Nearly four years after the implementation of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, there are still few support services for OMMA patients in Eugene.
But the Compassion Center, a nonprofit corporation that opened in Eugene two years ago, is striving to create a “model organization” for the support of medical marijuana users that the rest of the state could follow.
The center offers many services to its members, including classes on cultivation of the plant, confidential consultation and assistance for patients registering with Oregon Health Services. An “introduction” night that provides a basic understanding of the OMMA takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. the first Thursday of every month.
Teaching patients how to grow marijuana is especially important, because while Oregon allows possession and use of the drug for medical marijuana card-holders, it’s still a crime to buy the substance.
The clinic, located at 1055 Bertelsen Road in Eugene, opened in December 2000. It is funded by donations, clinic revenue and membership dues. The center is also applying for non-profit status with the IRS, which will allow people to make tax-exempt donations.
Compassion Center President Todd Dalotto, who co-founded the organization, said he’s pleased with the progress of the center during the last two years.
“We have people coming from all over the state for our services,” said Dalotto, who has been involved with the nutritional and health aspects of marijuana use his entire adult life. “We’re creating a model organization that we hope to duplicate in other places.”
Dalotto emphasized that one of the center’s main goals is to educate the general public about the OMMA, which exempts patients from criminal penalties related to growing and possessing the herb. In order to apply for a medical marijuana card, patients must first be diagnosed with one of nine qualifying ailments, such as HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease and cachexia, a condition of severe malnutrition.
Dalotto also said that he is in support of decriminalizing the drug.
“The American public seems to favor legalization, but it relies on politicians to pass legislation, he said. “There is no reason there should be a law against the plant unless they’re using it to hurt someone.”
Citing “Question 9,” a recent Nevada initiative to legalize the drug, Dalotto said he b