Medical marijuana and Oregon (Portland, Brookings: low income, rental, health insurance)

[sassyfur98]

Hello,
I am not sure if this is the proper place to address this issue, so if not please let me know.
We have been considering moving to ORegon, and I have posted previously about the rain, which concerns me. Someone suggested the Banana belt...Brookings area. I love a good storm, but would not do so well with weeks on end of rain and gray skies. They say the Brookings area has a climate all its own, with more sun and less rain. Is this correct?
I have Graves Disease, and had Radioactive Iodine to kill the Thyroid. In hind sight, this was not my best choice, but what's done is done. I now have issues with terrible depression, debilitating, constant pain (I refuse to take the narcotic pain meds they give me) something called Graves Rage...in which I snap at the drop of a hat, memory issues, severe fatigue...the list goes on and on. This is all caused from being allowed to remain in a hypothyroid state for so long due to gross mismanagement by my doctors here in the south. My ONLY relief has been with the use of Marijuana. I understand Oregon has legal marijuana for medicinal purposes. Is this difficult to obtain? I hate that I have to feel like a criminal here when all I want is a natural way to combat my many symptoms. I am a mother of 5 kids. 3 teenage girls all are high honor students, with one carrying a 4.0. MY oldest enters college this Aug. in Florida. Both my boys are well behaved and well adjusted. I am not a drug addict, nor do I seek out other drugs. I have also found 15 of the top Thyroid doctors located in or around the Portland area. We currently can not afford health insurance here as it is more than $500/month with terrible coverage. WE were hoping that in Oregon my hubby can get a better job with better insurance. But, if we move, we would need some sort of insurance until his kicks in. Does Oregon offer an insurance for low income adults? Please understand we are not looking for welfare benefits. If I can find the doctors that know what they are doing, I can work on healing and be able to work again. Until then, we have no choice but to live off of one income. I previously worked with developmentally disabled adults and children, which requires a lot of patience. I just dont have that now.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Saundra

[Silverfall]

Here is a link that talks about our medical marijuana program. State of Oregon: Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP)

We do have the Oregon Health Plan, but you have to be below the poverty level to get that. Not sure you would qualify, but I am sure the guidelines are on the Oregon.gov Home Page website.

[timber mt]

If you can't handle rain You won't like living west of the cascade mountain range [Brookings gets a lot of rain and the summer fog would drive me crazy] and if you live east of the cascades , the job market isn't very good. As far as obtaining pot , I don't know , but the med - pot people grow some big bushes in their yards .[complete with barb wire and dogs] It is illegal to sell for any reason medical or not.

[Bendite]

I've recently read that the Oregon Health Plan is overwhelmed so they had to set up a lottery. They can cover 32,000 people but 100,000 are eligible for coverage. Sounds like you might be able to qualify for a disability under Social Security, then you'd be eligible for Medicare after a waiting period. I don't know much about that, but you might research it.

The coast is going to have a lot of rain no matter where you are, but that's one of the reasons the coast here is so gorgeous. If you are looking for dry, the further east you go, the drier it will get.

[zagyzebra]

I don't qualify for the free Oregon Health Care Plan. However, I do know that the state of Oregon will provide health insurance to every resident. When I checked a few years back it was something like $350-375. For students through high school, the schools send home to parents info about an an accident only plan, and it is very reasonable ($200-something a year per student).

[Bendite]

There is another program called Family Health Insurance Assistance Program that was established to help families pay for insurance. People eligible for Medicare cannot participate. However, they are also having difficulties. The following is from their website

"Because of new federal fund limits, FHIAP is not accepting applications for individual or group health insurance subsidies.

However, FHIAP is accepting names of people who want an application when an opening occurs. The names are put on a reservation list. Applications are mailed in the order people put their names on the list.

We currently estimate the wait for an application at 1 1/2 to two years. However, we encourage you to put your name on the list now so that you will get an application more quickly when funds are available"

[whatatripp]

I live about 30 minutes south of Brookings, in Crescent City CA. It rains quite a bit in both towns, but people keep telling me it rains less in these areas than any other spot on the Oregon coast. Since I've not lived anywhere else on this coast, I don't have any comparisons. Having lived here for 7 years, I can say with confidence that it is rainy and foggy, and sunny and windy. It rarely gets above 75 or below 40 in Crescent City, and sometimes tops 80 in Brookings.

I do know this: if you drive even 20 minutes east of Crescent City, you find much warmer, sunnier places to live such as Hiouchi and Gasquet. 15 minutes east of Brookings is much sunnier and warmer as well. Considering your current health issues, living on the coast could very well make your depression worse as you really can go for 2 or more weeks with little to no sunshine.

California has a medical marijuana program with a prop-whatever store in Crescent City. There are quite a few folks with medicinal marijuana licenses in the area. While there aren't any cool health insurance programs for adults, California does have the Healthy Kids insurance program for people who make too much for Medi-Cal and not enough for private insurance.

I'm sorry you feel like you have to be criminal to seek relief from your condition where you live now. Brookings and Crescent City are about a 6-7 drive from Portland, so I'm not sure they are in the best location for treatment - and I don't think you'll find doctors that specialize in Graves down here.

Eastern Oregon is much drier and sunnier than western Oregon, especially the closer you get to Idaho - have you considered the eastern half at all?

[Terryj]

Sassy, Brookings is called the "banana belt" of the Oregon coast, but don't let that title fool you. Whatatrip is correct, if you can not handle overcast skies, fog, and rain for the majority of the year Brookings is not the place you want to be, or the Oregon coast for that matter. Here is a link to the local newspaper in Brookings: CurryPilot.com this will give you an idea on housing and the job market in that area.

[Kassandrahoneysuckle]

I do understand everything that everyone said Iam haveing problems with finding a place of my own Iam sucks to do it your salf to pay the bills and rent and things like that

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I suggest you set your sights on Washington where marijuana is legal.

Even if there were spaces available on the Oregon Health Plan, which there aren't, you would not be eligible for several months because you would be a non-resident.

Expecting the taxpayers to provide your medical care for you is, indeed, expecting to receive welfare. You aren't paying for what you are using and the taxpayers are paying for it.

I suspect that you will have a problem finding a rental where the landlord is thrilled that you will be smoking pot in his house. So don't be surprised if you have problems finding a place to live.