Recently, I had heard from a friend that owns an Oregon medical cannabis dispensary, that there was a cart driving around Portland, Oregon, offering “free” marijuana while charging for waterproof containers. My dispensary-owning friend wasn’t exactly happy about the fact that his state-licensed business must pay a $4,000 fee to the Oregon Health Authority, comply with numerous safety regulations and undergo audits and inspections, while someone else can seemingly provide medical marijuana completely unlicensed and unregulated.

The Oregonian has confirmed the existence of this cart, with a few photos of the “Smoke Buddy”. Jessica and Larry, owners of the Smoke Buddy cart claim to provide organic cannabis, while not accepting “donations” larger than $100.

The Oregonian reports:

In a city where nearly every type of food can be found in a mobile cart, it’s no wonder someone adopted that model for medical marijuana.

It took less than a week for local residents Larry and Jessica, who declined to give surnames, to build their “Smoke Buddy” cart, complete with Rastafari colors and a green cross.

The pair have taken it to several neighborhoods around Portland in the past week.

The concept of providing “free” marijuana to go along with other goods and services isn’t a new one, but a mobile cart that plays into Portland’s love of food carts is certainly unique. If the state decides to allow such carts, I imagine that licensed and regulated dispensaries will open up their own carts. If they can’t beat the low prices offered by the carts, then, like any other business, they’ll just join ’em.

Update: Oregon state officials state that the Smoke Buddy isn’t exactly street legal.

From The Oregonian:

A mobile cart selling marijuana in Portland is illegal, the Oregon Health Authority said Monday.

The Smoke Buddy cart has been seen in North Portland. Jonathan Modie, a spokesman for the health authority, which oversees the state’s dispensary system, said mobile marijuana operations and delivery services are illegal underOregon’s rules.

“Any transfer of marijuana to or from a dispensary must take place at the registered address of the dispensary,” the state notes on its dispensary website.

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.