A renegade group of legislators in the House wants the state to grow, dispense and assess a tax on medical marijuana.

"Oregonians have voted to authorize the use of medical marijuana, yet the Legislature has failed to provide adequate safeguards for citizens who have a legitimate need for it," said Rep. Carolyn Tomei, D-Milwaukie, in a prepared statement.

House Bill 3274 would levy a $98 per ounce tax on marijuana, to cover the state's production and distribution costs.



"Many patients have no assurance that their marijuana is not laced with pesticides or other toxic chemicals," said Rep. Jim Thompson, R-Dallas. "If passed into law, this legislation will implement safe standards to dispense the drug through a tightly-controlled system."

Rep. Ron Maurer, R-Grants Pass, and Rep. Chris Harker, D-Beaverton, are also sponsors of the bill.

Now that's what we call bipartisanship.

-- Janie Har; janiehar@news.oregonian.com