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Topic: Legal

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

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December 8, 2019

Why aren’t there fences around that cannabis?

A few years ago, there was a big deal made about the fences surrounding the pot crops. Now, anyone can just walk up to the grow sites, including kids. What happened to the fence law? I didn’t particularly like the look of them, but it made sense to keep children away from it. — Dave S., Medford Fences were a big deal after cannabis was legalized, and they are still a requirement for recreational cannabis — the kind that gets you high — which is subject to a different set of rules than hemp. Yes, those fences got a lot

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October 17, 2019

Cannabis and hemp bring mixture of impacts to Oregon

How’s it going with legal recreational cannabis in Oregon after four years? Addressing a conference on Occupational Safety & Health in Ashland, a man from the governor’s office said it has been a complicated, controversial journey. Among the state’s findings, said Jeffrey Rhoades, senior marijuana policy advisor to Gov. Kate Brown, is that pot use by youth 12 and older rose 9% between 2008 and 2016, the year after legalization. Some of that increase could be because youth feel more free to tell the truth now that it’s legal, so it’s hard to know for sure, added Rhoades. Weed isn’t

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October 16, 2019

Managing the surplus

Matt Miller’s family has farmed pot in Oregon since well before it became legal. But since the market flooded after recreational use was approved by state voters in 2014, prices have plummeted, putting strain on the operation he runs in Takilma with his wife, Rhea. Oregon’s lush climate and weed-tolerant culture have long resulted in large and potent harvests. Seeking to fold black market growers into its budding legal industry, the state has distributed licenses liberally, leaving Oregon saddled with an enormous surplus of legal cannabis — more than its population of 4 million would ever be able to smoke.

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July 14, 2019

Grants Pass man with medical marijuana gets 12 years in prison

CANTON, Miss. (AP) — A Jamaican-born musician convicted of drug trafficking in Madison County, Mississippi, for medical marijuana he legally bought in Oregon could now be out of prison in three years. Patrick Beadle, 46, of Grants Pass, had initially faced up to 40 years, and had been sentenced in October to eight years in prison without parole under state drug trafficking laws. However, Beadle was recently allowed to enter a guilty plea to simple possession of drugs. He was re-sentenced to 12 years in prison, but will be eligible for parole after serving three. Now-retired Madison County Circuit Judge William Chapman

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February 20, 2019

Congress urged to fully open banks to marijuana industry

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bank officials and others urged Congress on Wednesday to fully open the doors of the U.S. banking system to the legal marijuana industry, a change that supporters say would reduce crime risks and resolve a litany of challenges for cannabis companies, from paying taxes to getting a loan. Most Americans live in states where marijuana is legally available in some form. But there’s a problem when it comes to banks: Most don’t want anything to do with money from the cannabis industry for fear it could expose them to legal trouble from the federal government, which

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February 19, 2019

Bowman sues robbers for $17 million

A licensed marijuana grower who endured a violent home-invasion robbery has filed a civil suit against the men involved in the brutal attack. James Bowman, who was severely injured by eight men wearing Ninja Turtles masks who stormed his home and loaded a U-Haul with Bowman’s crop in December 2016, has filed a lawsuit against the men, all of whom have either been charged or convicted in the crime. The lawsuit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court seeks $17 million against eight named defendants that Bowman says are culpable in his battery and assault. He intends to argue that he’s

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February 10, 2019

Why do so many Americans now support legalizing marijuana?

Editor’s Note: The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. American views on marijuana have shifted incredibly rapidly. Thirty years ago, marijuana legalization seemed like a lost cause. In 1988, only 24 percent of Americans supported legalization. But steadily, the nation began to liberalize. By 2018, 66 percent of U.S. residents offered their approval, transforming marijuana legalization from a libertarian fantasy into a mainstream cause. Many state laws have changed as well. Over the last quarter-century, 10 states have legalized recreational marijuana, while 22 states have legalized medical marijuana. So why has

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February 8, 2019

Bill would aid marijuana users who need organ transplants

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers may tighten restrictions on the state’s organ transplant centers to ensure they don’t discriminate against patients based on marijuana use. House Bill 2687, sponsored by Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, would stop medical providers from recommending that transplant candidates be removed from the organ waiting list managed by the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing because they tested positive for pot, the Statesman Journal reported. In Oregon, more than 850 transplant candidates are on the wait list for organs, according to the organ network. About 340 transplants were performed in Oregon last year. For some,

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February 8, 2019

Oregon pot export bill gets hearing, and a warning

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A bill that would create the possibility of Oregon exporting marijuana to adjacent states where cannabis is also legal had its first public hearing Thursday, where advocates said it would give Oregon a way to relieve its oversupply and grow its brand. Separately, the U.S. attorney for Oregon warned against it. There is little expectation that Senate Bill 582 , if passed by the Legislature, would soon open marijuana commerce between Oregon and California, Nevada and Washington, the three states contiguous to Oregon where it is legal. But some advocates see it as a way to

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February 8, 2019

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