Authorities said this week that hundreds of out-of-state residents have flocked to Oregon in recent years to obtain medical marijuana cards, which the state will issue to anyone with a doctor’s recommendation.

State health officials said that hundreds of people from out-of-state have made the annual pilgrimage since 2010, when they began issuing medical cards to anyone who meets their criteria. State officials finally acknowledging that the little-known loophole has sprung a leak in the law represents a unique trend that’s sure to grow some additional business for the state’s dispensaries.

The practice of narco-tourism is one that U.S. officials have long warned of when critiquing other nations’ drug laws, particularly the Netherlands, but many would be surprised to hear of the practice occurring between the states. Raw Story.

HIGHLIGHTS

Idahoans join citizens from states across the country who make regular pilgrimages to Oregon – the only state in the country to issue medical marijuana cards to nonresidents. According to the Oregon Health Authority, nearly 600 out-of-staters have traveled to Oregon since June 2010 to obtain a medical marijuana license. boiseweekly.com

Of the out-of-state applications for Oregon medical marijuana cards, 309 came from Washington state residents, 138 came from Idaho came and 50 came from California. seattletimes.nwsource.com

Some of those cardholders hope their Oregon cards will provide some legal protection in states where medical marijuana is illegal. In the same period of time, 72,000 medical marijuana cards were issued to Oregonians. kdrv.com

Oregon’s policy is unique in the nation, though not widely known. For U.S. citizens, it effectively means that it’s easier for an outsider to get pot in Oregon than a coffee shop in Amsterdam, which used to be one of the best known spots in the world for narco-tourism due to its mostly libertarian drug laws. And for prohibition advocates like the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), that actuality is akin to rhetorical “proof” that medical marijuana is a sham cover for interstate drug smuggling and a hidden legalization agenda, which they’ve long argued is the case. Raw Story

– Article originally from: PressTV.