This past month has been a frenzy for leaders in cannabis reform in Oregon. In case you missed it, Tom Burns got fired, the medical marijuana community is at war with Oregon legislators who are trying to impose grow limits, inspections, and fees, and no one yet knows where they […]

I was enraged when I read an article in the Bend Bulletin about the new Rules Advisory Committee for implementing legal marijuana in Oregon. The article was entitled “To form new marijuana laws, state picks from group that broke old ones”. “A review by The Bulletin of the members’ backgrounds […]

A recent post on D.A.R.E.’s website claimed that edible marijuana was responsible for the deaths of nine people in Colorado and another twelve people at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California earlier this year. While the headline blames marijuana directly for the deaths of these people, it […]

I understand that we are all battle weary, but we must remember that we are working for a common goal. Votes have been expected on Senate Bill 844 the last three times the Measure 91 Committee has met and a vote was certainly expected last Monday, but the vote hasn’t proceeded […]

Monday, May 4th, is likely the last chance to protect Oregon Medical Marijuana patients by letting the Oregon Legislature’s Implementing Measure 91 Committee know that limiting patient grow sites will end up hurting the sickest and poorest patients. Please contact legislators and urge them to vote “NO” on Senate Bill […]

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) had been a great success that has helped thousands upon thousands of patients and generated millions of dollars for the state.  As a medical cannabis clinic owner, I have personally seen the medical program improve the lives of thousands of patients. When the Oregon Measure […]

As a businessman myself, I usually don’t begrudge people for making a profit. But as an activist, brought up under the apprenticeship of cannabis icon Jack Herer, I have to speak my mind when money and profits are put ahead of the people, the voters and disabled patients; especially under […]

There are many reasons to support marijuana legalization. Some are interested in social justice, others in the economics and additional tax revenue that can be generated. New jobs can be exciting jobs to many people, especially during tough economic times. Why do I support marijuana legalization? For me it’s personal. […]

(Photo credit: Jeff Mapes of The Oregonian) Progressive Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer has been a longtime marijuana law reformer, working to improve our laws since the early 1970s. It is no surprise when he speaks out on marijuana issues, even when he reaches across the political divide to recruit conservatives […]

Yesterday’s meeting of the Oregon State Joint Legislative Committee on Measure 91 Implementation was set to gavel to a close when State Senator and Republican Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli blasted the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s ability to handle the task of regulating recreational marijuana, explaining, “Notwithstanding the heroic efforts of […]

Oregon, the third state to vote in favor of cannabis legalization, will actually be the fourth (fifth, if you add in Washington, D.C.) state to legalize marijuana on July 1st of this year. Cannabis commerce among adults over the age of 21 won’t be legal until 2016 (likely the latter […]

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (OMMBC) was by all accounts a great success, complete with news and notes about activism, culture and, of course, business. Typical of both the OMMBC and the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC), these conferences, lead by my friend and colleague Alex Rogers (longtime activist […]

Oregon Measure 91 was a well thought-out proposal to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana. Just over 56% of Oregon voters supported the measure after four previous attempts at legalizing cannabis commerce failed at the ballot (two legalization and two medical). The local control and taxation issues were taken from Oregon […]

In the marijuana movement, there are visionary and prophets that have been shouting about the many benefits of cannabis and the ills of prohibition for decades. If there were a “Marijuana Mount Rushmore,” most people would put the late Jack Herer up there first and foremost. These visionary prophets aren’t […]

What good is a democracy if what the people vote for is ignored? It’s a question I’ve been pondering since Oregon passed its marijuana legalization initiative, Measure 91, with the greatest margin of support for any state that has legalized marijuana, 56.1 percent.  More Oregonians voted for legalized marijuana than […]