The Effects of Marijuana Legalization Are Just Starting to Be Realized Marijuana became legal in Oregon only recently, but its legacy in Oregon has deep roots. Marijuana's long road to legalization culminated in Ballot Measure 91, passed by voters in 2014. Now anyone 21 and older can possess up to 8 ounces of marijuana and grow up to four plants. Most medical marijuana dispensaries in the county have also begun selling recreational marijuana. In 1998, Oregon voters approved medical marijuana under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, opening the floodgates to pot production, particularly in Southern Oregon because of its long growing season. [continues 821 words]
The recent news about a looming controversy regarding medical marijuana and an experimental epilepsy drug raises intriguing questions - but, in the long run, likely will be seen as a footnote on the road to more widespread legalization. At issue in the recent case is an experimental drug, Epidiolex, which is made from cannabis plants grown in England. The drug is a nearly pure extract of cannabidiol, or CBD. It has little of the substance in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), that produces the traditional pot high. A researcher in Columbus, Ohio, says that Epidiolex has shown great promise in treating seizures, especially among children. And, the researcher notes, studies have suggested that children can be hurt by using the whole marijuana plant. [continues 482 words]
Richard Nixon's war on drugs, announced in June 1971, had one purpose and one purpose only: to create a tool to harass, persecute and incarcerate the hippies and blacks who were protesting the Vietnam War, according to an article in the current Harper's magazine. Nixon's closest adviser, John Ehrlichman, and the president concocted this hoax for purely political reasons! Two men lied and a million died. Marijuana was at the heart of the war on drugs, and it was classified as a Schedule I drug, one that had no medical use and was highly addictive, both lies. The justification for the prohibition of marijuana has been destroyed; Obama should immediately declare the "war" over; our jails should be emptied of nonviolent drug offenders, and some reparations should be considered for the victims of Nixon's horrendous crime. I am amazed that the Ehrlichman revelation was not on the front page of every newspaper in the world. Louis Philippe Goldman Ashland [end]
WHO LIKES POT NEWS? We like pot news! Come get some pot news before it gets cold... DEA to Reschedule Cannabis... Maybe-Do you need another reason to love Elizabeth Warren? Okay, here's one. Because of a letter the Massachusetts senator wrote in July 2015 asking the government to "facilitate scientific research on the potential health benefits of marijuana"-which was signed by not one but two Oregon senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden-the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced they will decide by July if they plan to reschedule cannabis. The government has five different designated categories, or schedules, of drugs, and cannabis has always been listed as a Schedule I drug along with heroin and LSD, all of which are considered as having "no currently accepted medical use" and a "high potential for abuse." This current designation for weed has about as much credibility as a 1981 Afterschool Special called Timmy Shot Up Some Marijuana, Turned Gay, and Died. [continues 596 words]
I would like to know why Medford Councilor Clay Bearnson is allowed to vote on all the decisions regarding the marijuana issues in the city. He has openly stated he is an active participant in the growing of marijuana and has applied for a license to sell medical marijuana. Why is this not a conflict of interest? He should recuse himself on all marijuana issues. - - A. Williams, Medford We've been asked about this issue quite a bit over the past year. Bearnson has repeatedly said he plans to open a medical marijuana dispensary in the city, and he said recently that he plans to open the dispensary in downtown Medford sometime in April. He has also said he's checked with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission and has been told that he can still vote on matters related to marijuana. [continues 134 words]
Some Very, Very Stupid Ideas I HAVE BRUISES on my face this week. (No, not from Fight Club, which I really shouldn't even be talking about.) These bruises are from slapping my forehead repeatedly as I read what's up in the world of weed. Much as I have trouble comprehending anyone voting for a micro-fingered, angry tangerine wigman, I cannot grasp the logic behind some of the proposals that are happening in Colorado. In the Centennial State, a (surprise!) Republican state representative has proposed a ballot initiative and amendment to a bill that would limit potency of "marijuana and marijuana products" to 15 or 16 percent. As a frame of reference, a Colorado Department of Revenue study states that the average potency for flower is 17.1 percent THC, and 62.1 percent for extracts. [continues 575 words]
The FDA's New Rules for CBD Are Confused-and Confusing IT'S BEEN A HELL of a month in the canna world. It started on March 15, when the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) shocked a room full of 500-plus cannabis-business owners at an Oregon Cannabis Association meeting. Suddenly, making and selling extracts was illegal. That seems to be all sorted out-see my colleague Vince Sliwoski's Ask a Pot Lawyer column. But as soon as the dust settled on that, Facebook and other stellar sources of dependable and non-alarmist information began exploding with the news that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had "outlawed" cannabidiol (CBD). [continues 624 words]
This past January marked the first month that the state of Oregon collected taxes on the sale of recreational marijuana, marking another milestone in the state's unfolding experiment with legalized pot. But it was the amount collected in taxes in January that raised eyebrows in Salem and around the state: The Oregon Department of Revenue pegged the amount at $3.8 million. Let's put that number into perspective: Obviously, no one knew for sure what sort of sales would result from the voter-mandated decision to make recreational use of marijuana legal, so state economists admitted that their estimates were little more than guesses. But they figured that Oregon would collect somewhere between $3 million and $4 million in tax revenue. [continues 485 words]
EVEN REGULAR READERS of this column-all five of you-may not realize I have a "day job." I know this may come as a shock, as there are few careers more secure and lucrative as those in the newspaper industry. That's why there are hundreds of children each year who dream of growing up to be a weed columnist. (Please do not tell me it is otherwise.) My day job also involves weed-surprise!-although I don't grow it or sell it. But what I do with it caught the attention of 1859, an Oregon-based magazine, as they were preparing their first feature on cannabis. They called me for an interview to talk about how legalization has impacted Oregon. We chatted, and I suggested some more folks who might help them with their article. [continues 575 words]
The authors of Ballot Measure 91, which legalized the possession and use of recreational marijuana by Oregon adults, took care to leave the state's existing medical marijuana program alone. But the Legislature, in the course of trying to fashion a workable recreational industry, made changes that affected medical growers, especially in Jackson County. County officials say their hands are tied by what lawmakers did regarding medical marijuana production on land zoned rural residential. But they need to do more to ease the impact on existing medical growers. [continues 416 words]
Oregon officials said they've collected about $3.5 million in taxes from recreational marijuana sales in January. The 25 percent-tax on recreational pot sales began at the start of 2016 and the state began collecting the taxes from dispensaries last month. Data released Thursday show the $3.5 million collected came from 253 individual payments. That's fewer than the 309 medical dispensaries statewide that have elected to sell recreational pot. Some could be late with their payments. An Oregon Department of Revenue spokeswoman said they'll have a better idea of the situation after the dispensaries file their tax returns at the end of the quarter. From Herald news services [end]
Ordinance Goes into Effect Immediately After months of public meetings, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday adopted laws governing the growing, processing and selling of recreational and medical marijuana outside city limits. The laws go into effect immediately. Outdoor grows are not allowed within 250 feet of city limits. Marijuana can be grown in exclusive farm use and forest zones. New marijuana growing is allowed in industrial zones, as long as processing also takes place there. People who were already growing in industrial zones can continue to do so for three years, after which they have to become compliant with the new laws by adding processing or relocating. [continues 511 words]
The Oregon Legislature Failed to Pass These Very Important Pot Laws THE SPECIAL SESSION of the Oregon Legislature has ended-all 35 days of it-and they won't be meeting again until next year. Some bills about cannabis moved through the legislative process, made none the easier by Republicans being childish dicks and slowing down things by forcing Democrats to read aloud every bill. (Guess which party drinks, and which one smokes weed.) What passed? I was prepared to write an entire column answering that question, but it turns out my cannabis columnist colleague Vince Sliwoski has already written a fine rundown, because great pot minds think alike. Check out his write-up in last week's Mercury ["Ask a Pot Lawyer," March 9]. [continues 605 words]
After reading the never-ending series of articles about marijuana's legalization and the impact on our county, my dad's words echo in my ears: "There is a reason they call it 'dope,' son. Because it turns you into one." From people who burn their houses extracting THC, down to North Medford students who are oblivious to its harmful effects on their still-developing brains, it is clear that my very wise father was right. Tracy Van Hee Eagle Point [end]
OLCC Members Toured Pot Grows Thursday to Learn About Security Measures Tall fences are sprouting all over the Rogue Valley as pot growers gear up for tough new security measures required by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission this year. OLCC officials toured the area Thursday to learn what they might expect during inspections - and in the process they learned that the inspections themselves might help spread russet mites from crop to crop. "A lot of people were hit hard last summer by mites," said Brent Kenyon, who owns The Wharf in Medford and has been an active member of the cannabis community. "Some lost a quarter-million dollars worth of crops last year." [continues 671 words]
Medford's wall against pot dispensaries crumbled last year, and cannabis entrepreneurs have wasted no time getting licenses from the state to open medical marijuana stores. "It's good to have quite a few stores in town," said Nina Crawford, a 21-year-old bud tender at the newly opened Kush Gardens at 1067 Court St. Kush Gardens is the second legal store to open. Patients Helping Patients was the first legal dispensary in Medford, but the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program has issued five licenses for businesses within city limits. Medford is already surrounded by a half-dozen cannabis dispensaries. In Jackson County, 22 licenses have been issued to dispensaries, though not all are open for business. [continues 576 words]
HIGH TIMES and their events are having a rough go of it lately. The all-things-weed publication had to withdraw from Washington and Oregon last year after failing to secure locations for their Cannabis Cup events. And amid complaints, their annual 4/20 party had to move to a new location in Colorado. You might be wondering: When will the long-running pot magazine be able to hold an event with thousands of revelers consuming cannabis openly in Oregon? They did already, nearly 20 years ago. And I was there. [continues 648 words]
Affordability, availability and more potent forms of marijuana are spurring alarming trends in pot use among teenagers, law enforcement and school officials say. Not only are more youths being cited for minor in possession, but how they view and use the drug is shifting as marijuana becomes more socially acceptable - and legal. "Pot's chill," says Kate, a 17-year-old North Medford High School student whose name has been changed to protect her anonymity. "It just chills you and opens your eyes. I don't see it as a bad thing." [continues 1717 words]
The bill, which clarifies several aspects of hemp cultivation in Oregon, now goes to Gov. Kate Brown The Oregon Legislature has approved a bill to aid the state's fledgling hemp industry, including a local operation near Murphy. The measure now goes to Gov. Kate Brown for her signature. Among provisions in the bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Carl Wilson, R-Grants Pass, is one that addresses a concern that male hemp plants might cross-pollinate and harm the potency of nearby female marijuana plants. [continues 558 words]
PORTLAND, Ore. - The owner of the World Famous Cannabis Cafe announced she will close her doors next week after another warning by public health officials that the establishment violates indoor air rules. The cafe will host its final Stoner Bingo session Sunday, said Madeline Martinez, a longtime marijuana legalization advocate and owner of the business, which offers people 21 and older a place to socialize and use cannabis. She doesn't want to face fines for violating the law, she said. [continues 443 words]
Canna Juice Cures What Ails Ya There are many ways to consume cannabis for recreational purposes. There's smoking, vaping, dabs, topicals, suppositories, edibles, and sex lube, to name a few. (Actually, that might just about cover it. If you know some other way, I'd love to hear about it.) But there's one way to use the cannabis plant that you maybe haven't thought of. It's possible to juice cannabis, and it's good for you even if it doesn't get you high. (Cue the sound of numerous readers clicking off this page.) [continues 649 words]
Bill Still Needs to Clear Oregon Senate The Oregon House of Representatives has passed a bill that would grandfather in existing medical marijuana grows on rural residential land as long as the grows meet certain restrictions. The bill still needs to clear the Oregon Senate and be signed into law by Gov. Kate Brown, Mary Beth Williams, chief of staff for Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ore., said on Friday. Rapidly changing marijuana legislation in the Oregon Legislature has been keeping local officials, growers and neighbors off balance as state legislators meet in a short session this year that is expected to wrap up in early March. [continues 145 words]
A bill pending in the Oregon Legislature would bar medical marijuana grows on land zoned for rural residential use - a change that would be welcomed by neighbors upset over nearby grows but decried by people already growing medical marijuana in those zones in Jackson County. A vote on Senate Bill 1598, which was in committee Thursday, could happen within the next several days as the Oregon Legislature pushes to wrap up this year's short session in early March. [continues 393 words]
Symposium to Educate Pot Growers About Water and Environmental Laws Marijuana cultivators flocking to Southern Oregon to grow pot know pot farms are now legal, but it doesn't mean they know how to farm pot legally. The Josephine County Soil and Water District is offering a crash-course in environmental laws and other aspects of marijuana farming to keep growers from running afoul of laws protecting streams, fish and wildlife. More than 100 people have signed up for the one-day seminar Thursday at the Josephine County Fairgrounds, where there is room for 1,000 people who want to bone up on water-quality, water-rights and diversion laws, fisheries protection and other rules that regulate agriculture, including cannabis cultivation. [continues 418 words]
I SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS foolishly forgoing my regular massages. This came with a price-namely, some serious pain issues after my LMT worked out the kinks and knots I had neglected for so long. It was bad, people. So bad, I had to skip a concert I had just bought tickets for. So bad, I was unable to turn my neck without pain, or shrug, or really do much of anything that required movement. I knew I had stumbled into a new territory of pain, because a vape session with some high-THC indica gave me scant relief. As I don't tolerate opioids or most any painkillers terribly well, I was considering a megadose of edibles when I recalled receiving a product sample that seemed designed for just this occasion: a THC-infused pain patch. [continues 634 words]
Marijuana (cannabis) is a medicine. Edibles, tinctures, creams and oils are potent medicines and should be recommended by a physician who understands their properties and side effects. Allowing a person to get anything they want at a dispensary is the same as allowing them to go to a pharmacy and get medicine without seeing a doctor or a pharmacist. Our bodies, just like the cannabis plant, make cannabinoids (major ingredients) and we have receptors for them everywhere including the brain, blood system, liver, lungs, ovaries, kidneys, etc. The cannabinoids in marijuana are very therapeutic. [continues 185 words]
Lawmakers in the Oregon Senate are taking a rational approach to the regulation of marijuana by blending the long-established medical marijuana program with newly legal recreational sales. Lawmakers last year agreed to allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell to recreational customers on a temporary basis while the Oregon Liquor Control Commission prepares to license recreational retailers later this year. Senate Bill 1511, which cleared committee on Tuesday, would allow those recreational retailers to produce, process and sell medical marijuana products to cardholders tax-free. [continues 167 words]
I SAY, "Weed News Roundup"! And you say, "Cool, let's do it." Because you went to a private school that didn't have a sports team with call-and-response cheers. Way to go, Waldorf. Ida-No, You've Got to Be Kidding-Last year, two very stoned and stupid young men, driving from Las Vegas to Montana in a vehicle filled with 20 pounds of cannabis, made a stop in Idaho. Not for french fries, but to call the cops on themselves, asking to be arrested. No, really. Here's a portion of the transcript of their 911 call: [continues 660 words]
It's a message as old as the War on Drugs: If there's anything you need to know about marijuana, just ask a cop. For some members of the Massachusetts state legislature, faced with the possibility that voters will legalize marijuana in November's election, the old playbook is the only one they have. So they invited some police in to explain drugs to them. The results were as predictable as a middle school D.A.R.E. assembly. The cops, including an officer from Colorado traveling the country warning about the danger of legalizing recreational marijuana use, advised Massachusetts to "Just Say No." [continues 754 words]
IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY, which can be difficult for single people. (Who are only alone because something is wrong with them. WHAT? I'm right. You know I'm right. Think of all your single friends, and name two who aren't that way because of a deep, twisted, untreatable inner flaw. Yikes.) But even for those of us who are happily coupled-and don't hate-there are expectations forced upon us that this has to be the most romantic, multi-orgasmic holiday of the year, right after Arbor Day or when a new dispensary opens down the block. [continues 624 words]
A state task force has recommended that Oregon create an independent institute for research into the medical uses of marijuana. The reasons for doing so are sound, and lawmakers should follow the recommendation. But not right away. The task force, created by the 2015 Legislature under the auspices of the Oregon Health Authority, issued its report Monday. The report recommends creating the Oregon Institute for Cannabis Research. The institute would conduct studies both within the university system and outside it, and would raise private funds as well as relying on a dedicate source of state funding. [continues 266 words]
The Oregon Department of Agriculture stopped the sale of a pesticide used by marijuana growers because one of its active ingredients is not listed on the product label. The agency says the product, Guardian, identifies itself as 100 percent natural and lists its active ingredients as cinnamon oil and citric acid. A state lab, however, found the presence of abamectin, a widely used insecticide. A company official said the product has been pulled nationwide. Times staff and news services [end]
Oregon has an 18-year history of legal medical marijuana use. The program works and has brought an improved quality of life to thousands. Like other pioneering efforts (death with dignity, same-sex marriage, increased minimum wage, vote by mail, etc.), it has not resulted in the sky falling. Legalization of cannabis in Oregon, hopefully, means an end to its demonization. We are now free to investigate its full potential, to enjoy its many benefits. It means it is once again a legitimate agricultural product and should be treated as such. [continues 121 words]
The Oregon Health Authority meeting on Jan. 27 at the Medford library was a total disaster. OHA failed to notify the 33,000 Oregon Medical Marijuana Program patients who live in the Rogue Valley. OHA is totally rewriting the the OMMP administration rules for medical marijuana. I would like to think the Oregon Health Authority would notify OMMP patients of rule changes that will make most growers unable to provide the medicine they need on a daily basis. OHA is suppose to take care of the sick people in Oregon, not make them worse. [continues 101 words]
I HAVE GOOD NEWS! Today we're going to explore how you can shatter the myth of the lazy, unmotivated, forgetful stoner and defend cannabis consumers everywhere. And you can do it while stoned! I also have not-so-good news! It's going to involve taking time out of your day. Not much, but you are going to have to click on some links, maybe type a little, and make a phone call. So it's about on par with the effort you exert using Tinder-without all that lingering regret. [continues 749 words]
Regulators with the state of Oregon are proposing a very cautious set of rules to govern what's certain to be a brisk market in marijuana edibles - cookies, candies, drinks and a surprising variety of other items that can swallowed instead of inhaled. It's the right call. Experiences in Colorado and Washington state, two states that legalized the use of recreational marijuana before Oregon, suggest that edibles deserve extra amounts of caution. Oregon is wise to be acting accordingly. Colorado officials were surprised by the popularity of edibles in that state; one analysis suggests that edibles accounted for roughly a third of recreational marijuana sales there last year. That went hand-in-hand with a surge in the number of calls to poison hotlines and visits to emergency rooms prompted in part by people who had unknowingly ingested considerably more THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, than they had thought. [continues 413 words]
I'M NOT ANTI-ALCOHOL. I swear. Although I'm basically a teetotaler, I have no issues with those who enjoy the water of fire. As with most intoxicants, I'm cool with what you do, as long as you aren't impacting the vibe of those around you. That said, I've had a few experiences lately that have made me question if cannabis consumers do well in the company of drinkers. Certainly, it depends on the people involved-I've toured with bands who have spent a good portion of their day with a bottle of Jack in one hand and a never-ending stream of fat joints in the other. With a few exceptions, it worked out great! (There were times it did not. The Third Circle of Hell most likely involves cleaning up whiskey puke from inside a tour bus. Someone else's whiskey puke.) [continues 572 words]
I keep reading the letters concerning the growing restrictions that are being considered for marijuana and how bad that would be for the patients who need it. Well, it didn't seem to be a problem until "recreational" marijuana became legal. Those who have started their grow sites since the legalization are not selling or providing for only patients, but selling wherever they can profit. We moved from "the city" out to the county to a peaceful little piece of land in 2014. We loved sitting on the back deck, drinking our coffee and reading the newspaper in the morning and then enjoying a barbecue dinner out there in the evenings. Just enjoying our little piece of heaven. [continues 89 words]
Enduring the foul odors caused by growing cannabis through harvest time cannot be escaped. Neighbors cannot use their yards or patios due to the strong pungent odors from blooming season through October. Neighbors' property values are depleted immensely, or they can't sell. Why are we spending money on something that's illegal according to the federal government, also damaging to our young people? It's not for the medical field, it's another hallucinating drug and will in most cases lead to stronger drugs. Ask Dr. Phil.com, he's one of our leading doctors in drug rehabilitation. [continues 115 words]
"You've got to carry weapons, 'cause you always carry cash" - - "Smuggler's Blues" The line from Glenn Frey's 1984 hit song about the illegal drug trade has taken on a new significance in 2016, as newly legalized marijuana retailers are planning to drive up Interstate 5 with large amounts of cash to pay the state tax on their pot sales starting next month. One dispensary owner says he's a little apprehensive, but makes it clear that, yes, he will be armed: "We believe in our Second Amendment rights." [continues 341 words]
The Medford City Council voted Thursday to send a potential ban on outdoor and indoor marijuana grows to voters in November. In addition, voters will be asked whether they want to allow sales of recreational marijuana in the city limits and whether they want a 3 percent tax on those sales. Voters will decide four different ballot measures related to pot, which could cause some confusion. "That question was raised," Councilor Michael Zarosinski said. But the council thought it better to put the measure on the November election in a presidential election year when voter turnout is typically the highest, Zarosinski said. [continues 267 words]
IT'S 2016, and things are about to start getting REALLY good for cannabis enthusiasts. Sure, as of last October, those 21 and older could walk into an Oregon Medical Marijuana Program dispensary and purchase up to a quarter ounce of flower, seeds, or clones. And last year we held events where we could stand outside (or under a tent) and enjoy some twisted-up goodness. And right on to that. Dispensaries that sell the full range of recreational adult-use cannabis products (concentrates, topicals, edibles, etc.) will be opening any day now, and parties are about to start going off where you can smoke indoors to your heart's content. What a great time to be alive! [continues 609 words]
Banks Won't Take Pot Money, but State Can Deposit Pot Taxes Unable to use the banking system, marijuana-related businesses will deliver cash to Salem in February to make their required payments on Oregon's new 25 percent tax on recreational pot sales. The state gladly will accept the cash - and then promptly deposit it in its bank account. Ramsey Allred, manager of Rogue Valley Cannabis Dispensary on Crater Lake Avenue between Medford and White City, said he's a little concerned about taking cash on a four-hour ride to Salem to pay the tax bill, but he said he's used to operating a cash-only business and in taking precautions to protect it. [continues 1052 words]
(This column is heavy on science. In the next week or so, maybe I'll write something on cannabis suppositories or what happens if you eat too many medibles before spending the holidays with drunken in-laws.) LIKE MANY AMERICANS, I consider myself to be fairly smart. This is despite mountains of evidence to the contrary (see "The Stupid Stoner Moments of 2015," Cannabuzz, Jan 6). That said, there are three canna industry professionals in Portland who are so, so, so smart that I get a mild headache after speaking to them (which I attribute to having my mind blown). [continues 704 words]
WELL, OREGON: We did it. We wrapped up the first year (actually, six months) of regulated adult-use cannabis, and it went... just fine. No one lost their mind and put a baby in the oven while tucking the turkey in, or took a toke and then decided, "You know what would be great right about now? Some sweet heroin." People in our state weren't exactly ignorant of all things weed prior to Measure 91, after all, and the overall response seemed to be a charming mix of amusement, curiosity, and relief. The panicked concerns of prohibitionists did not come to pass, and we went on with our lives just fine, thank you very much, albeit with a slightly increased appetite, and a deeper appreciation for just how trippy our hands can be. [continues 605 words]
Members of Oregon's congressional delegation this week asked the U.S. postmaster general for a "detailed explanation" of a postal service policy prohibiting mailing material that contains marijuana advertising. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici -- all Democrats -- signed the letter to Megan J. Brennan, the U.S. postmaster general and CEO of the postal service. The letter comes days after a regional postal service official warned a Washington newspaper owned by an Oregon company that it is a felony to mail material that includes marijuana advertising. [continues 217 words]
IT'S BEEN QUITE a year for anyone who enjoys cannabis in Oregon. On July 1, we went from being dirty, black market, pot-weed smokers to law-abiding canna-enthusiasts whose interest in and enjoyment of the herb is the next gold rush-style economic engine for our state. What you used to struggle to hide upon your person when you left the house-perhaps using turkey bags in a manner for which they were never intended?-you are now welcome to carry up to an ounce when you leave your home. It's perfectly legal. [continues 670 words]
"YOU HAVE GOT to be fucking kidding me." This came from my girlfriend, and while it's practically her catch phrase when addressing my many questionable decisions, in this instance, I was inclined to agree. I was, after all, attempting a Snoop-level canna challenge, and I was struggling. "It's for... uh... work," I replied, glassy eyed and dry mouthed. "There's this... event, and samples arrived... late, so I need to... vape all this." I launched my bulletproof defense while sunk into the couch, surrounded by a vape whip, 14 pill bottles of weed, an overflowing grinder, and a yellow legal notepad. [continues 615 words]
Law Prohibits Use of Water From Reclamation Projects for Marijuana It's no wonder that marijuana growers gravitate to the Tumalo Irrigation District and other small water districts in Central Oregon. Their water rights have only loose ties to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or none at all. Tumalo Irrigation District has the rights to water, free of federal oversight, that it provides its users because it paid back the money spent by the bureau to build parts of the irrigation system, including Crescent Lake, said Kenneth Rieck, district general manager. [continues 438 words]
The Jackson County Planning Commission is recommending a ban for growing marijuana on most land zoned for rural residential use. Rules changes would require plants would have to be set back from neighboring property lines by at least 250 feet? Guess that eliminates 95 percent of the 4,000 small medical marijuana growers that are doing it for patients that need the medication. Jackson County Commissioners are favoring large commercial marijuana growers that can afford to buy large parcels of farm land and have 1,000-plant grows. [continues 99 words]
Oregon
