[Robrites]

[PDX Dopesmoker]

Originally Posted by OregonBorn

And meanwhile, Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell put forth a US Senate bill today making hemp legal in the US again. Of course Oregon will add 9,000 requirements to grow it here. Note also: In federal spending legislation enacted last week, Congress extended a policy that prevents the DOJ from interfering with state medical cannabis laws.


The head of the U.S. Senate announced on Monday that he will soon be filing a bill to legalize industrial hemp and allocate federal money for cultivation of the crop.

"We all are so optimistic that industrial hemp can become sometime in the future what tobacco was in Kentucky's past," U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said at a press conference alongside the state's agriculture commissioner.

"I will be introducing when I go back to senate a week from today," he said, legislation to "finally legalize hemp as an agricultural commodity and remove it from the list of controlled substances.

McConnell has already successfully attached language to broader legislation, such as the 2014 Farm Bill and annual spending packages, that shields state industrial hemp research programs from federal interference.

But confusion over what counts as research as well as issues related to the interstate transportation of hemp seeds has caused confusion as the DEA has in some cases sought to enforce federal laws that do not distinguish between hemp and marijuana.

A press release from McConnell's office said the new bill will not only reclassify hemp under federal law, but "will also give hemp researchers the chance to apply for competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – allowing them to continue their impressive work with the support of federal research dollars."

At the event, McConnell said that "some challenges remain today between the federal government and farmers and producers in Kentucky," arguing that his new bipartisan legislation would "remove the roadblocks altogether" by "recognizing in federal statute the difference between hemp and its illicit cousin."
He added that he would soon be discussing the issue with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an longtime vocal opponent of cannabis law reform who this year rescinded Obama-era guidance that has generally allowed state to implement their own marijuana legalization laws without federal interference.

In federal spending legislation enacted last week, Congress extended a policy that prevents the Justice Department from interfering with state medical cannabis laws. The bill also extends two provisions that protect state industrial hemp research programs.

Hemp can be used to make food, clothing and many other consumer goods. McConnell, in the Monday speech, spoke about "interesting and innovative products" that are "made with Kentucky-grown hemp," such as home insulation.
"That's just one of many uses Kentuckians are finding for this versatile crop," he said.

While hemp products are legal to sell in the U.S., its cultivation is banned outside of the limited exemption for state research programs, so manufacturers must in many cases import the raw materials from other countries that do no prohibit hemp farming.
McConnell was an original cosponsor of a standalone hemp bill during the 114th Congress, but it did not receive a hearing or a vote. Last year he signed onto a nonbinding resolution approved by the Senate in recognition of Hemp History week.

"Industrial hemp holds great potential to bolster the agricultural economy of the United States," the measure declared.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) will be an original cosponsor of the new bill to be introduced next month, along with a bipartisan group of other senators.

That all seems so incredibly improbable that I'll won't believe its not a bullshit election year stunt until after it passes. Politicians on both sides have been courting public opinion and campaign cash by dangling legislation in the cannabis sphere that never comes to pass for too many years. Sure would be nice if it did pass and maybe watching john mccain die of potentially treatable or preventable cancer has them all thinking differently, but reallistically based on track record fat chance.
Every past time one of those Congressional douchebags has opened their pie hole about impending good news from the federal government on the cannabis front, potheads worldwide have taken to the internet to spread the good news for free and they shower their professional politician hero with public affection. Its that type of enthusiastic greeting which lets senator shithead know that he can pull the same scam again again like they do with the gun nuts and the anti-abortion people and the pro-abortion people and the anti-gun nuts all of whom they've been jerking around for decades.

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I AGREE

Don't forget it was "Honest Abe" who came with the idea that you can fool some people all of the time and he hasn't been proved wrong yet.

[OregonBorn]

I am just posting some interesting news here. If you think I am showering Mitch McConnell with affection, you are serious fukking mistaken. That flip flop moron is the biggest douch bag of the lot, and IMO he and Nancy Pisslossi are even worse than Trump. Trump and Clinton were a terrible choice, and I did not bother voting. Actually I quit voting after Gore lost to Shrub, as Gore won the popular vote, and lost the election. Proving that this is not a democracy, and the majority does not rule here. The same thing happened this last 'election'.

For the record, I am pro gun, and I am also pro choice. I also agree with the wall being built and I also know for a FACT that global warming is human caused. Hence I am represented by no party in office, and likely never will be. I am sure all the radical lefties/ANTIFA types will rally against me. As will the radical right Nazis. I do not really give a shitt. The left and right have split so far apart now we are teetering on civil war. And we are being shoved farther apart by Facebook web crawlers and financial backing from the Russian oligarchs and corporate America. To accept one party's platform hook line and sinker in my view is stupidity.

Honest Abe was a Republican. I actually agree with Arnie, the Governator on where the Republican Party should go these days. Not that it will. I have lost track of where the Democrats are. Biden is and always has been very anti Marijuana. He is also a douche bag. At any rate, McConnell says he is putting hemp legislation on the table next week. Sure it is a political stunt for his home state of Kentucky. But that is what politicians do. And it is a move in some direction. I do not think it is being done to appease any pot heads, as you suggest, since you cannot get high on hemp.

Originally Posted by PDX Dopesmoker

That all seems so incredibly improbable that I'll won't believe its not a bullshit election year stunt until after it passes. Politicians on both sides have been courting public opinion and campaign cash by dangling legislation in the cannabis sphere that never comes to pass for too many years. Sure would be nice if it did pass and maybe watching john mccain die of potentially treatable or preventable cancer has them all thinking differently, but reallistically based on track record fat chance.
Every past time one of those Congressional douchebags has opened their pie hole about impending good news from the federal government on the cannabis front, potheads worldwide have taken to the internet to spread the good news for free and they shower their professional politician hero with public affection. Its that type of enthusiastic greeting which lets senator shithead know that he can pull the same scam again again like they do with the gun nuts and the anti-abortion people and the pro-abortion people and the anti-gun nuts all of whom they've been jerking around for decades.

Don't forget it was "Honest Abe" who came with the idea that you can fool some people all of the time and he hasn't been proved wrong yet.

[PDX Dopesmoker]

Yeah I wasn't trying to shoot the messenger on that, sorry if it sounded like I was. I just feel bad for the people who read the promising news every time and always end up disappointed so now every time I see that kind of stuff it makes me angry. Earl Blumenaur comes off as a sadistic, greedy carnival barker every I see him talk on the topic. Some people might even be dissuaded from taking control of their own situation and entering a life of crime by the endless empty promises. I've been hearing about impending legalization rumors since the 90s at least, imagine all the nice weeds I'd have never smoked if I'd just waited.

[Robrites]

The Oregon Court of Appeals has affirmed a Grants Pass ordinance that requires marijuana plants grown at home for personal use to be grown indoors.
The City Council approved the ban on outdoor cultivation shortly after recreational marijuana became legal. The council members were concerned about offensive odors.
Activist Rycke Brown took the matter to court, saying the ordinance conflicts with a state law that prohibits a local government from enacting or enforcing local limits on the production or use of plant seeds.
The Appeals Court on Wednesday agreed with a lower court that marijuana plants do not apply to that law.

[Robrites]

All 25 marijuana dispensaries in Oregon passed the latest round of state minor decoy operations. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), which regulates the marijuana industry, periodically sends minors to try to buy marijuana from retail outlets. The latest operations targeted dispensaries in Portland, Bend and Salem, all of which had a compliance rate of 100 percent.
After a spate of dispensaries failed the checks in December and January, regulators tripled the penalties for selling to minors. Retailers now face a 30-day suspension or $4,950 fine for a first-time offense, with increasing penalties for additional offenses. The penalties are also three times those for selling alcohol or tobacco to minors.
Steve Marks, Executive Director of the OLCC, expressed dismay at the early failures in January. “These overall results are unacceptable,” he said in a statement. “This is a wake-up call to our licensed retailers. Oregonians have entrusted you with a responsibility that includes NOT selling marijuana to minors.”

It seems that the wake-up call has worked. In five minor decoy operations conducted since January 24, all 43 dispensaries passed the checks. The OLCC sends those under the age of 21 to buy cannabis with their actual IDs under the supervision of a commission inspector. Regulators had planned to visit every licensed retailer over the course of the year, but stepped up the checks after the industry’s early spotty compliance rate.
Some in the industry have expressed skepticism that increasing penalties would be effective in combating sales to minors. “Increasing the penalty on a merchant isn’t going to stop an employee who thinks he’s doing someone a favor by allowing them to buy when they’re 19 or 20 years old,” Don Morse, chairman of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council, told the Portland Business Journal.
But the checks have certainly prompted some retailers to take additional measures to ensure their employees comply with state law. Herbal Remedies, a retailer who failed one of the checks last December, started requiring its staffers to enter a potential customer’s driver’s license number into a computer, reported the Statesman Journal. The dispensary also fired the employee who sold cannabis to the minor.


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[PDX Dopesmoker]

Originally Posted by Robrites

The Oregon Court of Appeals has affirmed a Grants Pass ordinance that requires marijuana plants grown at home for personal use to be grown indoors.
The City Council approved the ban on outdoor cultivation shortly after recreational marijuana became legal. The council members were concerned about offensive odors.
Activist Rycke Brown took the matter to court, saying the ordinance conflicts with a state law that prohibits a local government from enacting or enforcing local limits on the production or use of plant seeds.
The Appeals Court on Wednesday agreed with a lower court that marijuana plants do not apply to that law.

Damn thats harsh.

[Robrites]

Oregon was the first state to legalize recreational and medical marijuana delivery, with California and Nevada recently following suit.
The first delivery sale in Oregon was made on Jan. 31, 2017, in Bend, according to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Just a week and a half later, on Feb. 10, 2017, Eugene had its first state-sanctioned marijuana delivery sale. Springfield’s first delivery sale came more than five months later on July 29, 2017.

The state’s recreational pot legalization law — Measure 91, which Oregon voters passed in 2014 — opened the door to marijuana delivery, but the state had to create rules before deliveries could take place.
The OLCC set the guidelines for pot delivery, establishing when and where deliveries may occur and what information customers must provide.
[ Stay in the know. Sign up for RG Newsletters and get the news delivered directly to your inbox. ]
OLCC requirements include:
Daily purchase limits apply, including 1 ounce of marijuana flower, 5 grams of concentrate, 72 ounces of liquid or a pound of pot-infused food. Marijuana plants or seeds are not allowed to be delivered.
Orders for marijuana delivery may come into state licensed retailers between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and the marijuana shop must fulfill the orders by 9 p.m.

Customers must provide their name and date of birth. Deliverers must check the identification of the customer upon delivery, verifying they are 21 or older.
Marijuana may only be delivered to a house or an apartment on private property. Deliveries are not allowed to dormitories, hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, or commercial businesses. Pot also is not allowed to be delivered to homes located on public land.
Retailers may only deliver marijuana to customers within the same city or unincorporated part of a county as the shop.
Marijuana delivery vehicles are subject to OLCC rules, including:
The retailer cannot carry more than $3,000 worth of marijuana products at a time.
The marijuana must be carried in a lockbox that is affixed to the car or truck.
The state also limits delivery to an address to no more than one per day, and retailers must not deliver to anyone who is visibly intoxicated.
— Dylan Darling


https://registerguard.com/rg/news/loc...occur.html.csp

[Robrites]

Josephine County Sues Oregon To Invalidate Cannabis Laws



UPDATE (10:45 a.m. PT) — Josephine County is suing the state over Oregon’s laws allowing recreational and medical cannabis.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Medford, is an attempt by one of the state’s largest marijuana-producing counties to win power to regulate cannabis production as it struggles with limited public safety resources. But the case could have far wider implications.
Josephine County Lawsuit Against Oregon Seeking To Invalidate State’s Cannabis Laws

Josephine County attorneys have asked a federal judge to throw out Oregon’s cannabis laws — two ballot measures approved by voters and regulatory legislation passed by state lawmakers.
view document »

The county is essentially asking a federal judge to delegitimize Oregon’s cannabis laws — two ballot measures approved by voters and regulatory legislation passed by state lawmakers — because they conflict with stricter federal drug laws. The federal government regulates marijuana through the Controlled Substance Act, which lists cannabis as a schedule 1 drug and thus illegal to possess, distribute or grow.



A spokeswoman for Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, who is named as a defendant in the suit, says her office is still reviewing the lawsuit and won’t comment on pending litigation. But the attorney general’s office says Rosenblum “will defend the state laws of Oregon related to legal marijuana.”
The lawsuit is the latest step in an ongoing fight over cannabis regulation in Josephine County. Last year, officials in the southern Oregon county enacted a law clamping down on marijuana growing operations.
The ordinance outlawed commercial growing operations on plots of land that were five acres or less and zoned for rural or residential purposes. For larger parcels, the law set limits on the size of growing operations well below what’s allowed under state law.
A group of cannabis growers appealed the ordinance, winning a ruling from state land use officials that said the process for passing the law was improper.
Josephine County officials are appealing that decision. In the meantime, they decided to sue.
“This was drafted and filed in anger,” said Will Patterson, a Portland-based cannabis industry attorney who is not involved in the case. “This is a massive overcorrection from what they really want.”
Josephine County officials have another view. Wally Hicks, the county’s attorney, said the county is simply trying to regulate cannabis “in the way the that the people of the county and the governing body of the county have expressed that they would like to regulate it.”
In May 2017, voters in the county approved a non-binding ballot question about regulating cannabis production with roughly 64 percent of the vote.
“That’s what’s really at issue here,” Hicks said. “We’re asking the court to declare whether the state lawfully has that ability to limit those options.”
In fact, the suit could have far larger implications, says Patterson, who called it the “nuclear option.” If all of the county’s arguments are successful, he says, laws allowing cannabis in other states could be affected. Recreational marijuana is legal in the District of Columbia and eight states, and medical cannabis is legal in 29 states.
“This is Josephine County asking a federal court to terminate legal recreational and medical regimes,” Patterson said.
The suit is playing out in one of Oregon’s marijuana hot spots — what Patterson called “the bread basked of cannabis.”

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