The OLCC Is Dragging Its Feet on Recreational Licenses, and the Clock Is Ticking WHEN THE Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) was tasked with handling Oregon's adult use cannabis program-AKA the recreational weed sales that we have come to know and love-the news didn't send massive throngs out dancing in the streets. To say that Oregonians have a complex relationship with the OLCC is an understatement. Among the agency's new, cannabis-related responsibilities? Issuing all the recreational licenses in the state-be they for dispensaries, growers, processors, wholesalers, labs that test cannabis and cannabis products, and the makers of edibles. [continues 625 words]
A Plea for Descheduling Cannabis NOT LONG AGO, I wrote about the slight, slim chance that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule II [Cannabuzz, July 6]. You remember what Schedule I is-it's the list of drugs defined as having "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." Along with cannabis, some of the other drugs listed as Schedule I are heroin, LSD, ecstasy, peyote, and Quaaludes. Not exactly respectable company. [continues 689 words]
No Rescheduling Cannabis, But Plenty of Other Activity WHAT'S WITH all the federal weed law action? My head is spinning! MINE, TOO. Last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced it would not change its dismal tune on cannabis, and that weed would remain a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Then, the Obama administration announced it would ease barriers on marijuana research, despite the Schedule I restriction. Then, a bunch of federal attorneys general got pwned in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding their prosecution of medical marijuana businesses, which is a pretty big deal. [continues 399 words]
What to Read Before-and After-You Get High HELLO THERE! Do you enjoy reading? How about reading about cannabis? I ask because if you're reading this column (or if it's being read to you by a service monkey using typing-to-speech-recognition software), it seems like you might enjoy some books on cannabis. I certainly hope so, because this week's column is about four of them. You could get them all through Powell's or many local, independent booksellers. [continues 605 words]
Of Pot, Felons, and Duped Canadians TELL ME about the weed fraud case! WEED, FELONS, forgeries, lawsuits, California swindlers, and duped Canadian backers-the weed fraud case had it all. The culprits in this story are a Northeast Portland dispensary called Cannacea, its owner Tisha Siler, a California group called Green Rush Consulting, and, per the Oregonian, a Green Rush employee who did hard time for wire fraud. Siler, Cannacea, and Green Rush were busted last month for especially bad behavior. [continues 419 words]
You're Welcome IN THE PAST, I've written about how long I've been making super-strong cannabis-infused cookies [Cannabuzz, June 24, 2015], and how their strength has resulted in some serious mishaps [Cannabuzz, June 1, 2016]. For two decades, people have asked about my trade secret. But unless the person asking was an Oregon Medical Marijuana Program patient of mine, I've always politely sidestepped how I manage to make my cookies "so damn strong." But since I'm not planning on opening up an edibles company, I recently decided it was time to share what I know. Sadly for some of you, this involves the Great White Devil to most of the GOP... science. If facts and the like offend you, I suggest chalking up the how and why of that part to the magic of one J.H. Christ. [continues 560 words]
WHAT'S GOING ON with the medical marijuana program? Is it going away? I THINK SO, and I hope so, and I expect rowdy emails for saying so. After 18 years, the program has run its course. Going forward, I would like to see everything combined into one big casserole, with protections baked in for current medical program patients. That way, we curtail the waste of two big Oregon agencies intensively regulating one little plant. The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA) was enacted in 1998. It has been amended several times, and today, there's significant overlap with the emerging retail market. Back in the day, the OMMA was drafted to protect patients and their caregivers from criminal liability. Those were commendable goals, but the program never made sense from a business perspective. That would be fine, of course, if the OMMA hadn't created a sizable market. [continues 330 words]
For One Whole Day IT WAS the mid '80s, and I was living in the jewel of Northern California: Sacramento, where the only culture was the agriculture. I was doing my time in high school, trying to sort out all the things that go on during those golden years, particularly trying to figure out what was "cool." And that included cannabis. I had already tried drinking. My first few forays involved beer-or, at least, some Mickey's Big Mouths, as this was still a long time before craft microbrews were a thing. Not long after, someone produced a bottle of tequila. My first time drinking it, I quite literally went blind in the city's only 24-hour doughnut shop, and then proceeded to vomit until the early hours of the next day in their tiny, filthy bathroom. [continues 607 words]
You Can Make a Pot Commercial, but There Are Hoops to Jump Through I'm filming a pot commercial! I can do that, right? YES, YOU CAN definitely make a pot commercial. Before you start, though, you should study up on the rules for pot commercials and pot ads in general. You should also note that distribution of your ad might be limited, depending on your approach. I'll explain. Back when Measure 91 passed, you and your friends assigned the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) the especially tricky job of regulating pot ads. This job is particularly tough because our state constitution contains the broadest speech protections in the nation (resulting in a naked bike ride, tons of strip clubs, and no campaign finance restrictions). So although OLCC latitude in this area may be cramped, the agency took a whack at it. They came up with a few rules you might have expected; others may surprise you. [continues 362 words]
Yep, They Are. What's the deal with cannabidiol (CBD) pet treats? Are they really a thing? YES, CBD-INFUSED pet treats are definitely a thing. They are often marketed to "all pets, large and small," and you can order them online from any number of manufacturers. As with any product, some of the websites look better than others. Some even contain product testimonials from pet owners, which can make for delightful reading. Pet treats are pricey little morsels designed to relieve ill and aging animals. Sellers also promote them for anxiety and "bonding" issues. These treats are infused with non-psychoactive CBD and they are marketed to the humane souls among us concerned with arthritic rabbits, not the guy who blows smoke in his cat's face. [continues 372 words]
WHEN MEASURE 91 passed, I heard more than one prohibitionist sneer at the idea and ask, "What's next, legalizing all the other drugs?" And certainly there is a small, albeit growing, movement to decriminalize all drugs, and to treat the use of them more as a public health issue than a criminal one. But this being 'Murica, how would that work? What would it look like? Sweet Jesus, I'm glad you asked, because that's what this week's column is about. Welcome to... [continues 640 words]
It's Not Hard, But You'll Need to Study Up-and Pony Up Do I really have to pay $100 to work in recreational marijuana? YES, YOU REALLY DO. And you must pass a test and a criminal background check. If you conquer these three labors like a modern-day Heracles, you should be golden. Oregon recently followed Colorado's lead in requiring that weed industry workers carry papers. Whereas Colorado workers sport classy "badges," however, Oregon workers will just be getting "permits." This permit requirement applies to everyone toiling in the Oregon Liquor Control Commission's (OLCC) seed-to-sale system. Their counterparts in the medical marijuana program, as well as lab and research certificate employees, are exempt. So if you really, really hate tests, or you are a pauper or felonious type, this may not be your enterprise. [continues 366 words]
Potfolio. Get It? POP QUIZ! Remember last week when we talked about how cool it was that banks are full-on supporters and cheerleaders for cannabis businesses? Trick question. Actually, last week I wrote about the exact opposite of that. It turns out that obtaining and keeping even a simple checking account is difficult beyond measure for legal cannabis enterprises. I didn't even touch on how impossible it is for a canna business to get funding from a traditional bank. It was sort of a bummer column, actually. [continues 645 words]
Cops and Prosecutors Are Embracing a Radical Idea: Not Filing Drug Possession Cases HERE'S THE DEAL: People are using drugs in this city, despite decades of law enforcement's best efforts. That fight has landed thousands of people in jail and prison-far too many of them people of color. It's created hardships for Portlanders who need jobs and a place to stay, but find that a criminal record has closed the door to those things. It's led to tensions between police and communities of color that are playing out-vividly, tragically-every day around the country. [continues 1255 words]
Is That State's Brand-New Cannabis Initiative Any Good? What do you think of California's brand new pot initiative? IT'S A MIXED BAG, but I'm getting on board. Last week, California announced that the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) officially has a home on the state's November ballot. Over the past year, the concept of legalization among California voters has been polling very well. It seems almost certain the AUMA will pass. My law firm's California attorneys have been looking at AUMA intensively for the past few months, and report that the 62-pager is more complex than Washington, Oregon, and Colorado's initiatives. For example, AUMA provides for an astonishing 19 separate business licenses, and its distribution model recalls the convoluted rules of booze. For these and other reasons AUMA has many opponents, even among pot boosters. [continues 364 words]
It's Still Impossible for Cannabis Businesses to Open Bank Accounts AT A RECENT cannabis event I went to, the crowd was made up of cannabis professionals: dispensary owners and staff, growers, edible makers, processors, and wholesalers. Among the speakers was the head of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission's (OLCC) cannabis program. During the Q&A, a grower brought up how that very week, his bank account had been shut down-the third time in the past year. "The bank said it's because I'm involved with cannabis," he said, "and I wanted to ask you a question: I pay my taxes and fees to the OLCC in cash, which I made growing and selling cannabis. I take it the OLCC has a bank account. Correct?" [continues 603 words]
Did the Democratic Party Just Endorse Legalization? Did the Democratic Party just endorse national legalization of weed? NO, BUT the party added "marijuana law reform" as a platform plank to be adopted this month. It's a step. The two big US political parties tend to scrape together an agenda and revise their platforms in presidential election years. Bernie Sanders (remember him?) was doing pretty well around the time the platform drafting committee was convened, and he got to appoint 7 of its 15 members. Those members proposed some short and sweet language around cannabis, offering that "we will refocus our drug policy by removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and allowing states to set their own policies." (Period.) This language dovetailed with Bernie's Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2015, which was shipped off to the Senate Judiciary Committee last November, never to be heard from again. [continues 337 words]
Hold Your Horses, Rescheduling Weed Isn't Happening Just Yet HEY, YOU GUYS, did you hear? The federal government is about to make weed legal. No, for reals, I saw it on Facebook, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is going to totally make it so doctors have to give it to you, for free! Thanks Obama! I'm gonna make my doctor give me an ounce next week! Before you start demanding that your podiatrist procure you some shatter, maybe we should do what Americans sort of suck at-taking a pause and examining what's really up. [continues 634 words]
Here's How a Component of Weed Helped Someone with Seizures THESE ARE DAYS when it's important to find some good news, to seek out stories that remind us of our fellow human's capacity for decency, compassion, and selflessness. So turn away from the darkness-just for a minute, it'll still be there if you start to miss it-and let's examine the light for a minute. At a recent cannabis event, I spoke with Jesse Peters, CEO of Eco Firma Farms. We talked about upcoming events, projects, and the ever-changing landscape of cannabis regulations. Peters is a friend-full disclosure-and I asked him if he was aware of anything that I may have missed that would make a good column. He paused for a second. [continues 589 words]
As the Heroin Epidemic Grows Worse, People Are Finally Talking About It "HERE THEY COME!" The call goes up before the bicycles roll to a complete stop on a recent Friday, sending a ripple of energy up and down the Central Eastside block. Soon, grateful drug users are coming from every direction to speak with four volunteers bearing stuffed backpacks and two bountiful bike trailers. "Needles?" asks one woman. "Who brought needles?" She's handed a pack of 50 new syringes, and offered her choice of an array of injection materials-three sizes of cotton wads, two kinds of rubber tourniquets (in case anyone's allergic to latex), tiny cups for cooking heroin, kits for treating wounds caused by injections, and more. [continues 1444 words]
