Marijuana is big news for the media these days and 2015 was no different. After 56% of Oregon voters chose to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana by passing Measure 91 last November, the Beaver State officially became the fourth state to legalize marijuana possession on July 1st. Since Washington State doesn’t allow home cultivation, Oregon became the third state to legalize cannabis cultivation. Thanks to Oregon legislators wisely deciding that adults over the age of 21 could legally purchase marijuana flowers from existing medical marijuana dispensaries, the state became the third to regulate cannabis sales.
While 2015 was a year of milestones, there is also uncertainty. While the Oregon Legislature made some positive policy decisions, such as ending most marijuana felony offenses, some bad decisions will end up hurting patients. Cities and counties across the state, especially in Eastern Oregon, have banned marijuana businesses and various rules and regulations have plenty of industry participants nervous. Of course, The Oregonian was covering all things cannabis and has a rundown of the paper’s biggest marijuana stories of 2015:
How potent are marijuana edibles? Lab tests yield surprising results: Oregon assures consumers that medical cannabis and cannabis-infused products undergo a battery of lab tests for everything from pesticides to potency before landing on dispensary shelves. Yet when it comes to potency that promise is largely an empty one, a three-month investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive found.
An investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive finds lax state rules, inconsistent lab practices and inaccurate test results put pesticide-contaminated marijuana concentrates onto dispensary shelves.
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Southern Oregon pot harvest got underway, but some growers wary of new market: One year after Oregonians voted to legalize recreational marijuana, the landscape has shifted dramatically in rural southern Oregon, center stage for the state’s outdoor marijuana economy. The number of large-scale medical marijuana grow sites has skyrocketed in Josephine and Jackson counties in the past year, far outpacing the rest of the state, an analysis by The Oregonian/OregonLive shows. Many of the region’s outdoor growers hustled to plant the hottest strains to supply dispensaries in Portland, where marijuana grown indoors has traditionally dominated the market.
The testing of marijuana will likely continue to be a big story as we move into the new year, impacting not only Oregon cannabis consumers, but also other states looking to legalize cannabis in 2016 and beyond. Our own investigation of marijuana products unfortunately found some rather alarming results in CO2 products and some in the industry are pushing for increased testing standards immediately. The potential closure of private cannabis clubs has already become a serious issue for the cannabis community and advocates will be looking for a legislative fix. Activists will also be working hard to try and stave off new regulations that will force patients to lose their grower. While 2016 is full of uncertainties, we can certainly expect for the cannabis community to continue fighting for freedom and equality.
