Pubdate: Mon, 03 Nov 2014
Source: Oregonian, The (Portland, OR)
Copyright: 2014 The Oregonian
Contact:  http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/324
Author: Noelle Crombie

Marijuana News

WHAT WOULD LEGAL POT IN OREGON MEAN FOR WASHINGTON?

The drafters of Oregon's ballot measure legalizing recreational 
marijuana were determined to design a system that would avoid some of 
the troubles that have plagued Washington's retail pot market.

Oregon votes on legal recreational marijuana on Tuesday. If Measure 
91 passes, Oregon recreational marijuana industry will be different 
from Washington in a couple of key respects, notably lower taxes. 
Advocates sought cheaper taxes to lure consumers from the state's 
thriving black market for pot.

That raises a important question: What would legal marijuana in 
Oregon mean for Washington?

Hunter Stuart, a Huffington Post writer, explores the issue, writing 
that the "predicament underscores the growing pains legalization 
advocates and policymakers face in figuring out the best ways to tax 
and regulate the drug from state to state."

The problem could be especially difficult for Vancouver marijuana 
shops, Stuart writes.

Brian Budz, who co-owns a retail marijuana store called New 
Vansterdam in Vancouver, Washington, said he's worried that if Oregon 
passes a law permitting recreational pot stores to open, he could go 
out of business.

"It's absolutely a concern, yes," Budz told HuffPost. His business is 
forced to pay a 25 percent excise tax when they buy weed wholesale 
from a grower and another 25 percent fee when they sell to the 
customer, Budz said. "And that doesn't include the federal taxes, or 
the fact that because we're selling a Schedule I drug, we can't write 
anything off. So we're getting blasted from all angles."

In Oregon, the proposed law would "make it easier for retailers to 
breathe and make a profit," because the taxes are so much lower, Budz said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom