
Looking back at 5 years of legalization
Oregon’s road to marijuana legalization five years ago was anything but straight. Early attempts to sell medical marijuana ran afoul of local laws, and retailers struggled to gain a foothold in Medford and other cities that took a dim view of legalization. But there were pioneers who helped blaze a path to what has become Southern Oregon’s biggest agricultural crop, and an industry that now plays a significant role in the local economy. Brie Malarkey was the first to open a “legal” medical marijuana store in Jackson County, Breeze Botanicals, on June 14, 2014, in Gold Hill, and then it