The Gold Standard of Government

Programs

How a Decade of Experience and Data Has Proven the

Oregon Medical Marijuana Program to be a Success

Russ Belville – National Outreach Coordinator –

NORML
OMMP – The Gold Standard of Government
Programs

INCREASE IN MEDICAL
MARIJUANA PROGRAM
PARTICIPATION INDICATES
HEALTH CARE NEED, NOT
“ABUSE”
Oregon Medical Marijuana
Act
Passedas Measure 67 in 1998 with
56% support, enjoys 63% support now.
Voter Power commissioned poll on Dec 2008

Self-sufficient
program has contributed
nearly one million dollars to health and
human services.
Oregon statute used as model in
Michigan (which just passed medical
marijuana in every county) and most
other medical marijuana states.
Medical Marijuana Patients
Registered in Oregon
 How many patients are
20,842?
 Cancer  17,726 new cases annually
(705 patients) DHS Oregon State Cancer Registry average 2002-2007

 HIV/AIDS  4,727living with HIV/AIDS;

(410 patients)
+200 new cases annually
DHS Public Health Division – HIV/AIDS Program
 Alzheimer’s
(<50 patients)
 76,000 estimated cases
Trust for America’s Health, Gov. Lowell Weicker, Jr., President
 Multiple Sclerosis
(5,683 patients, all spastic disorders)
 6,500 estimated cases
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Portland, Oregon, Inc.
 Cerebral Palsy
(5,683 patients, all spastic disorders)
 7,000 estimated cases
United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon & SW Washington

Qualifying Condition Oregonians who could qualify to use

medical marijuana
 How many patients are
20,842?
 Glaucoma  27,731 estimated cases
(341 patients) Research to Prevent Blindness, NISE, NSF
(0.74% prevalence nationally * Oregon Population)

 Epilepsy  31,853 estimated cases

(505 patients, all seizure US Centers for Disease Control (0.85% prevalence)
disorders)
 50,860 estimated cases
 Chronic Nausea National Institutes of Health (prevalence of: GERD 3%,
(3,417 patients, all nausea Irritable Bowel 1.84%, Inflammatory Bowel 0.2%, Crohn’s
conditions) Disease 0.18%)

 409,222 estimated cases

 Chronic Pain US Centers for Disease Control (26% of US adults report
(18,348 patients) pain lasting >24hrs in month, with 42% experiencing pain
>1 year)

Qualifying Condition Oregonians who could qualify to use

medical marijuana
 How many patients are
20,842?
~631,619 potential
medical users
20,842 registered
medical users
Currently 3.3% are
patients
Patients represent only
½% of Oregon’s
3,747,455 population.
OMMP – The Gold Standard of Government
Programs

FEW DOCTORS SIGNING

FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA
CARDS INDICATES HEALTH
CARE NEED, NOT “FRAUD”
Physician Concerns
2,847 physicians (MD or DO) have signed
for medical marijuana patient cards
Oregon Medical Marijuana Program

11,634 physicians in Oregon

Oregon Medical Board

3 out of 4 doctors won’t sign!

◦ Don’t believe science on medical use
◦ Lose job because of employer’s policy
◦ Afraid of federal laws against it
Patients must turn to clinics for help
Physician Concerns (OSP)
“10 physicians signed for 76% of
cards!”
Half of all applications are renewals
Oregon Medical Marijuana Program – 10,863 new applications, 10,678 renewal applications

Over ten year program, one OMMA

patient can equal ten applications
Signing doctor is often the second
doctor to verify condition when primary
care physician won’t sign for medical
marijuana cards
Physician Concerns
Only 1 in 4 doctors will sign for cards
Only 1 in 30 qualifying patients will apply
Oregon Law is clear about qualifying conditions
Most patients have seen two doctors to verify
and re-verify condition annually
Clinic doctors helping many patients whose
doctors can’t sign for marijuana cards shows
health care need
OMMP – The Gold Standard of Government
Programs

MARIJUANA GROW SITE

STATISTICS INDICATE
COMMUNITY SHARING
WITH PATIENTS, NOT
“CRIME”
Law Enforcement’s “Massive
Grows”
Picturesof massive outdoor plants meant to
imply overproduction and criminal diversion
Large outdoor grows are producing just one
harvest per year
Expert testimony of Chris Conrad, court-certified marijuana horticulture expert, California Superior Court

3 out of 4 medical marijuana grows are small

indoor single-patient grow sites
DHS OMMP Statistics as of March 20, 2009

An average indoor plant produces 4-6 oz, not

18-24 oz as claimed
Expert testimony of Chris Conrad, court-certified marijuana horticulture expert, California Superior Court

Allmarijuana grows are subject to failures

from mites, molds, mildew, thefts, and poor
gardening
Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible - By Jorge Cervantes
OMMA Grow Site
Statistics
 15,016 unique grow sites
DHS OMMP figures as of March 20, 2009

 Half (8,032) are growing for

self and others
 1/3rd (5,723) are not
patients, just growers
 99.1% (14,879) of all
registered grow sites care
for four or fewer patients
 96% of all patients (19,911)
cared for by 1-4 person
grow sites.
OMMA Grow Site
Statistics
However, OMMP requires a
patient to list a grow site
address… even if the patient
is not actually growing
marijuana!
Unknown, but large
percentage of 1 patient grow
sites are paperwork-only and
those patients must acquire
medicine elsewhere.
Excess is shared with
patients
 Half (10,775) of all patients
don’t grow for self
 DHS has about 2,000 new
applicants at any time
 Crop failures mean getting
medicine from others
 Non-profit orgs can verify
hundreds of pounds of
medicine shared freely every
year to needy patients
Marijuana Growing
Violations
 Over last five years,
Oregon has averaged
336 outdoor and 195
indoor grow busts per
year
Drug Enforcement Administration's Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program, by State 2003-2007

 Search of Oregon State

Police for +marijuana
+medical +arrest for
2008 nets only 91 hits
Oregon State Police News Releases for 2008

 Ifeven 20% of busts are

medical, that accounts
for less than 1% of all
grow sites.
OMMP – The Gold Standard of Government
Programs

OREGON OSHA STATISTICS

INDICATE THE MEDICAL
MARIJUANA PROGRAM
HASN’T AFFECTED
WORKPLACE SAFETY
Oregon OSHA Stats 1999-
2007
Department of Consumer & Business Services, 2007 Oregon Occupational Injury and Illness S
Non-Fatal Injuries and Illness resulting in
no workday loss = down 32%
Non-Fatal Injuries and Illness resulting in
workday loss = down 34%
Workplace Fatalities = down 20%
Patients Registered in OMMP = average
up 40% per year over last five years
Business leaders cannot cite one
incidence of off-duty medical marijuana
use causing workplace safety violation.
Oregon Workplace Stats
1999-2007
Oregon Workplace Stats
1999-2007
Oregon Workplace Stats
1999-2007
Oregon Workplace Stats
1999-2007
Oregon Workplace Stats
1985-2007
Business leaders don’t accept that medical
marijuana does not affect workplace safety
Dan Harmon of Hoffman Construction claims:
Bureau of National Affairs, Occupational Health & Safety Newsletter, April 2009

◦ Accidents trending downward for years

◦ Since medical marijuana, trend has “flattened out
dramatically”.
◦ Downward trend is now “at a near stall”.
Oregon OSHA statistics from 1985 – 2007 show
steady or increased decline in accidents
Oregon Workplace Stats
1985-2007
Oregon Workplace Stats
1985-2007
Employer Concerns
 Medical Marijuana makes
more dangerous workplaces
 Medical marijuana leads to
productivity losses
 Employers can’t terminate
unsafe medical marijuana
patients
 Federal contracts require
drug-free workplaces
 No way to test on-the-job
impairment of patients
Associated Industries’
“Half-Empty” Glass
 OSHA Safety Statistics are
the lowest ever recorded
 Oregon’s GDP grew more
than US average
 Employers can terminate for
cause any unsafe employee
regardless of medications
 …but those contracts do not
specify urine screening
 Portland Police Bureau used
PMI FIT impairment testing
Medical Marijuana’s
“Half-Full” Glass
Impairment
So how
Testing does it
PMI made this portable
impairment testing device that work?
tracks eye movement.
Tested by Addiction Research
Center, National Institutes of
Health; Walter Reed Army
Institute of Research; U.S. Navy;
NIDA (National Institute on Drug
Abuse); and Portland Police
Bureau.
Impairment
Testing
30 second test.
Non-invasive.
Instant results.
Accurately detects
impairment, regardless
of cause
Cannot be faked or
gamed by employees.
Inexpensive.
Impairment
Testing
100% of employers who used
impairment testing
considered their experience
successful
82% of employers found that
impairment testing improved
safety.
90% of employees accepted
impairment testing.
87% of employers found
impairment testing superior
to urine testing.
OMMP – The Gold Standard of Government
Programs

MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN
OREGON HASN’T
INCREASED ADULT NON-
MEDICAL USE OR TEEN
USE OF MARIJUANA
US Government Figures on
Oregon
National Survey on Drug Use & Health, University of Michigan, 1999-2006
Adult non-medical use of marijuana has
remained steady since 2002, despite
average 46% increase in patients
Oregon’s non-medical use rate exceeds
national average, with 354,000 adult
annual users, or 12¼% of adult population
(about 1 in 8)
National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, Oregon State Data for 2006 and US Census 2007 Estimates

However, Oregon’s use rate has declined

vs. national average since 2002
Fewer teens are using marijuana since
OMMA went into effect
Oregon Marijuana Use Rates
1999-2006
Oregon Marijuana Use Rates
1999-2006
Oregon Marijuana Use Rates
1999-2006
Teen Marijuana Use 1998-
2007
Teen Marijuana Use 1998-
2007
OMMP – The Gold Standard of Government
Programs

CLAIMS OF “ABUSE” IN
OREGON MEDICAL
MARIJUANA PROGRAM
PALE COMPARED TO
OTHER STATE PROGRAMS
Oregon State Programs
“Abuse”
 91medical marijuana growing arrests found out of
15,016 grow sites in 2008 = 0.7% abuse rate
Oregon State Police News Releases for 2008

 Largeshare of grow violations are minor issues of

compliance (violated 12” rule, paperwork issues,
etc.)
Attorney Lee Berger, Attorney Brian Michaels, from cases argued before Oregon courts

 2006 Oregon Total Alcohol Use: 1,682,000;

under age 18: 55,000 = 3.2% abuse rate
National Survey on Drug Use & Health, University of Michigan, 1999-2006

 2006 Oregon Total Tobacco Use: 834,000;

under age 18: 42,000 = 5% abuse rate
National Survey on Drug Use & Health, University of Michigan, 1999-2006

 2007study of Oregon State Food Stamps & TANF

improper payments = 11% abuse rate
Second Error Rate Pilot Report – US Office of Family Assistance Administration for Children and Families, 2007
Example: Douglas County,
2006
 “Douglas County's drug
task force arrested 25
people with medical
marijuana cards in 2006.”
The Oregonian, “A Smokescreen for Criminals”, 10/21/2007

 That’s 2.6% of patient

cards only (no figures for
caregiver or grower cards)
OMMP Statistics as of 1/1/2007

 “They seized 281 plants.”

 That’s only 1.2% of plants
allowed for 948 patients.
 “They seized 1,647 lbs. of
dried cannabis.”
 At four harvests per year,
that’s only 29% of
cannabis allowed.
 Law Enforcement

Concerns
Grow sites “divert to black  20,000 Oregonians are now off
market marijuana”
 OMMA “attracts criminal
growers”
 24 ounces is “too much
medical marijuana”
 Outdoor plants are “trees
producing 1-2 lbs. of pot”
 Children around medical
marijuana plants and grow
sites
Law Enforcement’s
“Half-Empty” Glass
the black market
 15,000 growers are no longer
criminals
 Up to 11 tons of marijuana
worth $67 million off black
market
 Outdoor grows are few and
produce in one annual harvest
what four annual indoor
harvests would produce
 All medicines should be kept
away from children, but plants
aren’t usable medicine.
Medical Marijuana’s
“Half-Full” Glass
Oregon DUII Stats 1998-2006
 Self funded program – no cost for a decade!
 Contributed over $1 million to Oregon State General Fund
Oregon Bills – 2007 SB 581 Section 25;

 Canada has 10x Oregon’s population, yet only 1/10th the

registered patients, even with a federal dispensary
system.
Phillippe Lucas – Vancouver Island Compassion Society, based on figures from Health Canada.

 Model for nearly all medical marijuana states

 Registry fraud is very rare exception
 Patient numbers indicate health care needs
 Few doctors signing for cards indicates patients in need
 Grow site numbers indicate compliance
 Large plant and possession limits help keep patients in
compliance and off black market.
 No negative consequences after a decade!
 The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program
The Gold Standard of Government Programs
Full Presentation and Data Links at
http://ornorml.org/data
Oregon NORML – Madeline Martinez – Executive
Director