We have some not-so-startling numbers for you about medical marijuana. In 2015, there were 72,000 Oregonians who apparently needed medical marijuana and signed up for the state’s medical marijuana program.

Today, that number is down to 13,000 patients.

Remarkable. Is the dramatic decline a testimony to the healing powers of medical marijuana? Did many people who needed it leave Oregon?

Readers of Bulletin editorials surely know what happened. Recreational marijuana became legal in 2014. There was an ensuing retreat in demand for Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Program.

We pulled the numbers because the future of the program is at least partially in question. The policy question was mentioned deep in the state’s economic forecast released Wednesday.

Oregon does not tax medical marijuana. The tax exemption is scheduled to expire in 2027 and then taxation would begin in 2028.

Should the tax exemption be extended? Or should it be allowed to expire?

Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Program serves, as we said, 13,000 patients, with some 3,300 growers and 2,900 grow sites. In Deschutes County, there were 756 patients served by the program as of Oct. 15, with another 78 patients in Crook County and 77 in Jefferson.

Anyone with a qualifying medical condition can get a medical marijuana card. Cancer, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder are among the conditions that qualify. There is also a requirement for a recommendation from an attending doctor, nurse or naturopathic physician.

There are fees. The basic application fee is $200. Veterans and others can get discounts. Some patients can pay no fees at all. Registration cards must be renewed every year. The fees collected help pay for the program.

We are in the camp of: Please do what is best for medical marijuana patients.

If it would be better and cheaper for patients to continue to pay their fees and get their marijuana untaxed, do that. If it would be better somehow for them to pay taxes and presumably also pay a small fee to continue supporting the program, please do that.

We asked the Oregon Health Authority on Wednesday afternoon if any such analysis existed. They did get back to us after the print edition of this editorial was sent. No, the answer was. 

Oregon legislators will need to know. Oregon medical marijuana patients and the rest of the public need to know.