Portland, OR question...

[Gray Wolf]

Gray Wolf, while I am not going to talk of the counties so much that I have lived in Oregon. I would have to agree that county mounties are the least of our worries as RESPONSIBLE cannabis growers.

Your choice of the word RESPONSIBLE grower is probably the key word. Even the Portland City Police, whom I maligned, are usually too busy to screw with legitimate growers unless they have a hard on for another reason.

None of the medical patient groups that I associate with have had members raided, though many have been ripped off by thieves and Portland Police have typically been ho hum about it,

JD

 

[Megas]

Last post was made last year so not hijacking kinda giving it life with some of my own questions.
Can you portland folks give me some insight. What are Winters really like? Do you wear a jacket? Or is it warm like just hoodie weather? Also what sort of rain do you guys get all winter? It seems as though it rains every day but how often, is it constant, downpoors or mist?
Is it cloudy and overcast all winter? What months do you get sunshine? Cause it gets hot there in the summer but is it real sunny? What is humdity like? Are there any good cities along the coast to work/live?
Lastly how hard is it to get a med card/ mj note from your Doctor in Portland. I would have thought Portland laws would be a little easier. But I would like first has experiences please.
Are there many dispensaries or can you sell to fellow patients legally?

I was really comparing CA to CO but I think Portland has more that I am looking for vs. Northern California. So now it's OR vs. CO ARGGG >_<

 

[Hal]

Megas....Thanks for bumping the thread, continuing this discussion is good for my situation

Regarding your questions about weather and such...I would suggest you either buy or go to your local library and reference a book titled, "The Places Rated Almanac." It gets published every couple of years, so its info regarding fluctuables (I just made that word up) like the economy are never right on the money, but things like weather are fairly exact. Its quite a good book, but I wouldn't use it by itself before making a serious move to another locale. Only use it as one tool.

Here is a link to Amazon for the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Places-Rated-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264957403&sr=8-1

I moved to Seattle back in the early '90's based on what I read in that book, and one thing it doesn't do a good job on is painting a picture of the cultural feel that exists in any city. I would advise going there for a short time, a couple of weeks, to really get your finger on the pulse of the place. Since I've already lived in Seattle for about a decade not long ago, I have a decent idea of what Portland will be like, culturally. But, if you've never lived on the west coast, you should absolutely visit before moving. The farther away you live from an area, the greater the chance that the culture will be very different from what you are used to.

 

[Megas]

I agree, but I've lived in 2 countries already so flipping cultures isn't something too new for me. Plus where I live now I've never "fit in" I do not like the culture here in MN, never have, never will. I'll obviouslly be visiting before I move, I've been to Denver, but OR has more of what I want, well California does really but lets face it, it seems way to expensive. OR enviromentally friendly, on water, close to the Ocean, TREES!!!!, "weird people" <- I like them. I think the Oregon Coast is especially beautiful. I do a lot of research into where I'm moving I even look up weather everyday, but when I see overcast and raining everyday in Portland doesn't tell me so much what kind of rain, and its in the 50s, generally being in the 50s isn't that cold but once you climatize to it with rain all winter how is it?

 

[Hal]

Here are some real useful links that I've been using to learn about Portland:

Portland Neighborhood Guide:

http://www.portlandbridges.com/portland-neighborhoods/

Dirt Cheap Guide To Portland, Oregon:

http://web.pdx.edu/~nac/pdxdirtcheap/#otherguides

The Oregonian (Portland’s major daily newspaper):

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/

The Willamette Week (Portland’s independent weekly newspaper):

http://www.wweek.com/

Check 'em out Megas, I think you'll likee.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

california might be better. you can live in the bay area or in the suburbs where its little cheaper and theres always strip malls hiring 10$ an hour jobs.


Portland oregon seems really cool but also seem kind of secluded.

 

[Megas]

california might be better. you can live in the bay area or in the suburbs where its little cheaper and theres always strip malls hiring 10$ an hour jobs.


Portland oregon seems really cool but also seem kind of secluded.

I'm trying to find a career not so much an hourly job. The bay area is nice but crazy expensive where do you have in mind. Oakland is affordable but it kinda has that I'm gonna get stabbed thing going on with it.

 

[RussCargill]

If you are in MN. Then the winters hear are pretty cream puff comparatively speaking. Average day time temps 35-50 Average night time is 30-45. We get about three hard freezes a winter. Portland news stations are a riot about the weather as well. Any large storm. no matter how small will get its own name and theme music. As far as the rain. You run around in it like an idiot. Or you get used to the fact that it starts raining mid October and doesnt quit till April. Just like anyplace. Gear up and you will be fine.

 

[tokinafaty420]

Also been thinking of making the move out west to Oregon. Currently living in the northeast and wanting a more secluded lifestyle. Call me weird, but living my entire life no more than an hour away from many different major cities is starting to grow old. I just want a nice quiet place to call home. Been looking into undeveloped land away from cities and near a lake or something.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Last post was made last year so not hijacking kinda giving it life with some of my own questions.
Can you portland folks give me some insight. What are Winters really like? Do you wear a jacket? Or is it warm like just hoodie weather? Also what sort of rain do you guys get all winter? It seems as though it rains every day but how often, is it constant, downpoors or mist?

Is it cloudy and overcast all winter? What months do you get sunshine? Cause it gets hot there in the summer but is it real sunny? What is humdity like? Are there any good cities along the coast to work/live?

Lastly how hard is it to get a med card/ mj note from your Doctor in Portland. I would have thought Portland laws would be a little easier. But I would like first has experiences please.

Are there many dispensaries or can you sell to fellow patients legally?

I was really comparing CA to CO but I think Portland has more that I am looking for vs. Northern California. So now it's OR vs. CO ARGGG >_<

Megas

Portland winters are fairly mild except for December 2008 and December 2009 where record snow levels (for this area) broke all kinds of records. This amount of snow probably wouldn't even be mentioned cities like Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, etc. Without the massive number of snow removal equipment in Portland compared to cities that get high snow levels every year, getting around the city was challenging.

Then last summer the highest temperatures ever recorded were broken with 107F temps running about 80% humidity.

Good side: the Oregon Coast. World-class skiing up at Mt. Hood. World-class wind/kite surfing out at Hood River, Oregon.

The best areas of Portland would be Southeast Portland as far as rent prices, quality of living, outstanding public transportation, etc.

A lot of people also live out in Beaverton-Aloha area. It's probably about 15 miles (or so) west of downtown Portland. The Portland bus system and rail service this area so not owning a car means that you can still get around for employment.

South of Portland are areas that you may want to consider like Milwaukie (about 10 miles south of downtown), Oregon City, Clackamas, Gladstone, et al. These cities have plenty of 'cheaper' housing opportunities.

A "Keep Oregon Weird" bumper sticker is mandatory on your auto once you move to Portland. A pair of Birkenstocks and an older Volvo and no one will know you're a newbie.

HTH

CC

Local joke: "What do you do during the summer season in Oregon?"

"Well, if the 2 days of summer fall on a weekend we usually like to go out for a picnic."

 

[Clackamas Coot]

OMMP Doctors

OMMP Doctors

Lastly how hard is it to get a med card/ mj note from your Doctor in Portland. I would have thought Portland laws would be a little easier. But I would like first has experiences please.

Megas

In Portland there are 3 clinics that provide doctors to review your case and will sign your paper work. I believe that the cost is 'around' $200.00 - $225.00 and then you turn that paperwork into the Oregon Department of Human Services which supervises the OMMP deal. The state charges $100.00 per year.

It is also true that over 2,700 doctors have signed paperwork - usually for free. That's my situation so I only have to pay the $100.00 fee to the state.

The 3 organizations which run clinics are MAMA (Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse) and they've been around since 1982 or so.

Then there's Voter Power which is the group backed by Jack Herer & George Soros who got the OMMP law passed in 1998. Jack Herer's son owns a 'head shop' (or whatever is the latest term) and they sell the equipment & materials for glass blowers. They feature generic glass devices as well as a number of established glass blowers. Voter Power is a professional advocacy group that work with the state legislature on nuances in upcoming legislation hearings on how this could impact OMMP card holders. MAMA also is heavily involved in this area.

The other group that provides this type of service - THCF and I cannot in good conscience recommend them because of the actions by the founder/owner. But they'll get your paperwork signed.

HTH

CC

 

[krunchbubble]

Clackamas Coot - hope im not hijacking or anything. i was up in Portland in december to visit family. i was kinda blown away with the lack of quality in the weed that i saw, especially for the prices. i was under the assumption that area was kinda the mecca for weed. can you shine some light please?

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Clackamas Coot - hope im not hijacking or anything. i was up in Portland in december to visit family. i was kinda blown away with the lack of quality in the weed that i saw, especially for the prices. i was under the assumption that area was kinda the mecca for weed. can you shine some light please?

krunchbubble

I can give you a couple 'opinions' on why the product on the street is poor quality.

I 'think' that one of the reasons is that under Oregon's OMMP laws a patient is allowed 18 plants in veg (unrooted cuttings do not count but once that they do root then they 'could' be considered a veg plant) and 6 plants in flower. You're allowed 1.5 lbs. on your person/in your possession.

What has happend is the most of the OMMP card holders can certainly provide themselves with all of the medicine they could possibly use and they're 'law-abiding' citizens. Many, but certainly not all, are fairly committed to growing the best medicine that they can.

Portland has had an indoor growing culture dating back to the early 1980's when there were 3 grow stores who advertised in High Times Magazine and there were up in Seattle. There are any number of commercial growing operations and the preferred method is straight hydroponics. I'm not trying to start an argument about which is the better method of growing but it appears to me at least that in order to get a good crop with hydroponics there is a definite learning curve involved.

A couple of years back when anyone who could walk and tie their shoes successfully, credit cards were easy to get. A 20-year old with a $3,000.00 line of credit is low hanging fruit for the indoor garden centers. And the dozen or so stores in Portland were doing a huge business. It was/is crazy how many of these stores that there were/are.

So what you have are a ton of people believing that with enough money and the 'right equipment' and more importantly the 'right nutrient program' and in a few months you'd be dancing with the stars.

Along the way though they ran into spider mites, powdery mildew, hot humid weather in the summer (last summer it hit 107F with high humidity levels). So their crap hits the street where they split an ounce up into 16 units (1.75 grams I guess) which sell for $20.00 each. Pitiful.

You also have the paradigm of the 'boys of summer' down in Southern Oregon where huge yields outdoor is the norm. Portland is about the same distance from Southern Oregon as it is to San Francisco so a lot of their product hits the streets in November & December forcing the better growers to sit on their product until the outdoor product is sold and inventory levels drop back to normal.

And then you have the deal out of British Columbia and the crap grown by various gangs (bikers, Asian gangs, et al) who grow what is known as 'beasters' and it goes for cheap, cheap money at the wholesale level.

Bottom line is that if you want good cannabis in Portland it's probably best if you know someone because the street product is pretty sad all the way around.

The best growers (generally organic soil growers based on my experience) get top dollar for their product and much of going to people who can afford to buy 1/4 lbs. for personal - attorneys, doctors, professionals in the high-tech industry, etc.

HTH

CC

 

[Megas]

So when I think of mild winters I think of warm, but how do you find it warm when your wet a lot? I guess whats the general dress around town during these months?

How is Portland for arthritus(sp) is it bad cause its so damp?

How would you define people in Portland in general not just your group of friends. I hear Seattle is much like MN they can be Nice to your face but really kinda assholes. A big don't talk to you if you dont know me type place. Or they go very far out of their way not to bump you when walking even in crowded area. Like somehow people are unclean and scary or something. Chicago I found for being such a huge city to be real friendly way nicer than in MN.

 

[Gray Wolf]

I moved to Portland from Oklahoma City in 1965 and have never looked back.

I arrived with no job, a high school diploma and everything we owned in a 1955 Bel Aire six, with sagging springs and a burned valve.

I took a job selling womens shoes while trolling for an aerospace manufacturing job, which did come, as did promotions, and I retired at age 62 as a 6 figure CEO.

I have been unemployed during that period for up to six months during severe ecconomic downturns in the aerospace industry and have turned down attractive promotions in other states to stay in Portland.

Portland is not the land of milk and honey, but I have always found a way to live comfortably here and did indeed find my fortune.

To specifically answer your question about thresh hold job opportunities, there is always a lot of turn over in those jobs, so they are always coming up. The person who gets it is the one who sells themself to the hiring manager.

Having interviewed thousands, may I suggest that you take some time to polish and refine your appearance and read some books on interviewing. Though it takes performance to keep a job, it takes a sales job to get it in the first place.

You can also set yourself up with a Temp agency and work temporary jobs until the company you are temping for hires you or someone else does.

Housing costs are high, but I also sub-rented a bedroom to someone once while unemployed, to stretch out my resources. Bring a friend and split the cost.

You might also consider joining a local Oregon MMJ forum like Cannabis Compassion.com to build local resources and make acquaintences.

Please do not show up destitute, we have enough of those working the same street corners year after year, but with a little pre-planning, Portland is a willing and supportive mistress for those who exert the effort and aren't bashful.

GW