Determining which government agency should regulate marijuana is certainly an important choice for every state that legalizes cannabis. Colorado chose the state revenue department while Washington, Alaska and Oregon went with the respective states’ liquor control commissions. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) has undergone recent turmoil with the firing of their Director of Marijuana Programs, Tom Burns, often referred to as the state’s Marijuana Czar.
Just under a week after the firing of Burns, Oregon State Senator Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) asked the Measure 91 Implementation Committee’s Administrator, Adam Crawford, whether any state had a stand-alone state “cannabis commission” regulating a state’s marijuana industry. Mr. Crawford stated that he was unaware of any cannabis-only regulatory body, but that he would research the matter. Senator Ferrioli, the Senate Republican Leader, then went on to state that, “notwithstanding the heroic efforts of the OLCC staff, my confidence in their ability to manage this program is rapidly diminishing.”
The conservative Republican went on to wonder if the state wasn’t missing an opportunity to utilize experienced cannabis industry participants. The senator’s statements caused quite a stir among the attendees of the hearing as well as among the members of the committee. One lobbyist was overheard stating that Ferrioli “just dropped a bomb.” It looks like controversial times may not be over for the OLCC. Those interested in the rollout of the Measure 91 legalization implementation, stay tuned to Marijuana Politics for updates.
Senator Ferrioli’s questions about the stand-along cannabis commission and his statement about his diminishing confidence in the OLCC start just after the 1:56 mark:
Anthony Johnson
Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign. As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state. Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients. He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm. His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.
