Tag: Oregon

Oregon Republican lawmakers in the House last week unveiled a proposal that would re-criminalize drug possession in the state by reassigning misdemeanor penalties for drug possession and mandating addiction treatment to avoid jail, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. The bill seeks to override the state’s 2020 voter-approved drug decriminalization initiative, Measure 110, by making persona possession of fentanyl, heroin, and meth a class A misdemeanor with jail time penalties of up to one year, a fine of up to $6,250, or both,… Read more.

Oregon House Republican lawmakers on Thursday released details of a proposal that would end Measure 110 by mandating misdemeanor penalties for drug possession and treatment to avoid jail. House Republicans want to make possession of small amounts of fentanyl, heroin and meth a Class A misdemeanor, which carries up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $6,250, or both. Under the bill, users could avoid jail time with mandatory addiction treatment. The bill also would impose a… Read more.

Have you ever pondered the landscape of cannabis regulations across the United States? Amid a shifting legal terrain where nearly half of the states have embraced recreational cannabis and 38 have legalized medical marijuana, the complexities abound. Despite federal law maintaining cannabis as an illegal substance, each state charts its course with unique rules and regulations. Deciding on the optimal cannabis state involves considering various factors, such as whether the state permits medical, recreational, or both cannabis programs, the presence of… Read more.

Once again, Oregon's cannabis producers have faced an oversupply issue, as revealed in a recent report. This perpetuates the ongoing challenge of excess marijuana within the state's regulated cannabis industry. Throughout much of the current year, analyses of Oregon's cannabis production indicated a downward trajectory compared to the previous year, resulting in a slight uptick in prices. However, a November 20 report by state economists Mark McMullen and Josh Lehner unveils that the fall harvest of outdoor cannabis this year surpassed… Read more.

Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D), a founding member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, on Monday announced he will not seek reelection. In a Facebook post, Blumenauer, who served as a member of Congress for 27 years, said “Now, it is time to refocus on a narrower set of priorities.”   Blumenauer served as an Oregon state lawmaker in 1973 when the state decriminalized cannabis and has been an ardent supporter of federal cannabis reforms since his election to the House of Representatives in 1996. He… Read more.

Cannabis cultivation in the United States traces its roots to the early colonists, who cultivated hemp primarily for textile and rope production. However, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, cannabis found extensive `use as a patented medicinal remedy, with its formal inclusion in the United States Pharmacopeia occurring in 1850. In 1937, cannabis was criminalized. The criminalization of marijuana was influenced by a combination of political and racial factors and was achieved through the enactment of the Marijuana Tax… Read more.

Utah-based startup reepher has applied to sell insurance in Oregon which would cover the cost of defending a cannabis DUI, Axios reports. The cheapest reepher product offered costs $15 monthly and offers $15,000 in potential coverage, including up to $8,000 in attorney fees and $1,500 to recover a towed vehicle.   The company launched in late 2021 and currently operates in Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, according to the reepher website.  CEO Justin Kahn told Axios that, to date, the company has… Read more.

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission has approved the sale and transfer of marijuana products that previously tested positive for Aspergillus, a mold variety that has prompted product recalls in various markets. This regulatory decision now enables the release of 2,500 pounds of cannabis and 65,000 infused pre-roll units, initially withheld due to mold concerns, for distribution through licensed channels, as detailed in a news release. In May, the Oregon Health Authority implemented fresh regulations for cannabis producers, enforcing a… Read more.

A group in Oregon wants to make drug possession a crime again, having unveiled two versions of a would-be ballot initiative that would undo key provisions of Measure 110, the 2020 voter-approved measure that decriminalized simple possession of all drugs. The proposal—which backers say they’ll pursue both through the state legislature and at the ballot box, if necessary—would make it a misdemeanor crime to possess certain “hard” drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and others. It would also create a… Read more.

According to a study conducted by scholars from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Oregon State University, utilizing national data, it was discovered that in states where recreational marijuana had been legalized, non-college-bound young adults exhibited a higher propensity to become frequent marijuana users compared to their counterparts in states where it remained illegal. These research findings have been documented in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Following the legalization of marijuana at the state level, it was observed that… Read more.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) are again expanding representation of the hemp industry in federal trade advisory committees, doubling the number of officials who will help bolster cannabis commerce. On Thursday, USDA and USTR announced the appointments of two more hemp officials: one a top regulator for the crop in Oregon and the other a member of the National Industrial Hemp Council of America (NIHC). That raises the total number… Read more.

A congressional leader on marijuana reform is marking the 50-year anniversary of his home state’s historic move to decriminalize cannabis and calling on the federal government to “catch up.” Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said in a floor speech on Friday that this week represents half a century since Oregon moved to decriminalize marijuana—an effort he helped to advance while he was serving in the state legislature. “I was honored to be a part of… Read more.

The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, a CNN Original, continues with immersive new reporting from CNN Correspondent David Culver, as he travels to Jamaica to explore the therapeutic benefits of medically supervised consumption of psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms. “Magic Mushrooms: Can They Change Your Mind?” premieres Sunday, June 18 at 8pm ET/PT. The naturally stunning landscape of Jamaica is the backdrop for a resort that hosts psychedelic retreats, where it is legal to grow and consume magic mushrooms.… Read more.

Federal criminal investigators in late May sent subpoenas to five Oregon agencies for records concerning former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and the owners of cannabis company La Mota, Aaron Mitchell and Rosa Cazares, whom Fagan worked for as a private consultant, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.  Fagan stepped down from her government role on May 8 after it was discovered that she had taken the consultant role and her office had prepared an audit of state cannabis regulations that was viewed as favorable to cannabis companies.  … Read more.

Oregon's leading cannabis company, Chalice, is grappling with a severe financial crisis that has prompted significant measures. According to the ‘Willamette Week’, the company, burdened by debts exceeding $35 million, has filed a request with the Multnomah County court to place five of its subsidiary companies under the control of a receiver. Notably, Chalice operates 15 dispensaries across the state. This recent court action sheds light on the dire situation that Oregon's third-largest dispensary chain faces. Small cannabis businesses have accused Chalice… Read more.

OUR busy lives can lead many to find solutions to stress, such as hobbies and therapy, but this man is one of many beginning to administer a unique solution. Nate Howard is one of the first licensed "shamans" who is helping administer magic mushrooms to help those struggling with PTSD, depression and anxiety. Oregon began issuing licenses this year for those looking to guide others through their "trips", but Nate says the interest in psilocybin is nationwide. Consuming the drug can be… Read more.

Following voters' narrow approval of a measure on the 2022 November ballot, Colorado became the second state in the U.S. to legalize the use of psychedelic drugs. This decision indicates the increasing acceptance and use of psychedelic substances nationwide. So far, a dozen counties and cities in the U.S. have decriminalized psilocybin or psilocin, two psychedelic compounds found in "magic mushrooms." As we covered at the Benzinga Psychedelics Show in Miami, what states are more being more progressive about LSD, mushrooms, and… Read more.

In a letter to lawmakers, the Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon asked that a bill currently being considered by the House be amended to prevent La Mota – the cannabis company that had hired former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan as a consultant – from continuing its expansion in the state, according to a Willamette Week report outlining the letter. In the letter, the organization said that “Companies that display a flagrant disregard for state laws and fair business practices have no… Read more.

The Oregon secretary of state’s office released an audit of the state’s regulation of the cannabis industry on Friday on the heels of revelations that the agency’s head, Shemia Fagan, accepted a side job as consultant to a cannabis company in February. Fagan’s consulting work with Veriede Holding LLC, an affiliate of La Mota cannabis dispensary chain, was first reported by Willamette Week on Thursday. The next day, secretary of state officials released the audit and took steps to distance Fagan from… Read more.

United Kingdom-based CBD and wellness brand Naturecan acquired the IAH Oregon cannabidiol production facility in the U.S. for 8 million pounds (roughly $10 million). Naturecan did not specify how it would satisfy the price of the acquisition. IAH Oregon, headquartered in Medford, previously produced the CBD used in Naturecan products, according to a news release issued Wednesday. “Now Naturecan will ramp up production of its global supplies of CBD oils, snacks, protein supplements, vitamins and balms as well as supplying… Read more.

A “series of cascading failures” was responsible for Dutchie’s e-commerce platform outage that impacted marijuana retailers on 4/20, the company admitted. As a make-good, Dutchie CEO Tim Barash promised to pay out retailers that use the Oregon-based cannabis tech platform “an amount equivalent to our estimate of your lost profits” during the Thursday interruptions. After reporting “elevated error rates” on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dutchie’s e-commerce platforms went down for a part of Thursday, one of the busiest sales days of the year for… Read more.

A survey published Monday by Real Estate Witch found Portland, Oregon is the best city for cannabis in the U.S., while Birmingham, Alabama ranked as the worst. Among cities where cannabis is legal for adult use, Richmond, Virginia was the lowest-ranked, followed by Virginia Beach and Washington, D.C.  Portland earned the top spot due, in part, to the affordable cannabis prices in the city, where an ounce of “high quality” cannabis costs about $210 – about $106 less than the national average… Read more.

Oregon regulators have approved the nation’s first-ever psilocybin production license under a novel state-based regulatory framework for broad access to the psychedelic that voters approved in 2020. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced on Wednesday that they’ve granted a psilocybin manufacturer license to the woman-owned business Satori Farms PDX LLC. The so-called magic mushrooms produced at the manufacturing facility will help supply future businesses where people can go to have the psychedelic administered in a supervised environment. Regulators were tasked… Read more.

The 2023 Recreational Marijuana Supply and Demand Legislative report from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission states that per-gram cannabis prices in Oregon have decreased by 16% from the previous year, reaching an all-time low of $4. According to the OLCC, the market demand for marijuana in Oregon was estimated to be 52% of the supply in 2021 and 63% in 2022. Despite the deteriorating market conditions, 2022 was closer to achieving supply/demand equilibrium than 2021. This was due to OLCC Producers… Read more.