Medical marijuana fees put patients on fixed incomes in bind
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EUGENE, Ore. - Elvy Musikka relies on medical marijuana to get through her day.
The 73-year-old Eugene grandmother joined Oregon's medical marijuana program in 2005 to treat her glaucoma.
Musikka also receives medical marijuana from the federal government as part of a now discontinued research program created in 1978.
But she said that medicine is so old it's no good.
"In other words, it probably would have been very nice as hemp for wearing but it obviously was no medicine for glaucoma," she said. "I cannot work with 11-year old garbage."
Fresher marijuana under Oregon's program filled the gap.
"I was getting 3 pounds from the State of Oregon and what I was doing was mixing it up," said Musikka from her home in South Eugene.
Last October, the state imposed new fees on medical marijuana card holders. The new fees doubled the annual cost of getting a medical marijuana card to $200. It also imposed grower fees of $50 and, if patients switch growers or change the address where it's grown, the state charges an additional $100.
"This is not something I wanted to do," said State Representative Peter Buckley. "We faced the largest budget gap in Oregon's history, $3.8 billion."
Buckley said some of those additional fees are being used by the state to subsidize state health services including family planning, clean drinking water programs and emergency health services.
"We raised fees in many different areas in order to try to cover vital programs that absolutely had to keep going," said Buckley.
Still Musikka said that fee increase directly affects her.
"For them to come at us and ask for a hundred dollars from us, I find that very criminal," said Musikka.
She lives on a fixed income of $700 a month and said she she's now been forced to drop out of the program. And she said she's not alone, dozens of others have also been forced to drop out because of costs.
"I lost sight unnecessarily because of the change in those rules," she said.
She said without her Oregon medicine, her glaucoma has steadily gotten worse, resulting in two separate eye surgeries.
"It turned into two detached retinas, it turned into me being completely blind for a month."
She said she's trying to get by on what she has, but if continues to not be able to afford her Oregon Medical Marijuana card, she's worried about her eyesight.
"Sure I could get some help and get that card now because people have come forward and want to pay for it for me. But I don't want to be a charity case to be able to use my prescription in Oregon."
It would have been great if KVAL could have hired an independent doctor to verify Mussikka's story. Â I would love to hear the truth no matter what side it falls on. Â Until then, I can't help but think she's upset with her old stockpile because it no longer gives her the high she is really after.
 @oregonhusker How many other doctors do you think it took for her to be receiving medical marijuana from the US government all these years?  The high she's after is being able to see.
Ending prohibition would greatly reduce, even almost eliminate, the market in illegal narcotics, cause a reduction in the number of users and addicts, greatly curtail drug related illness and deaths, reduce societal harm from problematic abusers, and bring about an enormous reduction in the presence and influence of organized crime. The people who use drugs are our own children, our brothers, our sisters, our parents, and our neighbors. By allowing all adults safe and controlled legal access to psychoactive substances, we will not only greatly reduce the dangers for both them and ourselves but also greatly minimize the possibility of 'peer-initiation' and sales to minors.
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If you sincerely believe that prohibition is a dangerous and counter-productive policy then you can stop helping to enforce it. You are entitledârequired evenâto act according to your conscience.Â
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* It only takes one juror to prevent a guilty verdict.Â
* You are not lawfully required to disclose your voting intention before taking your seat on a jury.
* You are also not required to give a reason to the other jurors on your position when voting. Simply state that you find the accused not guilty!
* Jurors must understand that it is their opinion, their vote. If the Judge and the other jurors disapprove, too bad. There is no punishment for having a dissenting opinion.
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âIt is not only [the juror's] right, but his duty ⦠to find the verdict according to his own best understanding, judgment, and conscience, though in direct opposition to the direction of the court.â âJohn Adams
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We must create what we can no longer afford to wait for: PLEASE VOTE TO ACQUIT!Â
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@Malcolm Kyle
Reduce the number of users and drug related illnesses? Â Pure nonsense. Â Just more baloney pushed by those who would rather escape reality than take responsibility for their lives and become productive members of society.
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 As for shirking one's duty as a juror, more nonsense.  You should be ashamed for even suggesting that.Â
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So what...Â
 @joaniedan@msn.com put that bottle down and join the human race!
@Malcolm Kyle@joaniedan@msn.com
Typical reply from drug advocates. Â If you don't believe in their cause, then you obviously drink alcohol and are a hypocrite. Â It's standard projection and from the front page of their Stoner Manifesto.
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Narcotics destroy families and kill people. Â The last thing we should do is legalize them. Â We already have enough problems with alcohol.
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Typical reply from someone stuck in the 19th century. Â If you don't believe in marijauna prohibition, then you are obviously a drug addict and are a stoner. Â It's standard knee-jerk reaction, from the front page of the "Reefer Madness Manifesto".
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Being arrested for a victimless crime destroys families and kill people. Â The last thing we should do is criminalize marijuana. Â We already have enough problems with overcrowding in prisons.