Pubdate: Wed, 05 Nov 2014
Source: Corvallis Gazette-Times (OR)
Copyright: 2014 Lee Enterprises
Contact: https://gazettetimes-dot-com.bloxcms.com/app/forms/contact/letters/
Website: http://www.gazettetimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2976
Author: Nathan Bruttell

LEGAL POT OK'D

Oregon Voters Legalize Recreational Marijuana; Benton Strongly Backs It

Oregon voters legalized the recreational use of pot Tuesday, making 
the state the third to approve the drug for commercial sale and as a 
taxable source of revenue.

The measure passed by an overwhelming majority in Benton County, with 
roughly 60 percent of residents voting for the measure and 40 percent 
voting against, according to early returns.

A majority of Linn County voters opposed the measure, roughly 52 
percent no to 46 percent yes.

Statewide, the measure was getting about a 54 percent yes vote.

Local supporters of Measure 91 are calling the passing of the 
recreational marijuana measure "an historic moment" for Oregon.

Oregon State University Professor Seth Crawford, who has a doctorate 
in sociology, has studied marijuana and its effect on Oregon for several years.

"I think it's an historic moment for Oregon," Crawford said Tuesday 
night. "This has been a long time coming, and I'm proud that Oregon 
is one of the initial states to do this."

Crawford wrote his doctoral dissertation at the University of Oregon 
on the structure and size of Oregon's marijuana economy. He noted 
Tuesday night that the long-term effects of the vote are "up in the 
air" and won't be understood for months or possibly years to come.

"It's going to be highly dependent on what sort of policies the 
(Oregon Liquor Control Commission) puts into place over the next year 
and what happens in the short session in the Legislature this 
February," Crawford said, adding that there are about 50 
marijuana-related bills set to go before the Legislature.

Benton County Sheriff Scott Jackson, who last week voiced opposition 
to Measure 91, was stoic about its passage Tuesday night.

"I think it was inevitable," Jackson said. "I was kind of hoping our 
community would take a year to wait and see and learn lessons from 
Washington and Colorado and when we draft a measure, let's do it 
properly. I didn't have strong opposition to it, and I'm not 
depressed that it passed. We'll deal with the issues as they come up, 
and we'll make the best of it."

Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley was more vocal in his reaction to the 
measure passing.

"I am extremely disappointed by voters across the state," he said. "I 
don't see how this will keep our communities safe, but we will keep 
working hard to keep the peace."

Riley said he hoped Oregon voters would hold off on approving marijuana use.

"I think we need more time to see what happens in other states such 
as Washington and Colorado," he said.

Taylor Sarman, the president of the Associated Students of Oregon 
State University, said that in the short-term, he is proud of the 
result of Tuesday night's vote.

"I think that this conversation about the issues of Measure 91 
illuminates a conversation that has been happening on college 
campuses for quite some time," Sarman said. "For a long time, I think 
this was a generational issue, and I think the state has really come 
together, across generations, and across party lines, to approve this measure."

Sarman said he believed the measure passed with the help of a youth movement.

"I think that younger voters and students definitely turned out to 
vote, and I think that helped," Sarman said, adding that ASOSU helped 
more than 7,000 students register to vote for the mid-term election. 
"And I think any opportunity the state has to increase its revenue, 
we should do so."

Todd Dalotto, horticulturalist and owner of CAN! Consulting in 
Corvallis, said he was glad to see Benton County and the rest of the 
state "get on the right side of history."

"I'm very pleased that not only Benton County but most of the state 
decided that Oregon was going to be on the right side of history in 
ending the prohibition of cannabis," Dalotto said. "I think the track 
record of Washington and Colorado in the past year has demonstrated 
that the sky hasn't fallen."

Associated Press writers Nigel Daura and Steven DuBois contributed to 
this report.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom