• Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

State Cashes In On Medical Pot

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +    Comments
Jun 1, 2005 7:50 am US/Mountain

State Cashes In On Medical Pot

SALEM, Ore. (AP) ― Oregon lawmakers have discovered an unexpected source of revenue—medical marijuana.

When Oregon began its medical marijuana program six years ago, officials didn't expect it to grow so fast. Now, there are more than 10,400 registered patients who have produced a surplus of $1.1 million.

Hungry to balance Oregon's lopsided budget, House legislators voted 49-10 last week to siphon $900,000 of that money to pay for other Human Services' needs. The bill now moves to the Senate.

Barry Kast, the agency's assistant director for health services, said the department was left with no choice after "three years of cuts, cuts, cuts."

But backers of medical marijuana say that the surplus should be poured back into the program, not Human Services.

"If any of this money came from the general fund, I'd agree that some of it should be transferred back. But the medical marijuana program never cost the taxpayer a dime," said Dr. Rick Bayer, a physician who was the chief petitioner of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, which passed in 1998.

(© 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Add Comment

here. here. Need a log in? Register here
  •  * Will not be displayed with comment
  •  * e.g. (http://www.mywebsite.com)
  •  
  • Click here to refresh with new letters

Show Comments (0)

Close Window Login


Close Window Flag Comment


loading...

© MMIX, CBS Television Stations Inc. All Rights Reserved.