Fiscal responsibility in Oregon….
Legislature taps medical marijuana cash cow and rejects bills to make it tougher to get a card

Faced with tough budget decisions, Oregon lawmakers are tapping the popular medical marijuana program for an estimated $7 million to fund other health programs and rejecting a bill that would have made it much tougher for people to get a medical marijuana card.

The landmark attitude adjustment has marijuana advocates crying foul at the idea of doubling the annual fee to $200.

But they hope this takes them a political step closer to bringing medical marijuana into the mainstream economy, where it is more readily available and can be taxed.

A Ways and Means subcommittee approved doubling the $100 annual fee for patients, and imposing a new $200 fee on growers.

If approved, the $7 million raised would help pay for clean water, emergency medical care, and school health centers.

It’s peanuts when compared to what they could be making if the legalized the sale of weed and taxed it but I suppose this is a start.