Will Tuesday's election prove to be a turning point for marijuana legalization efforts across the United States? Or will it mark a substantial setback for advocates of legalized pot? Three measures to legalize the use of recreational marijuana including Oregon's Measure 91 are on the ballot across the country. (The other measures are in the Alaska and Washington, D.C.; the D.C. measure hasn't drawn nearly the sort of publicity that has accompanied the Oregon and Alaska measures.) [continues 387 words]
It's a little alarming - and, truth be told, a little amusing - to watch city and county governments line up, one by one, for their potential slice of tax revenue from the sale of recreational marijuana. Even communities that have made it clear that medical marijuana dispensaries are not welcome within their boundaries are hoping to cash in on recreational marijuana as a way to drive some additional dough into their coffers. Just this week in Linn County, the Albany City Council voted to slap a 10 percent additional tax on the sale of recreational weed. On the same day, the Lebanon City Council approved a similar 10 percent tax. The issue is pending before councils in Brownsville and Jefferson - and a variety of other governmental bodies throughout Oregon. [continues 307 words]
