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

[OregonBorn]

OMMP Admits to Problems

OMMP Admits to Problems

ABC News:

The agency overseeing Oregon's legal medical marijuana industry conceded in a report Thursday it has not provided effective oversight of growers and others in the industry, creating opportunities for weed to be diverted to the black market. The blunt internal review echoes complaints from federal authorities that Oregon hasn't adequately controlled its marijuana businesses, and that overproduction of pot is feeding a black market in states that haven't legalized it. Oregon was one of the first states to legalize medical marijuana in 1998, and in 2014 voters approved allowing recreational use. The state's struggle to transform a business that for decades had operated illegally in the shadows into a regulated industry sets an example for other states moving toward legalization.

Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen ordered the internal review amid complaints from state and local law enforcement officials about lack of oversight of the pot industry. The health authority directs the state's Medical Marijuana Program, while the Liquor Control Commission regulates recreational pot.The review showed there were more than 20,000 grow sites, but only 58 inspections were carried out in 2017. The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program has far too few inspectors, while the tracking of growers and the pot they produce has been inadequate and inaccurate, the report concluded. "Potentially erroneous reporting coupled with low reporting compliance makes it difficult to accurately track how much product is in the medical system," the report said. "This limits OMMP's ability to successfully identify and address potential diversion."

The report said the medical marijuana oversight agency lacks reliable, independent tools to validate grow site locations and relies on inconsistent county databases. Law enforcement authorities say they often have trouble identifying which marijuana growers are legal. Seen from a helicopter just before harvest season, marijuana grows are like a green patchwork across one southwestern county, one drug enforcement officer recalled.

In Deschutes County, the sheriff and district attorney in February went public with their frustrations, saying the state was allowing black market operations to proliferate through lack of oversight. They asked the Health Authority to provide a list of medical marijuana grow sites, but the agency refused, saying the law doesn't permit it to provide such a list. The agency could only respond on a case-by-case basis. Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel commended OHA director Allen for ordering the study. The two met last month and agreed to use the results of the study to discuss improved oversight. In a statement, the health authority said the confidentiality of grow site addresses is protected by law, but added it's exploring ways to work more closely with law enforcement to ensure medical marijuana grow sites are operating legally. "We are taking steps to maintain the integrity of Oregon's medical marijuana program and make sure medical products reach the patients who need them," Allen said. "The actions we're taking include better tracking of growers, better enforcement, and making sure product that fails testing has been destroyed."

 

[frostqueen]

(misread the article, sorry.)

 

[OregonBorn]

Reading a lot of stuff about mites online lately. It seems that broad mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) have now adapted to infesting and feeding on blackberries. Spotty reports of broad mites on commercial blackberry crops go back to about 2006. Now they have become prevalent and wide spread in those crops in reports starting about 2016 across the US.

Broad mites are a huge issue on Cannabis. There are many commercial blackberry farms in Oregon. Also there are far far far more stands of rampant wild blackberries in Oregon. Wild blackberry stands include invasive Himalayan and European cutleaf blackberries, and the related indigenous trailing wild dewberries. Dewberries were crossed with other commercial cane berry strains to create many modern commercial strains. So it would seem that host plants for broad mites are so common here now that you will almost CERTAINLY wind up with broad mites on your Cannabis plants if you are growing them outdoors or in greenhouses. This is because bees and flies and other flying insects give mites a ride and disperse them in a wide area. As do children and pets, and your clothes! I do not think I know of any place in western Oregon that is not within a bee's flight of a blackberry stand, wild or commercial. The same pretty much goes for Northern and Central California and western Washington state.

Watch for those pinwheel leaves. A sure sign of broad mites. Spray fast and spray often. Or spray to prevent them in the first place. ~The~ most effective and USDA approved method of eradicating broad mites from blackberries is using Abamectin. Abamectin is the active ingredient in Avid and Agri-Mek, but generic abamectin is also available for far cheaper. Neem oil is also effective, as is azadirachtin, agricultural mineral oil, soap sprays, and diluted peroxide. These will also work on hemp russet mites and spider mites. A good essay on broad and hemp mites with photos is posted here:

https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-broad-mites

 

[frostqueen]

Reading a lot of stuff about mites online lately. It seems that broad mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) have now adapted to infesting and feeding on blackberries. Spotty reports of broad mites on commercial blackberry crops go back to about 2006. Now they have become prevalent and wide spread in those crops in reports starting about 2016 across the US.

Broad mites are a huge issue on Cannabis. There are many commercial blackberry farms in Oregon. Also there are far far far more stands of rampant wild blackberries in Oregon. Wild blackberry stands include invasive Himalayan and European cutleaf blackberries, and the related indigenous trailing wild dewberries. Dewberries were crossed with other commercial cane berry strains to create many modern commercial strains. So it would seem that host plants for broad mites are so common here now that you will almost CERTAINLY wind up with broad mites on your Cannabis plants if you are growing them outdoors or in greenhouses. This is because bees and flies and other flying insects give mites a ride and disperse them in a wide area. As do children and pets, and your clothes! I do not think I know of any place in western Oregon that is not within a bee's flight of a blackberry stand, wild or commercial. The same pretty much goes for Northern and Central California and western Washington state.

Watch for those pinwheel leaves. A sure sign of broad mites. Spray fast and spray often. Or spray to prevent them in the first place. ~The~ most effective and USDA approved method of eradicating broad mites from blackberries is using Abamectin. Abamectin is the active ingredient in Avid and Agri-Mek, but generic abamectin is also available for far cheaper. Neem oil is also effective, as is azadirachtin, agricultural mineral oil, soap sprays, and diluted peroxide. These will also work on hemp russet mites and spider mites. A good essay on broad and hemp mites with photos is posted here:

https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-broad-mites

What a nightmare. My policy these days is full on cleanroom procedures. Shower, then change of clothes and shoes at the door. Any indoor commercial outfit not doing this is courting an expensive disaster.

Also, Pylon is supposedly effective for broads.

 

[OregonBorn]

What a nightmare. My policy these days is full on cleanroom procedures. Shower, then change of clothes and shoes at the door. Any indoor commercial outfit not doing this is courting an expensive disaster.

Also, Pylon is supposedly effective for broads.

Yes, its amazing when I see these videos on YouTube and such where they let people into grow rooms with street clothes on. Indoor grows are at risk to introduction of any number of pests and diseases by 'visitors'.

Similarly, all the concern about now requiring OLCC observers on site during harvesting is fully justified from my experience. When I was living on a sheep ranch in Southern Oregon, the USDA inspector infected our flock with sore mouth disease when inspecting our sheep. We screamed at them, and all they did was apologize. Sorry! That was it. Fucking morons. I can see the OLCC goons going from site to site infecting plants along the way. "Oh, but we will only be observing!" Yeah, right!

 

[frostqueen]

Yes, its amazing when I see these videos on YouTube and such where they let people into grow rooms with street clothes on. Indoor grows are at risk to introduction of any number of pests and diseases by 'visitors'.

Similarly, all the concern about now requiring OLCC observers on site during harvesting is fully justified from my experience. When I was living on a sheep ranch in Southern Oregon, the USDA inspector infected our flock with sore mouth disease when inspecting our sheep. We screamed at them, and all they did was apologize. Sorry! That was it. Fucking morons. I can see the OLCC goons going from site to site infecting plants along the way. "Oh, but we will only be observing!" Yeah, right!

I toured a 10k square foot indoor farm for a consult and the operator literally walked me right across a hundred feet of open grassy field to get to the building. And then he strolled me right into the main grow area. I couldn't believe it. I offered my opinion about that sloppiness and he basically shrugged it off.

 

[OregonBorn]

I toured a 10k square foot indoor farm for a consult and the operator literally walked me right across a hundred feet of open grassy field to get to the building. And then he strolled me right into the main grow area. I couldn't believe it. I offered my opinion about that sloppiness and he basically shrugged it off.

I have had similar experiences with being shown outdoor and indoor grows. They seem not to care or even want to know about potential bug infestation or that humans are vectors. I had similar experiences with giving advice on lighting. One place had 1k watt HID lights 12 feet above the plant tops. I advised them that light energy falls off at the inverse square of the distance. At 12 feet you get 1/144th the light energy as at one foot! They gave me a blank stare reply. Someone told them that this was 'ideal' lighting. Sunlight is a constant in comparison. The sun is 93 million miles away, so the energy of sunlight a million miles and 12 feet is 'virtually' the same as a million miles and one foot. No one seems to understand this. Many indoor grow ops are going to fail from bugs or lighting bills, or both. I guess the green rush is going to play out this way. We apparently have way too much product now in Oregon anyway, so maybe nature is compensating?

I was told by a long time and well known grower in Humboldt that broad mites were originally unleashed to control invasive plants in the US west. I would not be surprised if that were true. Someone intentionally brought in blackberry rust from New Zealand (by way of Oz, where it was and still is intentionally released) in an attempt to control invasive wild blackberries in the PNW. No one fessed up to doing it, and it is said to have been 'accidental'. What happened was that the rust spread, took hold and damaged some invasive blackberry stands for about 2 years, and then it faded away. "They" continue to intentionally bring in and release bugs to control invasive plant species. They being the state of Oregon and other government institutions. For example, OSU brought in tansy flea beetles to control tansy ragwort, which they claim is a success. However, tansy is a rampant weed on my property here and my neighbors' cattle pastures are a sea of blooming tansy.

 

[Dankwolf]

Oregon

Oregon

Plants are really taking off now.
Pkants are 9ft wide by 9ft tall roughly . Potters are 11ft wide by 2 1/2 ft tall . Hope every one is haveing a freat season .i kind of slacked this year so plants,are a bit out of shape .

How is every one else doing this year ?

 

[Robrites]

Southern Oregon experiencing worst air quality in the country

Southern Oregon experiencing worst air quality in the country

By Anna Spoerre
The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregon is experiencing the worst air quality in the country because of an onslaught of wildfires burning across the region.
Four of the five cities in America experiencing the worst air quality are in Klamath and Jackson counties in southern Oregon, according to a Monday morning Airnow.gov report, which maps air quality across the country.
Here's the list, from bad to worst:
5. Yreka, California, very unhealthy
4. Applegate Valley, very unhealthy
3. Grants Pass, very unhealthy
2. Klamath Falls, hazardous
1. Ashland, OR, hazardous
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Monday issued an air quality advisory for smoke-affected Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties.
The DEQ also reported hazardous air quality from its Shady Cove station.
Klamath Falls, Ashland and Medford Welch and Jackson stations were listed as very unhealthy, and Cave Junction, Provolt Seed Orchard and Grants Pass were listed as unhealthy.
People in areas with poor air quality are warned to avoid strenuous outdoor activity, drink plenty of water, stay inside with windows closed and contact healthcare providers if respiratory problems exist.

 

[OregonBorn]

Plants are really taking off now.
Pkants are 9ft wide by 9ft tall roughly . Potters are 11ft wide by 2 1/2 ft tall . Hope every one is haveing a freat season .i kind of slacked this year so plants,are a bit out of shape.

How many tons of weed to you grow?


I keep my plants in 15 gallon pots to keep them small and mobile. I get way more than I can smoke every year from 6 + 4 plants.

 

[OregonBorn]

By Anna Spoerre
The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregon is experiencing the worst air quality in the country because of an onslaught of wildfires burning across the region.
Four of the five cities in America experiencing the worst air quality are in Klamath and Jackson counties in southern Oregon, according to a Monday morning Airnow.gov report, which maps air quality across the country.
Here's the list, from bad to worst:
5. Yreka, California, very unhealthy
4. Applegate Valley, very unhealthy
3. Grants Pass, very unhealthy
2. Klamath Falls, hazardous
1. Ashland, OR, hazardous
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Monday issued an air quality advisory for smoke-affected Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties.
The DEQ also reported hazardous air quality from its Shady Cove station.
Klamath Falls, Ashland and Medford Welch and Jackson stations were listed as very unhealthy, and Cave Junction, Provolt Seed Orchard and Grants Pass were listed as unhealthy.
People in areas with poor air quality are warned to avoid strenuous outdoor activity, drink plenty of water, stay inside with windows closed and contact healthcare providers if respiratory problems exist.

typical day in SoCal was "Very Unhealthy" when I lived there. I was not sure what I was supposed to do. Die an early death? Or live indoors? I suppose the Ashland Shakespeare fest is a bust this year? Up here the air is hazy but not nearly as bad as last year was. At least not yet. My place was a war zone with the Gorge fire last year. The fire staging area was near me. I cranked up the HEPA filter full blast and stayed inside, except to go out and water my plants, and then I wore a particulate mask. The plants did not seem to be bothered by the smoke or ash. The bud was fine when harvested.

 

[OregonBorn]

The OHA is coming! The OHA is coming!

The OHA is coming! The OHA is coming!

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"There are consequences for failure to cooperate..." Sieg Heil! <click> [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]August 1, 2018[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]MEDICAL MARIJUANA INFORMATION BULLETIN 2018-06[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Subject: OMMP inspecting small-scale grow sites claiming exemption from tracking system; Inspectors to shorten advance notice before inspection to one day[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) inspectors will fan out across the state during August to inspect grow sites that reduced the number of patients designated to be grown for at their locations to fewer than three. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Growers growing for less than three patients are not legally required to use the Cannabis Tracking System (CTS) administered by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]In 2017, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1057, which requires certain medical grow sites and all dispensaries and processing sites to use the CTS. At the time, OMMP predicted that about 3,800 grow sites would be required to use CTS. That estimate dropped to 2,400 after the 2018 legislative session, when SB 1544 passed and modified how qualifying grow sites are determined. Now any grow site with more than two patients being grown for must use CTS.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]In April and July of 2018, around 1,000 OMMP registered grow sites reduced the number of patients that they grow for to below the CTS threshold. Two hundred of those quit growing completely and the rest are now growing for one or two patients. OMMP inspectors will inspect a random sample of the nearly 800 medical marijuana grow sites that have reported reducing the number of patients below the CTS threshold.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]To expedite the process, OMMP’s Compliance Unit will drastically reduce the amount of time grow sites are notified in advance of an inspection. Normally, grow sites are given a 10-day notice of an impending inspection via letter, followed by phone call 24 to 30 hours before the site visit. But for these specific inspections, compliance staff will attempt to make phone contact the day prior to an inspection to make sure someone will be at the grow site, and will not send a 10-day notice letter.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]There are consequences for failure to cooperate with an inspection. In addition to civil penalties of up to $500 per day, failure to respond to OMMP inspectors may also result in formal action against a PRMG registration, including revocation.[/FONT]

 

[Robrites]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"There are consequences for failure to cooperate..." Sieg Heil! <click> [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]August 1, 2018[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]MEDICAL MARIJUANA INFORMATION BULLETIN 2018-06[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Subject: OMMP inspecting small-scale grow sites claiming exemption from tracking system; Inspectors to shorten advance notice before inspection to one day[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) inspectors will fan out across the state during August to inspect grow sites that reduced the number of patients designated to be grown for at their locations to fewer than three. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Growers growing for less than three patients are not legally required to use the Cannabis Tracking System (CTS) administered by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]In 2017, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1057, which requires certain medical grow sites and all dispensaries and processing sites to use the CTS. At the time, OMMP predicted that about 3,800 grow sites would be required to use CTS. That estimate dropped to 2,400 after the 2018 legislative session, when SB 1544 passed and modified how qualifying grow sites are determined. Now any grow site with more than two patients being grown for must use CTS.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]In April and July of 2018, around 1,000 OMMP registered grow sites reduced the number of patients that they grow for to below the CTS threshold. Two hundred of those quit growing completely and the rest are now growing for one or two patients. OMMP inspectors will inspect a random sample of the nearly 800 medical marijuana grow sites that have reported reducing the number of patients below the CTS threshold.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]To expedite the process, OMMP’s Compliance Unit will drastically reduce the amount of time grow sites are notified in advance of an inspection. Normally, grow sites are given a 10-day notice of an impending inspection via letter, followed by phone call 24 to 30 hours before the site visit. But for these specific inspections, compliance staff will attempt to make phone contact the day prior to an inspection to make sure someone will be at the grow site, and will not send a 10-day notice letter.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]There are consequences for failure to cooperate with an inspection. In addition to civil penalties of up to $500 per day, failure to respond to OMMP inspectors may also result in formal action against a PRMG registration, including revocation.[/FONT]

This is complete bullshit. Part of the ongoing state effort to end OMMP.

 

[Oregonism]

I find it laughable to sort out the 1s and 2s here, this is evidence of a failed program, you can already see how many people left for greener pastures, a thousand, thats damn near 10% of the program population in a single year.

Is there any fucking adults in politics? They should all be banished, fucktards galore.
Cherry on top is that ommp isnt enshrined, so we voters emboldened the fucktards....

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

Register your marijuana growing with the government, its a good idea. You won't regret it, trust me!" said the government

 

[OregonBorn]

This is complete bullshit. Part of the ongoing state effort to end OMMP.

Agreed. But the OHA is useless and hopelessly inefficient at doing anything, and the agency has said repeatedly that they do not want to regulate OMMP. They want the California model of nuking it and OMMP cards will only be for getting you a discount at rec weed stores. Like in California.



What is driving this is the notion that OMMP med growers are feeding the stream of black market weed, along with weed intercepted during harvest by OLCC growers and put into the black market. Which is complete BS, but that is what they think. In reality, there are black market growers growing black market weed outside of the system, and they cannot do anything about that. They have tried to control that for over a century and they have failed. So they go after what they can, and to make a splash with the press. To appease the anti-weed people in the bible belt states, who still seem to dominate national (and international) politics and policies on mj.

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

Agreed. But the OHA is useless and hopelessly inefficient at doing anything, and the agency has said repeatedly that they do not want to regulate OMMP. They want the California model of nuking it and OMMP cards will only be for getting you a discount at rec weed stores. Like in California.



What is driving this is the notion that OMMP med growers are feeding the stream of black market weed, along with weed intercepted during harvest by OLCC growers and put into the black market. Which is complete BS, but that is what they think. In reality, there are black market growers growing black market weed outside of the system, and they cannot do anything about that. They have tried to control that for over a century and they have failed. So they go after what they can, and to make a splash with the press. To appease the anti-weed people in the bible belt states, who still seem to dominate national (and international) politics and policies on mj.

You hit the nail on the head about the OLCC's bullshit, but don't lay the blame on out of staters. People in our government have massive and unreasonable senses of entitlement, they want and get as much cash as they can from the rest of us and control everything so that they can keep their gravy train flowing and they will use any and every excuse they can to justify their abuses. They're willing the kowtow to Oklahoma because it dovetails with their own greedy, paranoid desires for increasing strictness and control.

 

[Oregonism]

I would like to see for anyone:

Farmers Market
Co_ops
Testing available

Obviously its darn near a pipe dream with the optics that oregonborn presented, and I whole heartedly agree, too, but gosh would it be nice.

I matured to cannabis in the Barry mcCaffrey era, and buttholes were puckered around here in those days. When has the party in power ever prioritized cannabis? It wasnt then and isnt now.

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

I would like to see for anyone:

Farmers Market
Co_ops
Testing available

Obviously its darn near a pipe dream with the optics that oregonborn presented, and I whole heartedly agree, too, but gosh would it be nice.

I matured to cannabis in the Barry mcCaffrey era, and buttholes were puckered around here in those days. When has the party in power ever prioritized cannabis? It wasnt then and isnt now.

I like that list, I'd like to add to it with
Floristry
Landscaping
and professional extraction services for homegrowers.

The state has provided no legal method for any such operation to exist commercially and that negligence is partly to blame for any amateur hour BHO explosions this fall.

 

[OregonBorn]

I would like to see for anyone:

Farmers Market
Co_ops
Testing available

Obviously its darn near a pipe dream with the optics that oregonborn presented, and I whole heartedly agree, too, but gosh would it be nice.

I matured to cannabis in the Barry mcCaffrey era, and buttholes were puckered around here in those days. When has the party in power ever prioritized cannabis? It wasnt then and isnt now.

Maybe in the distant future. Remember it took decades for booze to become legal again in many states after prohibition was repealed. Oregon banned booze four years before the feds did, then repealed it when the feds did. After prohibition was repealed, the OLCC was created in Oregon as a monopoly over alcohol sales (which is still holds). The OLCC was modeled on Canada's alcohol sales system. It took many years after that to get rid of purchase limits, allow booze sales on Sunday, allow for sales by the glass in restaurants and bars, etc. etc. When I was a kid here in Oregon, all beer and wine was covered up at Safeway on Sunday and holidays. You could not buy any booze on Sundays and holidays! God would strike us all dead if that happened. Hard liquor was sold at 'Green Front' stores and all the booze was behind wire cages with clerks, and a sign said something like, "We cannot make any recommendations about liquor sold here". The tax and markup on booze was and still is very high in Oregon. It fills the state coffers.

Back in the early 1970s when I got into weed, everyone in NorCal smoked it. I smoked with cops, bankers, doctors, movie stars and lawyers. Even a judge. The 70s were the fruition of the 1960s though, when the real anti-estabishment movement took hold. We broke free for a while. Then the hippies sold out and became yuppies, and that was that. Now legal weed is gaining momentum again, and for now at least more states are legalizing it. VT and OK legalized rec and medical weed respectively this year. Michigan and Utah have it on the ballot in November. Utah has a joke of a medical bill on the ballot, but it is something. Rec weed in Michigan is expected to pass. That will make 10 states with legal rec weed, and 31 states with some form of legal medical and/or rec weed. At 38 states there will be enough states to pass a constitutional weed amendment and cram it down their reluctant federal throats.