Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jun 2016
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2016 Associated Press
Contact:  http://www.abqjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10

OREGON PUSHES TO FINALIZE RULES ON RECREATIONAL POT

'It's Like the Circus Around Here,' Says One Commissioner

PORTLAND, Ore. - After months of public hearings with pot growers, 
lawmen, public health officials and others, an Oregon commission is 
racing to finalize recreational marijuana regulations and issue 
licenses to hundreds of businesses within a few months.

But those who aim to produce souped-up coffee and other niche 
products might have to wait a bit longer.

"It's like the circus around here," Oregon Liquor Control Commission 
Chair Rob Patridge said after a hearing in which a pot advocate and a 
panel member argued about whether marijuana is safer than alcohol, 
and an entrepreneur discussed selling marijuana-infused java, 
eliciting blank looks from commissioners.

The commission has been grappling with its massive task, issues that 
Colorado and Washington state previously dealt with, including the 
number of licenses initially offered. Besides Oregon, Alaska also 
legalized pot in 2014.

Oregon decided to do some things differently, including:

Setting a lower tax rate than Washington's 37 percent and Colorado's 
rate of upward of 29 percent. A pot advocate who helped write 
Oregon's legalization measure said this allows for the regulated 
businesses to effectively compete with the illegal market by not 
driving their prices too high.

Avoiding caps on the number of licenses, so "we can let capitalism 
work it out, like we do with bars and breweries with no cap," Anthony 
Johnson said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom