reintroduce Senate Bill 465, which would exempt employers from having to accommodate medical marijuana users, no matter when or where they use the drug. The Senate approved the bill in 2007, but it couldn't clear the House.

[continues 161 words]

To the editor:

It seems contradictory for the same people who claim to be 'anti-crime fighters' to support the prohibitionist drug policies that create the crime in the first place.

Substance prohibition hasn't worked since Adam and Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit. In 1500 Greece the penalty for coffee possession was death. Prohibition has always caused a rise in property crime, violence, corruption, gangs, disease and death.

Albert Einstein wrote regarding alcohol prohibition in 1921, "The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase in crime in this country is closely connected with this."

[continues 292 words]

Upon reading the front page article about Chamber of Commerce forum on Oct. 23, I'm compelled to comment here. That article is completely misleading as to what happened and I feel some things should be cleared up. I called Sandee Burbank right after I read this. I have known her for 33 years. Her character is impeccable, she's one of the kindest, most generous and loving persons I have ever had the privilege to know.

To describe the people escorted out of that meeting as an organized group of marijuana activists is a complete lie. These folks mostly know each other by name, but that is because each has, on their own and from different areas of the state, come to these meetings presented by Dan Harmon.

[continues 256 words]

I am more than a little disgusted by the article "Pot advocates turned away at Chamber forum" (Oct 24). I know those people ("pot advocates") who were turned away at the Albany Chamber presentation "The Economic Impact of Substance Abuse and the Need for a Legislative Solution" by Dan Harmon.

Harmon is a man with a mission. Some might call it an obsession. By his words and deeds we know he does not like cannabis (marijuana). We also know his agenda is very-anti-cannabis and if he could he would repeal Oregon's Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). Unfortunately for Harmon, science and modern medicine is on the side of the patients.

[continues 138 words]

On the eve of its 10th anniversary, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act is facing a determined attack by a coalition of business and other interests.

In November 1998, a voter-approved initiative made Oregon the second state, after California, to allow medicinal use of marijuana to help people deal with pain and side effects of treatment of certain conditions including cancer, AIDS and glaucoma. But the drug remains illegal under state and especially federal law, an inconvenient fact that has led to numerous difficulties in implementing the medical marijuana act.

[continues 842 words]

A confrontation with medical marijuana advocates briefly disrupted the start of a Chamber of Commerce-sponsored forum on workplace substance abuse this morning.

Half a dozen activists were turned away by chamber officials as they tried to enter the forum at the Central Willamette Community Credit Union headquarters on Supra Drive Southwest.

Inside, Portland construction company executive Dan Harmon gave local business people an hourlong presentation titled "The Economic Impact of Substance Abuse and the Need for a Legislative Solution." A large part of his presentation was given over to a critique of Oregon's Medical Marijuana Act, which he described as "a Trojan horse for those who want to legalize marijuana."

[continues 180 words]

Sheriff Tests Law On Keeping Site Locations Confidential

Crimes in Washington County associated with medical marijuana grow sites are on the rise -- including armed robberies and assaults -- but if you're like most people, you didn't have any way of knowing this.

Until now.

That's because the Washington County Sheriff's Office recently decided it would change its interpretation of the state's 10-year-old medical marijuana law and release information, previously deemed to be confidential, about participants in the medical marijuana program who break the law under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.

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