Oregon has made great progress on its marijuana laws, ending most felonies, allowing expungement of old offenses and implementing regulated cannabis commerce. However, the state is experiencing some growing pains in meshing the medical and recreational systems, hurting many medical marijuana patients and their providers. It seems that one bill, Senate Bill 1598 could have the unintended consequence of prohibiting most medical marijuana gardens in rural residential areas in Jackson County unless county commissioners change their interpretation of the law, or make the changes to county zoning they deem are now necessary.

The Oregon Cannabis Connection reports on a rally the Southern Oregon cannabis community has planned for March 10th at 11:30am.

Southern Oregon Growers Upset Over Restrictions: Protest Planned For Thursday, March 10th

Medical marijuana growers in Southern Oregon have been doing a lot of organizing in recent months to curb the tide of new restrictions being imposed in the region on their gardens. Recently, the Jackson County Planning Commission made proposals that go too far, according to most growers. They make entering the lucrative marijuana market difficult and, more importantly, restrict growers to the point that they cannot effectively grow for the patients like they once did. Medical growers and their supporters have shown up in force to make their concerns known at county meetings and effectively explained the effects of the restrictions, which has made a difference so far, and helped roll back a few items.

But, as the local fight continues, lawmakers in Salem passed a number of bills during the recent short session that also restrict growers, and go against the intent of Measure 91. Most notably, SB 1598 passed and will, among many other things, provide that Oregon-grown cannabis be defined as an agricultural crop, which creates serious land use issues for many outdoor growers in Southern Oregon. If treated like a agricultural crop, Rural Residential (RR) zoning could be problematic because it prohibits commercial agricultural growing.

Sandy Diesel is one of the people leading the fight against these onerous rules and restrictions on growing, especially outdoor. A founder of the group Right To Grow – Southern Oregon, Diesel is pushing back against the changes and organizing growers to stand up against local and state politicians. She is planning a protest in front of the Medford Mail Tribunebefore a “Legislative Review” the newspaper is hosting on Thursday with a number of Salem legislators from noon to 1:30pm.

“It’s our last opportunity to tell our local legislators to call an emergency session to put a stop to the new OMMP rules, and SB 1598,” explained Diesel. “SB 1598 would shut down all farms on RR land in Jackson County, and many other counties may follow.”

Diesel is planning a protest and will be available to the media before the review at 11:30 in front of the Mail Tribune office at 111 N. Fir St in Medford. The review is open to the public and people are encouraged to attend and express their concerns to our local State representatives in Salem.

The Legislative Review attendees will include:

Sen. Alan Bates, D-Medford

Reps. Duane Stark, R-Grants Pass

Peter Buckley, D-Ashland

House Minority Leader Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte (Update: McLane will not attend the meeting.)

Topics will include the minimum wage increase, the elimination of coal in generating power for Oregon, and the many “tweaks” to the state’s marijuana laws.

Time: 11:30 AM at the Medford Mail Tribune, 111 N. Fir St., in Medford, Oregon.

The next Right to Grow Southern Oregon meeting will be March 19^th. Visit their Facebook group page for more information at https://www.facebook.com/groups/righttogrow/

This piece written by by Keith Mansur in the Oregon Cannabis Connection is reprinted in full here with special permission. 

The Seattle Times should be commended for being one of the few mainstream media outlets to endorse Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination. Most establishment media members have, not surprisingly, endorsed Hillary Clinton, the favored choice of the Democratic establishment. The Seattle Times, bucking the trend wrote:

Authenticity and consistency are so rare in politics these days — no wonder a strong number of voters are supporting U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ bid to become the Democratic candidate for president.

Sanders’ signature candor is a refreshing change from status quo politics.

***

At this time, Sanders’ strength lies in his ability to generate important discussions on topics other entrenched politicians are too timid to touch.

The Seattle Times, while mentioning Sanders’ ability to discuss topics that other politicians avoid, missed the opportunity to discuss Sanders’ proposal to end federal cannabis prohibition. Washington State could benefit greatly from a future Sanders Administration that would end the federal war of marijuana, allowing Evergreen State cannabis businesses to thrive and their cannabis community to breathe a sigh of relief.

It is time to take marijuana off the federal list of controlled substances and let states decide.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 21, 2016

The twenty-three states with medical cannabis laws on the books, the four with legal cannabis and states likely to have future reforms should all consider the positive impact of ending federal cannabis prohibition when endorsing the next president. The will of state voters that have legalized cannabis commerce in any way will only be truly respected if the federal government repeals cannabis prohibition and only Bernie Sanders has proposed ending the failed and harmful policy.

Unfortunately, the Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap has chosen to unnecessarily disenfranchise Maine voters from having their say on cannabis legalization this November due to what amounts to a minor clerical misunderstanding. The Secretary of State’s office declared that a notary’s signature didn’t match the signature on file, invalidating the signature of thousands of voters. It is very troubling that the Secretary Dunlap’s office didn’t take steps to have the notary’s signature verified and even misled the public about efforts taken to remedy the signature mismatch.

Placing a measure on the statewide ballot is a lot of work as tens of thousands of signatures are needed from registered voters to qualify an initiative petition. Voters trust that signature gatherers follow proper policies and procedures. Of course, it doesn’t help that the notary in question, Stavros Mendros, has been dinged for violations in the past, but his transgressions shouldn’t invalidate voter intent.

From the Sun Journal:

David Boyer, the director of a citizen petition campaign that’s hoping to ask Maine voters to legalize marijuana for recreational use in November, said Friday his group will take its case to court following a decision by the Maine Secretary of State’s Office that determined it could not validate some 5,000 petitions, and about 17,000 voter signatures, that had been notarized by Mendros.

***

“This isn’t about Stavros,” Boyer said. “This is about the fact that over 17,000 valid voters signed their name on there, then those circulators swore, they signed swearing they witnessed those signatures to a notary — (Mendros) is a notary, his commission hasn’t expired yet. This is about voter intent.”

Boyer said he would swear under oath that he witnessed Mendros notarize petitions, and he questioned why all of the petitions notarized by Mendros were invalidated.

It isn’t surprising that states with the initiative process have led the way on cannabis policy. Despite the fact that a strong majority of voters support legalization across the nation, politicians have proven to lag behind passing marijuana laws that respect the sentiment of their constituents. A recent poll revealed that 65% of Maine voters support ending cannabis prohibition.

Of course, prohibitionists are pleased with Secretary Dunlap’s decision to deny a vote on the issue. “This is a huge sigh of relief for Mainers and our public health community, especially in a period where we are facing a serious and growing opiate crisis,” Scott M. Gagnon, Maine director for Smart Approaches to Marijuana, told Marijuana.com.

An alleged mismatched rotary signature should not deprive the intent of the voters, particularly when the validity of voters’ signatures and the proper process can be verified. If the Maine Secretary of State insists upon denying the will of the voters, then Maine courts should respect the voters and let them have their say this November. Let Mainers vote.

After successful conferences on the West Coast, the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) is heading across the border, first to Vancouver, Canada, on October 13 & 14 of this year and then April 11-12, 2017, in Berlin, Germany. Sandwiched between the two international events will be another San Francisco, California, conference on February 18-19, 2017.

The Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco conferences have  garnered an extensive amount of positive media attention for the burgeoning industry while providing attendees with crucial information and networking opportunities. After helping organize the U.S. conferences here at Marijuana Politics, we look forward to earning positive coverage for the cannabis community borders.

The Cannabist’s Ricardo Baca broke the news about the ICBC traveling to Berlin and Vancouver, discussing the importance and significance of these cities with conference producer (and Marijuana Politics co-owner) Alex Rogers:

“There is a poetic justice in me coming back to help legalize,” Rogers said. “Berlin is the de facto capital of Europe. Though Amsterdam and Barcelona have more liberal laws regarding cannabis, Berlin is more of a progressive city. I have traveled all around the States and Europe and have never been to a more progressive place than Berlin. So I believe Berlin, and Germany, are at a tipping point with regards to cannabis law reform. When Germany falls, so goes the rest of Europe. I want to help push that along.”

As for throwing a cannabis business conference in Canada, that’s a no-brainer given its new, 420-friendly leadership, Rogers said. But why choose Vancouver over vape lounge-crazy Toronto or Ottawa, which is home to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s official residence?

“Well, historically Vancouver has always been the cannabis capital of Canada,” Rogers said. “Things are really starting to happen in Toronto, however, I felt more comfortable with Vancouver. I live in Oregon, so I also felt a geographical connection with Vancouver. Vancouver is an epic city.”

The ICBC’s in the United States have brought together an eclectic mix of entrepreneurs, activists and policymakers to provide a unique experience for conference attendees. Not many conferences showcase a bipartisan congressional panel, the first African American Surgeon General and cannabis icon Tommy Chong in one event, but the ICBC managed to pull that off in San Francisco. Before Oregon voted to legalize marijuana with more than 56% of the vote, the first ICBC in Portland featured conservative writer Andrew Sullivan followed by progressive Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer.

As Canada moves forward with its plans to legalize and regulate the cannabis industry, bringing together prominent entrepreneurs, advocates and policymakers will help inform the Canadian cannabis community and also help the concerned citizens shape the best policy for the country. The Berlin conference will bring in prominent cannabis community members from surrounding nations, with the goal of further advancing the progressive cannabis policies in the Europe. Tickets are on sale now, hope to see many folks there

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) gave a grassroots boost to the California Adult Useof Marijuana Act (AUMA) with an endorsement today. The endorsement is notable because NORML usually doesn’t endorse until an initiative has officially qualified for the ballot and there are some cannabis activists who oppose AUMA. The early endorsement by NORML illustrates the strength of the AUMA campaign.

NORML’s press release:

NATION’S OLDEST AND LARGEST MARIJUANA REFORM ORGANIZATION ENDORSES CALIFORNIA’S CONSENSUS ADULT USE OF MARIJUANA ACT

Since 1970, national NORML has been a respected professional voice for responsible state and federal marijuana legislation

SACRAMENTO—Today, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the nation’s oldest and largest marijuana law reform organization, announced that its Board of Directors has formally voted to endorse the California ballot measure known as the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act.

Since its founding in 1970, NORML has been a leading national voice for responsible marijuana laws in states all across the country and has helped increase public awareness of the failures and costs of marijuana prohibition.

“With the largest population of both marijuana producers and consumers in the United States, along with the largest voting delegation in Congress, the importance of voters in America’s most populous and influential state, California, passing a binding marijuana legalization ballot initiative in 2016 can’t be overstated,” said Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of NORML.  “On the matter of ending marijuana prohibition in America, as California goes, so too goes the rest of the nation.”

NORML joins Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project, California Cannabis Industry Association, California Medical Association and California NAACP, among others, in support of AUMA.

The official proponents of the measure are:

• Dr. Donald O. Lyman, MD, award-winning physician, member of the California Medical Association and former Chief of the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Control at the California Department of Public Health and

• Michael Sutton, longtime conservationist and environmental attorney, former President of the California Fish and Game Commission and former Vice President of National Audubon Society

The Adult Use of Marijuana Act is a consensus measure based on recognized best practices and recommendations from engaged citizens and organizations representing local government, health and policy experts, environmental leaders, small farmers and business owners, worker representatives and social justice advocates.

It includes safeguards for children, workers, local governments and small businesses and strict anti-monopoly provisions and the toughest warning label and marketing-to-kids laws in the nation.

It provides hundreds of millions of dollars in annual funding — the highest level ever by any state in America — for youth drug prevention, education and treatment programs.  It also provides significant investment into local law enforcement and environmental and water protection programs.

It also closely adheres to the Lieutenant Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy and the new medical marijuana laws recently passed by a bipartisan majority of the Legislature and signed by Governor Brown (SB 643, AB 266 and AB 243).

-# # #-

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is a patient-focused group that works to legalize access to medical cannabis from coast to coast. The group has over 50,000 members that works to advocate for patient access at all levels of government.

At the federal level, ASA is working hard to pass the bipartisan CARERS medical marijuana act. The group also monitors state medical laws and provides grades for each state. As CNBC notes, no state received an “A” grade, but ten states earned either a “B+” or a “B”. California and Colorado at the top of the list shouldn’t surprise anyone, but cannabis pioneering states Oregon and Washington were each given a “B” with newer medical states Illinois and New Mexico earned a “B+”, ahead of the two northwest states that have legalized marijuana for all adults.

Some highlights from the CNBC coverage of ASA’s grades:

1.California — The first state to legalize medical cannabis, California is a leader in the industry. In 2015, it passed a bill that will create a centrally regulated dispensary system. ASA says the state is “the best place in the country for patients to receive legal protections and gain the most timely access” to the drug, but it falls a bit short on implementing employment, housing and child custody protections for patients. Rating: B+

***

4. Illinois — Illinois is credited “with adopting some of the best product safety regulations in the country.” The regulations allow state officials to test for harmful pesticides, microbes, solvents and poisons from fungus. About the only quibbles the group had with the state were its mandatory fingerprint background checks for new patients and the inability of patients to grow their own plants. Rating: B+

***

9. Oregon — The state has “one of the strongest medical cannabis programs for patients in the nation,” according to the ASA. Access to medicine is widespread, and the laws are patient-friendly and offer explicit privacy protections. The ASA is urging Oregon officials not to merge the medical program with the one that will oversee the casual-use program. Rating:B

10. Washington — Washington has scaled back its medical marijuana program, recently shutting down dozens of dispensaries in Tacoma and Seattle after legislative changes. But it still earns top marks for patient rights and product safety. How it might rank next year is nebulous, though, since collective gardening rights — where up to 10 patients can band together to grow their own plants — are due to expire in July. This could result in some supply constraints. Rating: B

With California still at the top of the list, it isn’t surprising that many in the California medical cannabis community are resistant to change. It is surprising that a state like Illinois could have a grade higher than Oregon and Washington. Reading through the tea leaves, ASA likely isn’t happy about some restrictions and limitations placed upon the medical programs by the Oregon and Washington Legislatures following passage adult-use laws. As a patient-focused organization, ASA likely isn’t pleased that the interests of the industry can take precedent over the interest of patients at times.

We caught up with Rep. Earl Blumenauer at the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in San Francisco on Feb 13, 2016 to discuss the ongoing efforts to legalize and decriminalize Marijuana Medical and Recreational usage.

Last night’s New Hampshire crush and repudiation of the establishment on both the left and the right sent a loud and clear signal that Americans are tired of the same old politics and business as usual.  Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump didn’t just win, they blew everyone away!  That the establishment hacks are running around clueless and trying every attack in the book is not helping their cause at all.  The immediacy of social media combined with alternative forms of media continue to repudiate their prima facie protestations that are being rejected wholesale on both sides of the political spectrum.

Out of the cauldron of issues that Americans are rejecting is of course the 400 lb pink elephant (or green bud, if you will) in the middle of the room.  The 18^th Amendment prohibiting alcohol was in line with how the nation is supposed to function, a constitutional amendment that dealt with issues that are usually left to the states.  The repealing of alcohol prohibition, with the 21st Amendment likewise was the will of the public.  Substituting the War on Alcohol with the War on Drugs, without any constitutional amendment (brought to you by the United Nations), has proven to be a continual dirty spot in American political dirty tricks.  The Drug War has failed and should have been deemed illegal in the first place.

Americans are rejecting mainstream media lies and propaganda even as the US legally allows itself to be propagandized to. For many, it’s not just immigration or economic disparity that has the left and right on the run, it’s the social issue that Americans are taking back one state at a time, marijuana decriminalization and legalization.  It seems the world did not end after Colorado and Washington legalized recreational cannabis and much to the chagrin of the political establishment, this issue is not going away.

Last night was not only a repudiation of politics as usual but also gave us front runners on both sides of the spectrum that will most likely help bring the end of marijuana prohibition and for that we can only say thank you Americans (or at least New Hampshire voters) for finally saying enough is enough and we’re not going to take your lies anymore!

Update: Iowa ends up even politically, even after the voters caucus.

Polls released today show Bernie Sanders up 3% in Iowa and winning by a whopping 31% in New Hampshire.  In Iowa, the polls are about to be irrelevant as Iowans trudge out in the Midwest winter (but at least the snow should hold off) to make their voices heard on who should be the next leader of the free world. (Hawkeye Democratic voters, find your Iowa Caucus location here, GOP voters look here.) The New Hampshire primary will be up next and it will be very interesting to see how the Iowa caucus results impact Granite State voters, if at all.

The Quinnipiac Iowa poll follows on the heels of the very respected Des Moines Register poll. The DMR poll, released on Saturday morning, had Hillary Clinton up 3% over her Democratic challenger. It should be noted that the Quinnipiac poll included questions after the Friday announcement that 22 emails on Hillary Clinton’s private server contained top-secret information that was so sensitive that no part of the emails could be released to the public. Even Bernie Sanders has now acknowledged that the ongoing email scandal is a very serious matter, so it will be interesting if Democratic primary voters will agree.

Both of the recent Iowa polls are within the margin of error, illustrating that the caucus winner will depend upon turnout. If there is a big turnout, like the one that won the day for Barack Obama in 2004, then Bernie Sanders will likely win. If the turnout number is simply ordinary, the Democratic frontrunner should win the day. Senator Clinton wins with older voters that are more likely to vote, while Senator Sanders carries a big lead among younger voters who may need an inspiring candidate to get politically active. Either way, Iowa should be a very close election.

In New Hampshire, recent polls are showing Bernie Sanders winning by bigger and bigger margins. The University of Massachusetts-Lowell/7 News survey  has Senator Sanders soundly defeating Hillary Clinton 61% to 30%. This poll follows on the heels of the Boston Herald/FPU poll showing the anti-establishment Sanders defeating Clinton by 20% and the CNN/WMUR poll reflecting a big 23% lead for the Vermont Senator. In New Hampshire, Senator Sanders is bolstered by the fact that independents can vote in the Democratic primary, although he is now experiencing leads across virtually all demographics in the state with the motto “Live Free or Die.”

Hillary Clinton’s unique establishment political advantages provide her the ability to potentially win the Democratic nomination even if she doesn’t win Iowa or New Hampshire, but Senator Sanders will be in a great position to pull off one of the greatest, if not the greatest, political upsets in history if he can win both of the early states. The media loves the political horse race, but these polls will mean less and less as voters will actually be caucusing and casting their ballots. We shall soon see if Democratic voters choose a candidate supporting significant changes, including on marijuana legalization and reforming the Drug War, or support more incremental changes favored by the political status quo.

Featured Photo of Democratic Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders by Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Advocates seeking to legalize marijuana have to suffer through insults and negative stereotypes that are hurled against us by prohibitionists and even those that are simply on the fence on the issue. Fortunately, the tide is turning for the better as marijuana has moved more into the mainstream and cannabis law reform has been winning at the ballot box. Recent polls have shown that most voters in the United States favor putting an end to prohibition and yet another poll shows that a majority of Americans support legalization.

From YouGov:

Research from YouGov shows that a majority of Americans now support legalizing marijuana. 52% of Americans now support legalization, while only 34% oppose it. This is slightly up from 48% support for legalization when the question was last asked in March 2015.

Over half of all adults under the age of 65 support it, but over-65s do tend to oppose (49%) rather than support (39%) legalization.

Politically, Democrats (66%) and independents (51%) want to legalize marijuana but half of Republicans are opposed. Just over a third of Republicans (36%) do support legalization, however.

While full legalization has the support of just over half of the country two-thirds of Americans believe that government efforts to enforce marijuana laws cost more than they are worth. Unsurprisingly a huge majority of people in favor of legalization (86%) say that the efforts cost more than they are worth, but even opponents of legalization narrowly tend to say that current efforts aren’t worth the cost (42% to 33%).

The YouGov research continues the trend of polling showing both that a majority of Americans want to put an end to the failed and harmful War on Marijuana, but also that the support is growing as the previous YouGov poll pegged support at 48%. This recent poll also matches other surveys that have reflected the fact that majority support for prohibition has been relegated to those over 65 years among age groups and to members of the Republican party as both Democrats and independents support legalization.

Calling for an end to federal prohibition seems to have helped Bernie Sanders and her antiquated views on cannabis may just add to the list of factors that will soon doom the tenure of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The age demographics also bode well for legalization activists as the majority of those under 65 that support legalization will grow older and increase support even among the oldest voters while young voters have always been a strong base of support for reform efforts.

The YouGov poll hasn’t broken any new ground, but just demonstrates further the momentum that the cannabis community is experiencing. Even a plurality of those that oppose legalization agree that “efforts to enforce marijuana laws cost more than their worth”. Hopefully, with a few more electoral victories, the marijuana movement will enjoy the respect that it deserves from elected officials and policymakers.

The California cannabis industry was abuzz following the last-minute passage of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA) that was passed by the California Assembly at the very end of the legislative session. Marijuana entrepreneurs were scrambling to read the MMRSA and have been digesting the implications since. Governor Jerry Brown signed the regulatory bill into law last fall and the New Year starts the implementation process that will be coming into focus over the coming months. California industry participants, experts and advocates will soon be meeting at the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in February to discuss the latest developments.

SFGate.com reports on the new regulations:

“Everyone is rushing to make sure that they got into compliance by the end of the year. But what does compliance mean and what does priority mean?,” said Bay Area cannabis Attorney Lauren Vazquez. “Who will get priority, the entity or the individuals? Will a nonprofit entity with priority have to stay a nonprofit? At this point we have no idea, it all has to be determined by the bureau and in the end there might not be any priority at all.”

For Jesse Stout, an attorney with Greenbridge Corporate Counsel recently appointed to the San Francisco Cannabis State Legalization Task Force, the largest part of the regulations taking effect was the forthcoming licensing processes at both the state and local level.

“For businesses, a big change in the 2015 Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act is ‘dual licensure’, the requirement to have both a state license and a local license by 1/1/18,” Stout said.

The statewide medical regulations were passed as a precursor to the legalization of marijuana for all adults as there is a very good chance that California voters will decide whether to open up cannabis commerce beyond just the medical market this November. The new marijuana rules and regulations will bring much uncertainty to many in the industry, while they will present great opportunity for those that can best navigate the new laws.

The challenge of adhering to both local and state rules will take a lot of time and resources, but businesses hoping to flourish in the world’s  8th largest economy have no choice but to prepare and do their due diligence. Unfortunately, regulatory hurdles also can make it harder for medical providers to serve sick and disabled patients, particularly those battling poverty as regulations can increase costs that businesses have to pass onto consumers. While the task of meeting these challenges is formidable, the reward for those that can effectively serve Golden State patients, and eventually non-patients, will be great and very much worth the effort.

Everyone paying attention knows that 2016 will be a huge year for the cannabis community and industry. How to exactly legalize marijuana for all adults, how to best regulate medical cannabis, access to banking, the 280E IRS tax code, are all issues that voters and policymakers will be grappling with throughout the year. All of these issues will be addressed at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in San Francisco this February 13th and 14th.

California industry participants are dealing with the new medical regulations passed by the California Assembly and activists are still weighing whether to fully support the “Sean Parker Legalization Measure” or back more progressive measures. Respected activist and pioneering entrepreneur Debby Goldsberry, the executive director of Magnolia Wellness Collective, is uniquely qualified to lead the “Legalization in California” panel at the ICBC as she has the experience in activism, politics and business that can bring the different perspectives and worlds together. Everyone interested in the California cannabis industry and community, or anywhere for that matter, should attend this important and timely conference.

Below is a blog from the International Cannabis Business Conference, that contains an interview with Debby Goldsberry where she discusses some of her experiences in the cannabis industry and her initial thoughts on the the Golden State moving towards full legalization:

If you have any experience in the cannabis movement and industry, you know that Magnolia Wellness Collective Executive Director Debby Goldsberry has been a true pioneer in both activism and business. Mentored by the iconic Jack Herer, Debby has traveled the globe helping bring freedom to the cannabis community, mentoring and inspiring many activists herself. We are so proud, honored and pleased that she helps us organize the International Cannabis Business Conference and as she helps provide the combination of business savviness and activist heart that make the ICBC a unique industry event.

Goldsberry’s accomplishments are actually too many to list on a blog, she deserves a book. Winner of the 2005 NORML Pauline Sabin Award in recognition of the importance of women leadership positions in ending marijuana prohibition, Goldsberry has crashed through the glass ceiling and shouldn’t be considered a top “female” leader, as she has been a longtime leader of the cannabis movement, regardless of gender. High Times recognized the impact of Ms. Goldsberry when she was named Freedom Fighter of the Year in 2011.

We are fortunate that Debby had a moment in her busy schedule to answer a few questions for our blog:

After helping found Berkeley Patients Group and helping turn BPG into one of the nation’s model cannabis dispensaries, you have now found your way to Magnolia Wellness, how has your transition gone?

I left BPG 5 years ago, thinking it would be easier to become involved in an Oakland dispensary project. As an Oakland resident, with 5 generations of family having lived here, it was really where my goals were focused. Helping this community grow and thrive is important. I joined the Magnolia Wellness team nearly 2 years ago, as an Ambassador, which was a part time outreach position. Over those same years, I helped a variety of small collectives and cannabis businesses grow, doing coaching, mentoring, and gap management. This gave me a lot of hands on experience with dream building and problem solving, and I developed additional skills helping operationalize a variety of cannabis businesses. And, after leaving BPG, I took over as the Professor of Patient Relations and Procurement and Allocations at Oaksterdam University, which gave me the ability to both teach and learn from people around the world, right at the campus in downtown Oakland.

You rose from Ambassador to Executive Director at Magnolia, any tips for others that start out in a cannabis business with goals of working their way up?

The cannabis industry is built on trust, understanding, and good old fashioned proving yourself. When I arrived at Magnolia Wellness, the leadership told me that there was only one way forward, and that was to work my way up. After two years of dedication to the organization, helping increase membership by over 65% in the last year alone, the board finally adopted me into the role of Executive Director. Magnolia has already been operationalized and running nicely for several years, so I am taking the lead at a dispensary ready to take next steps, fine tuning and building upon existing standard operating procedures. This means a lot of analysis right off, learning what works and does not, and making clear choices about expansion and budgeting. My advice, set your goals, and spend time developing the skills, making the connections, and proving both your abilities and who you are as a person, before expecting a leadership role in the cannabis industry.

Under your leadership, BPG became a shining example of caring for the community as part of a good business model. Can you share some thoughts about that and whether that same focus has carried over to Magnolia?

Yes! Magnolia’s board of directors is staying the same, with some key additions, including a hospice nurse, and they originally built Magnolia using BPG as a model. The founder, Dave Spradlin, has a heart of gold, and has always focused on the “wellness model” as a key to developing the dispensary. This includes offering free services to members, doing community service work in Oakland, donating to key groups like Parents 4 Pot, and giving free medicine to people most in need. Nothing will really change, except that we plan to continue to grow the collective and to fulfill it’s founding vision. As far as my personal long standing goals of ending cannabis prohibition, freeing prisoners, keeping families together, and stopping the misguided war on drugs, we will absolutely keep up that fight, until each person who needs cannabis medicines can receive them and all the people are free.

Any specials or deals of Magnolia’s that you would like to highlight?

Ed Rosenthal and Amber E. Senter have both joined the Magnolia Wellness team last month, so you can expect some epic happenings soon. The first event is our New Year’s Day party, from 12 – 8 PM, with a DJ, free samples, and lots of specials on the cannabis medicines.

Magnolia has a daily deal for members, so each person can choose which day to come to find a deal that meets their medical need and budget. Check out menu at http://magnoliawellness.org/. You can also find the calendar of services here. We are soon launching regular classes and events, and are in the middle of a remodel to help improve patient care. Plus, we are putting all of our cannabis on display in one big case in our lobby, to show off the amazing offerings we have in stock.

California’s legalization battle already seems pretty heated within the community. Can you share any of your initial thoughts and concerns?

Personally, I think it will be important to unite behind one initiative, even if the wording is not perfect and the execution of it does not work out exactly right. As we saw with CA’s Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act, even an imperfect law can accomplish major goals. We have had near legalization for medical patients here for 20 years, which granted has been an uphill battle to implement, but from it sprang legalization around the world. If we have to unite behind the Sean Parker backed initiative to make changes, or at least agree to remain silent in public about concerns, to take steps that will end arrests and free people from jail, we should do that. I favor the Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform initiative, which, if funded, has better language and a greater likelihood of ending prohibition.

To learn from Debby Goldsberry and other activist and industry pioneers, get your tickets to the upcoming ICBC in San Francisco on February 13-14. The first 500 ticket purchasers get exclusive access to a VIP party with Tommy Chong, featuring performances by Rocker-T and hip-hop legend Del the Funky Homosapien. Get your tickets before prices go up and the event sells out.

This International Cannabis Business Conference blog is reposted here with special permission. 

As California, Nevada and other states (and even countries like Canada) move forward with legalization proposals in 2016 and the next few years, they will undoubtedly look at the experiences of states that have already regulated and legalized cannabis commerce among adults. Colorado has gotten the head start in the legalization of recreational marijuana, celebrating three full years of legalization and two full years of state-regulated cannabis commerce. Well, it looks like the legalization experience in Colorado has gone well for the state. Art Way of the Drug Policy Alliance posted about the reduction in arrests, the millions in new revenue and how the sky hasn’t fallen as prohibitionists predicted:

The destruction imagined by opponents of legalization in 2012 never came true and is unlikely to materialize.  Public safety benchmarks are under scrutiny in a manner never seen under prohibition and there is no real cause for panic in the foreseeable future. In short, the current state of legalization is more reflective of the world imagined by proponents – legalization works!

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1) Thousands Not Arrested for Marijuana in Colorado

This initial and foundational aspect of marijuana legalization is often overlooked – marijuana arrests in Colorado have plummeted. We’ve seen possession, cultivation and distribution charges for marijuana cumulatively drop over 80%. Thousands of people in the state are no longer facing the immediate or collateral impact of a marijuana arrest. These thousands we speak of are disproportionally young black and brown men who now face one less obstacle of the many they endure in this country. We’ve also seen all drug-related charges drop by 23% on a judicial district level since the passage of amendment 64.

2) Revenue Allocation for Important Services

Colorado is projected to have brought in over 125 million dollars in taxes for 2015.  These monies are put into a fund to improve local public schools or are collected by the state to be divvied up via the Governor’s allocation plan.  The Governor’s plan provides a snapshot as to what a public health approach to marijuana looks like—funds are distributed to public education, behavioral health, law enforcement and youth prevention.

Regulating an industry for the first time is going to have complications and gowing (yes, pun intended) pains. One of the most difficult tasks is protecting the existing medical program and ensuring that sick and disabled patients, many of whom suffering through poverty as well, something that longtime activists in these early states know all too well already. The desire of the government, and some in the industry, to maximize revenue can come at the expense of patients’ safe access and can lead to unnecessary arrests for marijuana (even after cannabis has been legalized).

Regardless of the difficulties of legalizing cannabis commerce, regulation is a much better policy than prohibition, a harmful policy that imprisons nonviolent citizens and denies patients’ safe access to a safe medicine. But as an industry and community, we can’t ignore the implications of regulations or forget why we sought to legalize cannabis in the first place. The results in Colorado are very promising and will likely lead more states to legalize cannabis, a positive development for the cannabis community and the rest of the country, but let’s hope that some of the millions, if not billions, generated for company and government coffers will go towards helping our most vulnerable patients.

Oregon has had its fair share of marijuana milestones and January 4th is the just the latest. Each milestone, for better or for worse, impacts not only Oregonians, but also cannabis policy across the nation as other states look at states that have reformed their own marijuana policy. How the taxation and commercialization of cannabis commerce for all adults works in Oregon, will impact California, Nevada and the handful of other states likely to have legalization on the ballot in 2016 and the next few years.

Oregon was the first state to decriminalize marijuana in 1973. The Beaver State was then one of the first states to legalize medical cannabis in 1998, the same year that voters rejected the criminalizing marijuana overriding an ill-advised attempt by the 1997 legislature to criminalize personal amounts of cannabis. After becoming the third state to legalize cannabis in 2014, July 1st, 2015, the day that marijuana was legalized for adults over the age of 21, and October 1st, the day that commercial sale of cannabis flower to non-patients, will be remembered by the Oregon cannabis community for years to come.

January 4th, currently, has both mixed messages for the cannabis community and the rest of Oregon. Taxing marijuana 25% to non-patients, as is the current tax rate, has increased the cost to a point that could prop up the illegal market, going against one of the tenets of legalizing marijuana in the first place. Additionally, as entrepreneurs start applying for commercial licenses with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), the state agency charged with regulating the cannabis industry, there is the stark reminder that a legislative compromise allowed much of the state (geographically) to easily ban marijuana businesses.

The easy opt-out of licensed cannabis businesses, is yet another policy that will provide an incentive for the illicit, unregulated market to flourish, going against the will of the voters. Throw in the fact that many cities and counties have implemented burdensome local regulations, many in the Oregon cannabis community are rightfully anxious about how the state moves forward.

Finally, the commercial regulations and the rush to generate revenue and tax dollars in the “Green Rush” of cannabis commerce, may endanger the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) and increase the incentive for some licensed businesses to push for tougher criminal sanctions, in an effort to cut out competition from the unregulated system. The future of cannabis commerce in Oregon looks bright, but at the same time, the policymakers and industry participants need to remember the foundations of cannabis policy–protecting sick and disabled patients and keeping nonviolent people out of prison for cannabis.

Believe it or not, 2016 is already upon us, so it isn’t too late to start planning on your 2016 marijuana events. As usual, our good friends over at The Weed Blog have their finger on the pulse of the cannabis community and have put out a preview of the best marijuana events of 2016. We are very pleased that the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in San Francisco on February 13-14 has made the list. Be sure to check out the entire list and let TWB know if you have any events to add.

While some may argue that we are biased here at Marijuana Politics, as we help organize the ICBC, but we honestly believe that any objective look at the ICBC, will show that it will be one of the best cannabis events of the year. The conference will provide the latest information on marijuana laws in California and other states and countries, provide a glimpse into new laws likely to take effect in the future, have networking events that will benefit any cannabis industry entrepreneur and will be a lot of fun.

Everyone knows that 2016 will be a pivotal year for the marijuana movement in the United States and around the world. All eyes will be on the legalization battle in California. The timing and place of the ICBC will make the conference a go-to event for the California cannabis industry and impact the debate surrounding the political campaign to end cannabis prohibition in the Golden State.

Even though the ICBC will have extensive coverage of all things related to the California cannabis industry,  the event’s experts will provide universal information for the cannabis community, from  helping you deal with the 280E IRS code; pitching your cannabis business to investors; and giving you insight on how you can help craft effect cannabis legislation wherever you may be. In addition to the information, the event will be more fun than any business conference should be. Cannabis comedian extraordinaire Ngaio Bealum will emcee the event, keeping attendees entertained and the first 500 ticket purchasers get exclusive access to a VIP party with Tommy Chong featuring a performance by hip-hop legend Del the Funky Homosapien.

Check out ICBC’s website for more information and tickets and we hope to see you there!