Pubdate: Fri, 02 Oct 2015
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2015 Guardian News and Media Limited
Contact:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: Chris McGreal

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA? 'SOME DAY WALMART WILL SELL IT'

The three young men climbing into the pickup close to the Oregon 
border cheerfully acknowledged they were about to break federal law. 
Anthony, Daniel and Chris had just bustled out of a marijuana shop in 
Vancouver, Washington, clutching bags of marijuana as they headed 
home a short drive over the bridge to Portland, Oregon.

Crossing state lines with drugs is a federal offence  not that it has 
discouraged the steady stream of customers from Portland taking 
advantage of Washington's legalisation of recreational marijuana 
sales last year. As of yesterday, Oregon joined Washington and 
Colorado to become the third US state to permit the sale for anyone 
over 21. "I've been coming across since they legalised it here," said 
Anthony. "But it'll be closer and it's going to be much cheaper in 
Portland. And I won't haveh to cross the bridge. Not that I've ever 
seen the cops lining up to catch us." The open sale of recreational 
mar marijuana has come more swiftly to Portland than many expected. 
Legalisation was only approved in a ballot measure last November 
whereas Washington state took 18 months to open its first shops.

To speed up the process, Oregon has approved recreational sales 
through existing medical marijuana dispensaries, bypassing lengthy 
background checks that have slowed introduction across the state line.

Mike Chappell, owner of Silver Stem Fine Cannabis in Portland, used 
to own a marijuana store in Colorado, which legalised sales last 
year. He said that whereas several dozen stores opened on Colorado's 
first day of legalisation, "in Portland we're looking at 130, if not 
more, that are eligible to sell recreational marijuana".

If Vancouver is anything to go by, Chappell's shop is going to be 
busy. The three young men were shopping at the New Vansterdam 
marijuana shop where its marketing director, Shon Harris, said they 
had about 1,000 customers a day at two outlets. Nearly 300 items are 
listed on a "menu" from marijuana leaf to an array of edibles including sweets.

"People dabble," he said. "People are becoming more open to the idea 
now that it's been legal in Washington."

Outside, the number plates of cars reveal the diversity of its 
customers. As well as those from Washington are Oregon, Alabama and 
Utah plates. "We're the closest store to PDX [Portland airport]," 
said Jim Mullen, coowner of The Herbery marijuana store in Vancouver. 
"They still have suitcases in the car. Mostly on the weekends, from everywhere.

"It's crazy. You have the United States of America but we're not 
united on this when you can go to jail in Texas for having a joint 
but come here and buy it freely. You can fly with it out of PDX to 
any other city in Oregon, legally."

But the bulk of Mullen's out-of-state business comes from Portland 
and the start of open sales in Oregon is a threat to the income of a 
significant proportion of marijuana shops in Vancouver.

Washington imposes a tax of 37% on marijuana sales which brought the 
state close to $70m (UKP46m) in revenue to July. Oregon will charge 
25% when taxes kick in in January. Until then, there will be no tax 
at all. That is likely to price marijuana in Portland well below that 
in Vancouver, though legal sales in both places are more expensive 
than on the black market.

Daniel said he could find cheaper marijuana on the black market but 
it wasn't worth the trouble. "People are tired of being ripped off on 
the street. And in the shop you get a lot more variety. It's all 
about the flavour, the selection," he said.

Mullen said many people don't want to use the black market. "You've 
got people who are older that smoked in college and now that it's 
legal they're getting back into it but don't have any connections to 
buy. And you've got a great variety of products in the retail stores. 
You've got edibles. You've got concentrates. You've got flower. 
You've got 50 different strains of flower. We're like Macy's for marijuana."

The marijuana business still faces problems. The drug remains illegal 
under federal law but the Internal Revenue Service nevertheless wants 
its share of taxes on the business. Shops cannot claim the normal 
business deductions. Major banks refuse to deal with marijuana businesses.

"There are a lot of people who don't like it," said Mullen. "They are 
paranoid about it, they think it's still the devil's drug. But there 
is an inevitability. When states are voting to legalise medicinal 
use, that's a quantum leap forward from where we've been. It's a new 
industry. Someday Costco and Walmart will take over."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom