The Oregon State Sheriffs' Association on Monday donated $10,000 to organizers of an event in Madras that will kick off a series of "marijuana education" talks statewide.

The infusion of cash comes as Jefferson County District Attorney Steve Leriche scrambles to raise money to keep the Madras event going. The event is part of a series of community forums on marijuana. Its future was unclear after BestCare Treatment Practices, a non-profit that runs treatment prevention for Jefferson County, ended its sponsorship.

BestCare originally planned to use $15,000 in federal dollars to help put on the Madras event. The agency pulled out after pro-marijuana legalization advocates questioned the use of federal funds to underwrite what they see as a political event within weeks of the November election.

Connie Ramaeker, director of Tigard Turns the Tide, a drug prevention coalition, took over the role of organizing the series when BestCare backed out. Ramaeker and other organizers held a phone conference late Monday and decided they would not use public funds to put on the series.

She said organizers of each location on the tour will try to raise money from private sources to ensure that the series goes on as planned.

The sheriffs' association, which opposes marijuana legalization, announced late Monday that it would chip in towards the Madras conference, which like each stop in the series, will feature Kevin Sabet, a high-profile opponent of marijuana legalization.

In a message posted to the association's homepage, association president and Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt said legalizing marijuana would "tear families apart and cause more deaths."

He wrote about routinely responding to calls involving people under the influence of marijuana and how many are "are hallucinating and often are not in their right mind."

"In these altered states, they believe such things like having the ability to stop a moving train or seeing airplanes spreading harmful chemicals down on to the earth from above," Bettencourt wrote.

"With the 'dumbing down' of society in regards to social, mental and physical addictions from marijuana, it is evident opponents are giving up on standing strong against the legalization of this problematic drug," he wrote. "Do you want your children or grandchildren to smoke marijuana? If your answer is no, then you need to stand strong against the use of marijuana."

So far, at least one prominent legalization advocate in Oregon plans to show up at each stop in the series. Russ Belville, who hosts a radio show on marijuana culture and politics, plans to broadcast from each location.

In a post on The Weed Blog, Belville encourages other advocates to join him, but urged them to "consider your appearance and understand one 2-second television shot of Super Tie-Dye Hippie Guy can undo much of the message we're trying to project. (Don't blame me for prejudice – I love you just the way you are – but voters can be prejudiced.)"

-- Noelle Crombie