Eugene,Oregon Medical scene

[socioecologist]

Medford is the staging ground for LEO operations in the southwest region of Oregon, where the biggest and densest concentration of outdoor grows in the state take place. I followed the Medford Mail Tribune's coverage of growing pretty close the past few years, and it sounds like the local LEOs are openly hostile to the OMMP law, but grudgingly oblige it. Pot is in the news a lot in Southern Oregon, and discussing it in public is not taboo like other areas of the state. Because of this, if you are within your legal limits as a medical patient/grower, the locals overwhelmingly support your right to grow and want the police to focus on the commercial growers in the forests (72%)--and the police know this (but they're still cocks about it).

Something else to think about is the number of other medical patients in your area; more growers means more community resources (clones, socials, politics), better working relationships with LEOs, and more opportunities to show how well the OMMP is working to make lives better in our communities.

OMMP Cardholders (patients) Per Thousand People, by County

Key:
Dark Green = > 7.1 / 1000
Green = 4-7 / 1000
Light Green = < 4 / 1000
Gray = Not enough data

 

[texsativa]

Medford is the staging ground for LEO operations in the southwest region of Oregon]

Crap. Well I don't plan on being over the limit.

it sounds like the local LEOs are openly hostile to the OMMP law, but grudgingly oblige it. Pot is in the news a lot in Southern Oregon, and discussing it in public is not taboo like other areas of the state. Because of this, if you are within your legal limits as a medical patient/grower, the locals overwhelmingly support your right to grow and want the police to focus on the commercial growers in the forests (72%)--and the police know this (but they're still cocks about it).

Thanks for the info. To be perfectly honest while the feds are still having raids and law enforcement still has their prejudices, I intend to keep my grow a thing of non-existence. If it just happens I was to get raided, I'd have a card.

 

[socioecologist]

I guess my post sounded a little negative; Medford and Southern Oregon in general are some of the best places to grow if you're following the law due to the public support and big community of growers. The feds haven't touched any medical grows in Oregon that I know of. Amen in on discretion as the key.

 

[texsativa]

By the way, any negatives on Medford? I've been reading a lot about Oregon and I picked Medford and the surrounding area as a possible place to move mostly on the weather. I don't really mind it being more Republican or Democrat, I try to just live by the golden rule. Everyone will not always agree with me, nor visa versa. So I try not to get caught up into all that.

I just want a comfortable place on a hill or something will some privacy for my wife and myself. The weather in Medford matches up pretty close to the weather here in Texas from what I've seen using online statistics.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

By the way, any negatives on Medford?

Just a few that immediately come to mind.

• Medford is much closer to California than Eugene & Portland - that can be a positive if you happen to live in Eugene or Portland or anywhere in and around the Willamette Valley.

• Medford is hot & humid and generally miserable during the summer months.

• Many retired Yuppies from California like Medford because it gets far less rain than Eugene or Portland. Again that can be a positive if you happen to live in Eugene or Portland.

OTOH - Medford isn't as bad as Grant's Pass - then again very few places in the Western United States are.

All joking aside, from talking with OMMP patients from Southern Oregon, I'm not aware of any ongoing problems with LEO - even for the those who choose to grow outdoors. And those OMMP outdoor growers wouldn't have many problems if they were strictly following the compliance sections of the law with regard to keeping the plants out of 'public view' meaning that just because you have a grower's card it's probably not a good idea to stick it on the side of the house so that it's visible to anyone driving down your road.

In limited ways I help/volunteer with 3 different MMJ groups in Oregon and all have private forums for MMJ patients. Issues are discussed openly on these boards and in particular issues involving LEO and there just isn't much to talk about.

And for the few 'stories' that there are, many of these just have that 'stench' of bull-sh*t about them, i.e the facts just don't add up. Kinda like the difference between a 'fairy tale' and a 'bust story' is that a 'fairy tale' starts with "Once upon a time" and a 'bust story' starts with "Listen up, bro! This is no sh*t!" quickly moving into some of the most illogical story and set of circumstances known to God.

Oregon's has had MMJ for 9 years or so and it's been voted on 2 times and overwhelmingly it's passed. Oregon's had a long history of 'benign neglect' in the area of cannabis prohibition. It was the first state to decriminalize marijuana (passed by the state legislature in 1972) resulting in a $100.00 fine for possession of an ounce (actually 28.45 grams). But what with inflation and no sales tax here to help finance state projects and money is tight - that fine is now $500.00 - $1,000.00

If you have an OMMP card and assuming that you're completely 'in compliance' as the expression goes around Oregon, and assuming that you're not a complete idiot by smoking while driving or smoking in the parking lot before you walk into a restaurant, tavern, etc. - then the chances that you will ever have any contact with a police officer relative to your garden is just about impossible.

Sell a couple of ounces outside a bar in a small town where everybody is related by blood (and not in a good way) and your chances of losing your card and getting a chance to beautify the Oregon highways & byways in a snappy orange jump-suit is pretty damn good!

</shrug>

 

[texsativa]

Thanks so much for taking the time. I seriously doubt Medford's summers are hotter and more humid than here in TX, but if it is, then it can't be by much. And to tell you the truth I like the hot summer. I've also met a few Californians and I've had a respect for all them I've met, which hasn't been a lot I admit. I don't know why Oregonians don't respect the Californians that much. Maybe they come there with an elitist attitude?

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Thanks so much for taking the time. I seriously doubt Medford's summers are hotter and more humid than here in TX, but if it is, then it can't be by much. And to tell you the truth I like the hot summer. I've also met a few Californians and I've had a respect for all them I've met, which hasn't been a lot I admit. I don't know why Oregonians don't respect the Californians that much. Maybe they come there with an elitist attitude?

Tex

Bashing Californians is an old tradition in Oregon. Here's an example of an actual sign hovering over the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 at the California-Oregon border.

Years ago, Governor Tom McCall had a sign that read “Welcome to Oregon. We Hope You Enjoy Your Visit” that hung in the same place as the one above.

Subtle? Yes! Effective? Not really. That sign didn't work so the new one being more direct and to the point will hopefully get Californians to stop, read and follow the simple directions. There's always hope!

And there are some bright signs on the horizon given the dismal state of the real estate market for our good friends down in California, selling their McMansions at inflated prices seems to be abating which has slowed the stream of 'those people' moving here.

So while there is some degree of human suffering at the hands of the sub-prime mortgage industry and the collapse of the Disneyworld atmosphere in the housing market down there, there is another side not often reported.

Damn liberal media!

 

[texsativa]

That's funny!

I did notice housing is relatively expensive in Oregon. I thought it would be cheaper. Maybe some of those real estate agents are marketing for Californians.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

If you live or visit Portland there is a 'head shop' (do they still use that term? LOL) on SE Hawthorne Blvd. which is owned by Jack Herer's son. The name of the store is "The Third Eye" and they've been around for 25+ years or so.

The shop sells beautiful glass pipes made by local artists, glass blowing supplies, vaporizers, clothing, books, etc.

Jack Herer was instrumental in getting medical marijuana on the ballot in Oregon. The organization that he helped start here, Voter Power, is one of the main political forces in Oregon for medical users.

They're good people who deserve the support from the cannabis community.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

I did notice housing is relatively expensive in Oregon. I thought it would be cheaper.

Real estate prices in Oregon are beyond goofy. Especially up and around Portland.

Insane.

 

[texsativa]

Real estate prices in Oregon are beyond goofy. Especially up and around Portland.

Insane.

Austin is one of the most expensive places to live in Texas, if not the most...and real estate pricing is better in Austin on the outskirts in the west hills, and believe me the houses in the hills are niiiice. You can get a house with like 4 bedroom, 3 bathrooms, on some acres overlooking a valley or lake, for around 5-600,000$ easy. Same type of house in the Medford area is 800,000$ and up. And just my opinion, the lower priced houses in Austin in my opinion were more beautiful. On the other hand, Austin is an awesome place to live. It really is a beautiful area of Texas.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Is there a demand for caregivers in Oregon? Or is it a pretty limited scene?

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Earlier in this thread there was mention of southern Oregon being full of rednecks, the fact is the hippies are scattered in there too, and both co-exist in relative harmony here. Nobody does a double take when a guy in Tie-dye and dreads walks down the street. This part of the world attracts all kinds of weirdos from both sides of the spectrum, left to right.
I know many people that would be hard to define as hippie or redneck, hybrids do exist here, I think I am one.

The fact is all the trendy yuppie types are starting to slowly take over the I-5 corridor...........I like southern Oregon the way it is.

 

[doobieNw]

damn yuppies from cali