Pubdate: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 Source: Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) Copyright: 2009 The Oregonian Contact: http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/324 Author: Jim Greig REVENUE GENERATOR IGNORED Why is it that 10 years after Oregon voted to allow doctors to recommend marijuana to the chronically and critically ill, more than 24,000 state-registered patients still don't have a legal way to purchase their medicine? Senate Bill 812 would have allowed for non-profit, state regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. It also would have provided the state with what is estimated to be more than $100 million in much needed revenue in five years. When the bill was referred to the Human Services and Rural Health Policy Committee, that committee failed to hold any hearings or work sessions for it. Now that the legislative session is over, many of Oregon's medical marijuana patients wonder why our legislators wouldn't even discuss this revenue generating, win-win bill. JIM GREIG Americans for Safe Access Eugene - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake