The Oregon Weed Thread -Grows, News and Laws and Whatever

The title says it.
Lets make this a place to post news and information about the cannabis scene in Oregon. Show us your buds, your grows and your favorite dog.
Teach us your tricks.
What are your plans for next season? How are current and proposed laws affecting you and your community? Who got busted. Who made a million. You get the idea....

Wary Oregon wants weaker pot edibles for recreational users

Wary Oregon wants weaker pot edibles for recreational users

When it comes to marijuana-infused edibles, Oregon wants you to know that, like perfume, a little goes a long way.

Snacks and treats made with cannabis are not only tasty but potent. Oregon regulators have come up with rules that would make these products half as strong as what Colorado and Washington allow in part to protect novices, including those whose most recent experience with the drug dates to the Nixon administration.

Oregon and Alaska are part of a second generation of states with legal marijuana markets that see Colorado and Washington not as models but as a cautionary tales about the appeal and pitfalls of cannabis-infused drinks, sweets and foods. In Colorado, home to a robust edibles market, some rookie consumers had high-profile and, in at least one case, tragic experiences after consuming food made with cannabis. Overall, marijuana-related calls to poison centers increased after legalization in both states.

So Oregon has proposed setting its sights lower, hoping weaker marijuana products would ultimately protect two groups: inexperienced consumers who eat too much too quickly only to feel sick and impaired, and preschoolers who end up high, disoriented and, in some cases, hospitalized after snacking on their parents' pot-infused treats.

Practically speaking, Oregon's limits would work like this: A chocolate bar sold on the recreational market would be made up of 5 milligram servings, each marked on the bar itself so the consumer could easily identify a single portion. The whole bar could have no more than 50 milligrams of THC – enough for 10 servings.

Products where individual servings can't easily be marked, say a drink or container of ice cream, would be limited to a total of two servings, or 10 milligrams.

The proposed limits are half of what's allowed in Washington and Colorado, the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Both limit a single serving to 10 milligrams and whole packages to 100 milligrams.

The health authority would allow higher limits for products intended for the medical marijuana market, where patients in general tend to consume more cannabis and use more potent products. These products would be sold only to medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.

Read the whole article... http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2016/01/oregon_proposal_would_mean_wea.html

3 indicted on money laundering and marijuana charges, including former Eugene fire ca

3 indicted on money laundering and marijuana charges, including former Eugene fire ca

A retired Eugene Fire Department captain, his wife and their son, a city of Eugene employee, have been indicted in an alleged money laundering scheme and interstate marijuana distribution operation.

Kenneth Allan Hern, 64; Kathleen Lucille Hern, 65; and Steven Perry Hern, 41, all residents of Trailblazer Court in Lowell, southeast of Eugene, have been charged with unlawful delivery of marijuana for “consideration” and laundering a monetary instrument, according to Lane County Circuit Court records.

Each had entered “not guilty” pleas after an indictment in late November. Each is expected to return to court for a pretrial conference hearing Feb. 24.

Little is known about the details of the case. Kenneth Hern, who served as a Lowell city councilor after he retired from the Eugene Fire Department in 2003, also is facing charges in Maryland.

The Maryland charges include importing 11 pounds to 99 pounds of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute, and possession of marijuana. A jury trial is scheduled in that case for May 24.

Eugene-Springfield Deputy Fire Chief Randy DeWitt said Kenneth Hern began his career with the department in 1974.

According to Steven Hern’s LinkedIn profile, he has worked for the city of Eugene since July 2002 and is a lead fleet service technician in the Public Works Department.

Public works spokesman Brian Richardson said Hern is on administrative leave. Richardson declined further comment because the matter is a personnel issue.

Subbed!

Interest Soars For Oregon Marijuana Licenses

Interest Soars For Oregon Marijuana Licenses



There’s been a lot of interest in opening a licensed recreational marijuana business in Oregon. The state received nearly 200 paid submissions in the first two days since it began taking applications.

More than half of those applications are from aspiring recreational marijuana growers. The rest are from retailers, processors, and wholesalers. More than a third of the initial applications are from the Portland metro area. The rest are scattered around western and southern Oregon.

That’s due in part to the fact that many cities and counties east of the Cascades have banned marijuana-related businesses. That could change later this year when voters in many of those places will have the chance to overturn the ban on their November ballot.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission said it expects the first set of recreational marijuana stores to open this fall. Limited recreational sales are currently allowed at medical marijuana dispensaries.

opb.org

I was surprised to not see any rec grow applicants in the yamhill county Willamette Valley region even though its not banned there.

bigdank said:

I was surprised to not see any rec grow applicants in the yamhill county Willamette Valley region even though its not banned there.

Click to expand...

That IS surprising. Seems like it would be a natural fit. Some growers are probably going to hold on to OMMP as long as they can. I was ready to do half an acre outdoor over here but they banned it in December.

The Leafly Marketwatch: What Percentage of Your Dispensary Visitors are Out-of-State?

The Leafly Marketwatch: What Percentage of Your Dispensary Visitors are Out-of-State?

Oregon

Oregon’s traffic data looks like a reversal of Washington’s, with over 39% of out-of-state traffic coming from its northern neighbor and 30% originating from California.



Tourism is a likely factor here since Oregon is sandwiched between Washington and California, making it an appealing destination for a quick cannabis-friendly weekend getaway.

Texas? Really? Wonder why that is.

Marijuana use among Oregon adults higher than rest of country

Marijuana use among Oregon adults higher than rest of country

Good news for all of us in the industry.

Marijuana use among adults 26 and older in Oregon has doubled since 2006, while at the same time use has gone up only slightly in the rest of the country.

Overall, 1 in 10 adults in Oregon said they use the drug, which remains especially popular with young men. Oregon's marijuana use among adults has exceeded national trends for the past decade.

The Oregon Health Authority this month issued a report detailing marijuana trends and attitudes among Oregonians. It is the state's first comprehensive review of the latest government public health surveys looking at who consumes marijuana in Oregon and how frequently, as well as attitudes about cannabis, which is now legal for recreational use.

http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2016/01/marijuana_use_among_oregon_adu.html

Oregon flags potential problem with popular pesticide used on marijuana

Oregon flags potential problem with popular pesticide used on marijuana

The Oregon Department of Agriculture on Friday temporarily removed a popular pesticide from its list of chemicals cannabis growers may use on their crop.

Rodger Voelker, a chemist with OG Analytical, a marijuana testing lab in Eugene, said he recently noticed that abamectin, a common insecticide, had turned up in a handful of cannabis samples submitted by growers who said they grew organically. One mentioned he used only Guardian Mite Spray. Voelker asked for a sample of the mite spray, tested it and detected abamectin, an active ingredient not listed on the product label.

Voelker alerted agriculture officials about his results on Thursday since the mite spray is included on the state's newly released list of pesticides growers may be able to use on their plants. The product is marketed as an all natural pesticide containing products like cinnamon oil and lemon grass oil.

The state on Friday issued a bulletin "out of an abundance of caution" alerting cannabis growers to a potential labeling problem with the mite spray and advising them not to use the product and retailers not to sell it "until further notice."

Bruce Pokarney, a spokesman for the agency, said state officials alerted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates pesticides, about the product.

Pokarney said the state on Friday bought the product from a Portland grow shop and will attempt to test it to see if it contains active ingredients not listed on the label.

"This is essentially a routine sample and testing protocol that we use in the course of a pesticide investigation," he said in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

A man identifying himself as an owner of the Illinois-based company that makes the product said it contains ivermectin, a chemical similar to abamectin. Ivermectin is not listed on the product label as required.

The man said he did not realize the product label had to include all active ingredients. He said the product has been on the market for about a year.

"We weren't trying to pull anything," he said. "We put it in there, and it wasn't on the label and that's our fault."

Neil Bernstein, who owns Roots Garden Supply, a North Portland grow shop that serves cannabis growers, said the product was very popular among growers for its effectiveness against mites.

"This product became wildly popular because it was more effective than a harsh chemical," he said.

Bernstein said he removed the product from his shelves on Friday.

oregonlive.com

Springfield man injured after home bursts into flames; hash oil explosion suspected

Springfield man injured after home bursts into flames; hash oil explosion suspected

SPRINGFIELD — A 35-year-old Springfield resident suffered life-*threatening burns Sunday night when a duplex on Second Street went up in flames.

Although the cause of the fire has not been confirmed, Springfield police detective David Lewis said the fire has “all the earmarkings of someone cooking hash without ventilating the room properly.”

Many residents reported hearing explosions coming from the building just before the upper half of the residence ignited at 8:42 p.m., police said. The explosions continued once the fire began.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, but the only person home at the time, Jacob Donald Eisel, was found with severe burns. He was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend for treatment, according to authorities.

Deputy fire marshals from Eugene *Springfield Fire are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Police on Monday morning said criminal conduct had not been substantiated. On Monday afternoon, Lewis said cooking hash and extracting oil is a criminal offense.

Hash oil is typically made by dissolving marijuana leaves in liquid butane and cooking it.


http://registerguard.com/rg/news/lo...il-explosion-suspected-by-detectives.html.csp

OLCC Announces Workshops for Cannabis Tracking System (CTS)

OLCC Announces Workshops for Cannabis Tracking System (CTS)

OLCC Announces Workshops for Cannabis Tracking System (CTS)

Licensees Required to Understand, Implement CTS

First Workshops Slated for Portland - February 3rd & 4th

January 26, 2015

Portland, Oregon – The Oregon Liquor Control Commission along with Franwell Metrc™, its vendor partner, will provide a series of workshops across the state of Oregon to give prospective licensees in Oregon’s Recreational Marijuana system an overview of the state’s Cannabis Tracking System (CTS). The workshops are the first of four phases of training that will be made available to prospective licensees and licensees.

The first workshops will be presented on Wednesday, January 3 and Thursday, January 4, 2016 at the Portland Expo Center. There will be two sessions each day; the morning session starts at 8:30 a.m., and the afternoon session begins at 1 p.m.

Additional workshops are scheduled in:

Ashland on Wednesday, February 10

Salem on Thursday, February 11

Eugene on Wednesday, February 17

Newport on Thursday, February 18


A workshop will be scheduled for the Bend area the week of February 22 – 26. Locations will be announced at a later date.

Participants can register for the workshops here.

The workshops will be open to the following: a recreational marijuana businesses’ primary point of contact (e.g. – business manager, operations manager) plus one employee who has submitted recreational marijuana applications to the OLCC; Oregon Health Authority Medical Marijuana Dispensary licensees; law enforcers. Other individuals, who have a compelling reason for attending, may contact the OLCC to attend a workshop, but attendance is at the discretion of the OLCC and Franwell and will be on a space available basis.

During the half-day workshops, Franwell will provide a detailed overview and demonstration of the Metrc CTS. Workshop participants will learn about Metrc’s functionality, its utilization, and how it will be deployed. Franwell and OLCC representatives will lead a discussion and answer questions about Metrc and the CTS program.

The workshop will include a presentation covering the importance of the CTS, the Metrc implementation schedule, system hardware and cloud requirements, credentialing, serialization and tagging, transfers and sales, and technical support.

An on-demand video version of the workshop will be available to the general public in late February.

A link to the workshop registration tool can be found on the OLCC Recreational Marijuana website at www.marijuana.oregon.gov.

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Texas is big, lots of texans, maybe they drive, maybe they mail, theres a novelty factor living in the balls of the police state. All this shit happening in cali makes me look up north to you guys in Oregon enviously. But it looks like you guys are dealing with a lot of local bans too?

_tessarecting said:

Texas is big, lots of texans, maybe they drive, maybe they mail, theres a novelty factor living in the balls of the police state. All this shit happening in cali makes me look up north to you guys in Oregon enviously. But it looks like you guys are dealing with a lot of local bans too?

Click to expand...

We are dealing with major changes too up north!!

Big Weed = Bad News for Oregon Growers

Big Weed = Bad News for Oregon Growers

Advantis Corp. Steps Toward Oregon Cannabis Market

ADVANTIS CORPORATION (OTC PINK: ADVT) announced last week that they were searching for a west coast distribution hub in Oregon. The company posted pictures of various prospects on their Facebook page, and announced today that they have formed a new Oregon subsidiary, Advantis Cannabis, LLC.

Company consultants toured several possible buildings and guided CEO, Jeremy Foti, to inspect what he said was the ideal location. Company Director and Media Relations contact, Woo Kim, said, "We are excited to have found what we were looking for. Once we secure this warehouse, we will finally have a place to house our Supercritical CO2 Extraction machine and efficiently create concentrates, vapor oils, beverages, and edibles; predictively large revenue streams will soon follow."

Oregon law currently states that only companies within the state can do business in the legal marijuana industry, however, there are current bills in the legislature that will allow others to participate. The company specifically formed Advantis Cannabis, LLC to comply with the local laws. "This is a calculated movement to ensure proper compliance with Oregon marijuana laws. We are applying for the necessary licensing and are establishing our footprint in the state," Kim said, "Advantis Cannabis, LLC will only operate and provide its products within the state of Oregon, and we will create several new job opportunities for Oregonians."

With the new LLC, efforts to attain proper licensing, and the prospect of the new manufacturing and distribution hub, Advantis is poised to be a leader in the burgeoning Oregon legal cannabis industry. Kim was excited for the prospects in the state, saying, "This is an exciting new marketplace with tremendous opportunity, and Advantis may well be on its way to being on the leading edge." Kim later stated that there will be several updates in the coming weeks as they work to secure the building and licenses to begin the operations of Advantis Cannabis, LLC.

Kim encouraged shareholders to visit the Advantis Facebook site to view pictures from the Oregon warehouse visits.

ABOUT Advantis Corporation Advantis Corporation (ADVT) focuses on the development of innovative products that supply the medical, research, and pharmaceutical industries. The company additionally establishes domestic and international partnerships with businesses that develop and sell proprietary consumer products and services. Product lines for consumer health care, music and entertainment sectors are in development.

money.cnn.com

Medical Marijuana Patients Harmed By Oregon’s New Rules

Medical Marijuana Patients Harmed By Oregon’s New Rules

When House Bill (HB) 3400 was signed in to law by Oregon’s new Governor, Kate Brown, on June 30th, 2015, which regulated and restricted the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP), patients expected to be able to study the 111 page document and plan for how to operate legally. Typically bills that change state laws will stipulate several months or multiple years before implementation which helps people learn the new changes and plan accordingly. These changes have major implications to the people in the OMMP who would be committing a crime if they are ill-informed.

Northwest Alternative Health which runs medical marijuana clinics is one of my clients and I am in charge of helping run their Eugene clinics. The last time there was a change to the medical marijuana program was when the state added a reduced rate for an OMMP application for veterans deemed 100% disabled or receiving 100% pension by the VA. When this change occurred, a letter was sent to OMMP clinics to inform us of the change.

Roughly two months after HB 3400 was signed, medical marijuana patients who signed up after July 1st, 2015 started receiving letters from the OMMP stating that they needed to submit a grower residency form. Clinics, patients and growers were caught off guard wondering why the OHA was implementing this part of the bill so early. HB 3400 states on page 109 Section 173. (2) “the authority may not require proof of residency for any person whose name is included in the application for renewing a marijuana grow site registration or renewing a medical marijuana dispensary registration until January 1, 2016.” This means the OHA could have waited until January 1st 2016 to institute grower residency rules but they chose to do it on the earliest possible date. The OHA decided the rule went into effect July 1st 2015 with no warning, which was the day after the Governor signed the bill.

http://marijuanapolitics.com

This Oregon newspaper just grew its own marijuana strain

This Oregon newspaper just grew its own marijuana strain



The Oregonian is embracing state-legal marijuana and sharing the experience.

The Oregonian, a major daily newspaper based in Portland, has created its own marijuana strain and shared the harvesting and preparation process in a recent post.

Oregonian writer and reporting cannabis cultivator Teresa Mahoney’s pot diary details what it was like to grow marijuana indoors, a process that took about 12 weeks.

She says the indoor-grown plants turned out to be much more “attractive” than previous outdoor-grown plants did.

Mahoney shares a few useful pot-growing tips, too, like how to tell when your marijuana is ripe and how to harvest, trim and cure cannabis for consumption.

As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana, home cultivation is growing in popularity — as have the number of devices invented to make indoor home growing easier.

http://extract.suntimes.com/information-resources/10/153/12775/oregonian-just-grew-marijuana-strain

Hey Oregon brothers and sisters I am going to be visiting my in-laws in Oregon the second half of March we will be in vacouver Washington also and this is a borderline cry for help.... I would love nothing more than to find some quality seeds to bring back to my prohibition state if anyone knows how or could help me make this happen I would be extremely grateful.

Sad and Bad News for Oregon Growers

Sad and Bad News for Oregon Growers

Oregon's medical marijuana advocates say the state's proposed rules for production impose expensive and unnecessary burdens on growers and will ultimately harm patients who rely on the drug to cope with a wide range of health problems.

The Oregon Health Authority's draft rules, set to take effect March 1, are part of a sweeping law passed last year that regulates Oregon's cannabis industry.

The proposed requirements represent regulators' efforts to put some checks on medical marijuana production in a state where growers have operated largely without oversight for more than a decade. The rules call for round-the-clock security and regular reports to the health authority about how many plants a grower has and where their harvests ended up.

The health authority also may inspect grow sites with more than a dozen plants or those selling marijuana to processors or dispensaries.

Growers who plan to move cannabis into the dispensary market or those who grow for more than two patients or for a patient who doesn't live on the property are most affected by the proposed rules. Patients who grow their own medical marijuana or those who grow for one other person on their property also face new requirements, though they are not as extensive.

Many in Oregon's medical marijuana community have pressed the state to delay implementing the rules until next year. They argue that the health authority has not notified growers of the particular changes that impact them and that those who do know about the rules don't have enough time to comply.

"Most growers and patients have no idea about this yet," said Cedar Grey, a Williams grower with the Oregon Sungrown Growers Guild, which represents outdoor growers in southern Oregon. "And it completely changes the program."

Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, a staunch advocate of the state's medical marijuana program, blasted the health authority in an interview Thursday with The Oregonian/OregonLive, saying the agency has "run amok."

"The proposed rules are a direct assault on the (medical marijuana) program and the small family farm," said Prozanski.

Among the new requirements:

Record keeping: Growers must establish online accounts with the health authority where they are required to file monthly reports on the number of plants they have, their harvests and how much they transferred overall to dispensaries and patients.

Reporting requirements: Medical marijuana growers producing cannabis for dispensaries, more than two patients or patients who live off the property must track their use of pesticides and fertilizers. They are required, under the draft rules, to list the names of products they use, the dates they used them, the names of those who applied them and how much was used. Those records must be kept for two years.

Plant limits: Starting March 1, medical marijuana growers who grow in residential areas within city limits can have up to a dozen plants. If the site isn't in a residential zone or is outside of city limits, then growers are allowed up to 48 plants.

"Grandfathered" grow sites: Some medical marijuana producers may be eligible to have more plants, depending on the number of patients who were on their rolls on Jan. 1, 2015. Those limits are capped at 24 plants for people living in residential areas within a city and 96 for those outside of those areas.

Residency requirements: For the first time, the Oregon Legislature has imposed a residency requirement for growers and patients. People registered as growers on or before Jan. 1, 2015, must prove they've lived in the state for the past year. Otherwise, they must show proof that they've lived in Oregon for the previous two years. Patients also must be Oregon residents.

Water rights: The proposed rule requires that growers have a water right for irrigation or "nursery use" and that they have "legal authorization" to use the water.

Under a provision of last year's landmark marijuana regulatory law, growers may be reimbursed by patients for their labor, something previously not allowed.

That change, health authority officials said, means marijuana production becomes a "commercial enterprise," which subjects growers to "existing water laws that they haven't been subject to before," health authority spokesman Jonathan Modie said.

Security: Growers must install round-the-clock camera surveillance with video backup for two years. The system must be equipped with motion sensors. Cannabis must be stored in a locked safe or vault.

Ourso said growers may apply for waivers from the security requirement. He said growers may cite cost and practicality as reasons for the request.

Native American church sues postal service over seizure of 'sacramental' marijuana

Native American church sues postal service over seizure of 'sacramental' marijuana

Leaders of a Native American church have sued the U.S. Postal Service in federal court after the government seized marijuana that church leaders say was intended for religious use by a member in Ohio.

Leaders of the Utah-based Oklehueha Native American Church said the federal government violated their right to religious freedom when authorities seized marijuana intended for use as part of "Native American spiritual healing practices" by a member who suffers from cancer.

Joy Graves leads a Cottage Grove branch of the church. Graves and James Mooney, the church's spiritual leader, are listed as plaintiffs in the suit, filed this month in U.S. District Court in Portland.

The church, which the suit says serves the Oglala Sioux Tribe of Pine Ridge as well as other Native American tribes, incorporates "medicine men," cannabis "and various other natural herbs and plants" into its religious practices, according to court documents.

The suit claims that the church's use of the U.S. Postal Service to send "sacramental cannabis" to a member in Ohio are protected by the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which among other things protects Native American use of peyote.

In a written statement, the U.S. Postal Service said the package was seized "based on obvious signs that it contained a controlled substance... Under federal law, regardless of state law, a person is prohibited from sending controlled substances -- such as marijuana -- through the mail."

In early December, Graves attempted to mail a package that included about five ounces of marijuana to the Ohio church member. Graves sent the package via priority mail from a Eugene post office.

Later that month, Graves learned that law enforcement seized the package at a postal facility in Portland. Graves, according to the suit, told the official that the marijuana was to be used as part of the church's "spiritual healing practices."

oregonlive.com