How much cannabis should an Oregon medical marijuana patient be allowed to buy?
Published on 9/20/18
Officials at the Oregon Liquor Control Commission set an emergency temporary restriction on medical marijuana this week because they think some patients are abusing the high purchase limit and selling it on the black market. Before the policy change Oregon patients could purchase up to 1 and a half pounds of cannabis flower a day, but the new policy sets that limit at 1 ounce per day. Officials are only looking at a few individuals who purchased many pounds within a month, however their concerns are only suspicions. Some advocates are saying that certain patients require large amounts at a time to make their own medications at home and this limit is only hurting them. Some say it's not fair to punish all patients around the state because a select few are abusing the system. Though the debate had heated moments, officials say they hear the concerns of the patients are they're "going to look at it...We are listening".
Oregon regulators suspected medical marijuana patients and caregivers were exploiting the system by buying cannabis to sell on the illicit market.
The response was swift. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission, under pressure from federal officials to tackle the robust black market for marijuana, quickly issued a temporary rule that dramatically reduced the amount that medical marijuana cardholders could buy in a day.