[Robrites]

When we first put humans into capsules and shot them into space, we weren’t exactly sure what would happen. So with electrodes and blood-pressure cuffs we meticulously tracked astronauts’ vital signs as they ventured into the unknown.

The same thing, in a sense, is happening in Oregon. As the state blasts into the cannabis frontier — recreational markets opened Oct. 1 — officials want to keep tabs on the vitals. This month the Oregon Health Authority published its first-ever report on cannabis use by residents, full of brightly colored charts and detailed demographic information. It’s meant to be a snapshot of attitudes and behaviors at the dawn of a new era.

“The purpose of this report was not to lay out any policy,” Oregon’s state health officer and epidemiologist, Katrina Hedberg, told Leafly. “The policy is being discussed, and I believe strongly that it’s important to ground that in data.”

Hedberg, who oversaw the report’s production, said at least one takeaway is clear: Oregon loves its cannabis. In the past decade, while consumption in the rest of the nation rose just a smidge, the percentage of Oregonians 25 and older who use cannabis regularly has more than doubled. It stands at 11 percent, according to the latest available numbers, much higher than the U.S. average of 7 percent. “There are different attitudes out here in the Pacific Northwest,” Hedberg said.

[Robrites]

About 1/3 haven't registered, few are set to remit taxes

SALEM, Ore. -

The clock is ticking for medical marijuana dispensaries selling recreational products. By rule, recreational marijuana tax payments are due monthly, starting in February.

"Before making their first payment, dispensaries must register with us so we can create a tax account for them," Marijuana Tax Program Manager John Galvin said in Friday's announcement. "It's the law."

As of now, 120 of the 309 dispensaries selling recreational marijuana, according to the Oregon Health Authority's public list, still haven't registered with Revenue. Also, only five of those 309 dispensaries have scheduled an appointment to remit the taxes they collected from customers in January.

Here's what dispensaries need to know to stay compliant:
* They must register with Revenue before they can make a payment.
* Payments are due monthly. For cash payments, they must call (503) 945-8050 for an appointment at least 48 hours in advance.
* Returns are due quarterly.
* They must issue a receipt to every customer, showing the retail price and tax paid.

Dispensaries can set the price for their products, but the price must be determined prior to calculating the 25 percent tax. The temporary 25 percent tax is applied to the retail price of all recreational marijuana products sold by dispensaries through December 31, 2016.

https://www.ktvz.com/news/many-dispen...s-tax/37718612

[Robrites]

This probably won't last...


Would you like highs with that?

A rural Oregon coastal town is getting a recreational marijuana store with a drive-thru window.

Green Life Oregon plans to open this April in Gold Beach, a town in the economically-strapped timberlands of Curry County.

The owners bragged this morning to the local paper, the Curry Coastal Pilot, that Green Life Oregon's drive-thru window will be the nation's first.

That's almost certainly not true. A medical-marijuana dispensary in Olympia, Wash. added a drive-thru window in 2012. As recently as last September, Detroit officials were fretting about several dispensaries with weed drive-thrus.

"Dozens of dispensaries line 8 Mile and other major thoroughfares in the city," wrote the Detroit Free Press, "and a Free Press investigation found that at least three offer drive-through service."

Green Life Oregon can still likely claim a spot as Oregon's first weed drive-thru: The state's medical marijuana program had barred drive-up and cart sales of cannabis.

wweek.com

[Robrites]

SALEM — Recreational cannabis retailers would be able to sell tax-free medical marijuana to patients under a bill being considered by Oregon lawmakers.

Senate Bill 1511 would allow businesses with recreational licenses to produce, process and sell medical marijuana products. The provision is one of many in two separate marijuana bills moving through the Legislature's 35-day session, which began Monday.

The House-Senate legislative committee overseeing marijuana legalization held hearings Tuesday on both bills — which include a flurry of small and large proposals sought by marijuana industry representatives and medical marijuana advocates.

Oregon currently treats medical and recreational marijuana as separate enterprises. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees the recreational market, has opposed mingling the two because the state does not track medical marijuana production. The proposed legislation, however, would require that any medical marijuana product sold in recreational stores be tracked the same as recreational cannabis, from seed to sale.

Rep. Ann Lininger, D-Lake Oswego, said the proposals reflect the committee's attempts to respond to problems raised by the industry and medical marijuana advocates. "I hope you are hearing us try to respond to concerns that we are hearing," she said.

Lininger, who co-chairs the committee, told the crowd that filled the hearing room, "I hope what you are hearing is we are making a good-faith effort to meet people's needs. We will try to get as far as we can in this session."

Among the changes being considered:

• Allowing recreational marijuana producers to continue to grow for medical marijuana patients.

• Allowing people 21 and older to buy marijuana-infused edibles and concentrates during the state's so-called early sales program. Under that program, medical marijuana dispensaries may sell to recreational consumers, but those sales have been limited to flowers, seeds and young marijuana plants.

• Reducing criminal penalties for some marijuana-related offenses, including the delivery and manufacturing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school.

• Treating medical marijuana the same as prescription drugs when setting conditions for people on probation or post-prison supervision.

• Prohibiting marijuana retailers from collecting taxes from medical marijuana patients or their caregivers.

• Prohibiting the Oregon Health Authority, which oversees medical marijuana dispensaries, from imposing rules related to potency and packaging on products sold in medical marijuana dispensaries.

• Protecting marijuana social clubs and lounges from the state's clean air law. House Bill 4014, the other marijuana bill, would remove existing residency requirements for investors and owners of recreational marijuana businesses, a controversial issue that has divided the cannabis industry.

The Oregon Cannabis Association, which represents some growers, producers and retailers, has lobbied for removing the residency requirement, saying outside investment is essential to fuel the industry's growth. Others spoke in favor of keeping it during Tuesday's hearing.

"Oregonians have a chance with the business," said Wendy Reordan, a longtime medical marijuana grower in Williams. "I don't want big business to come in from out of state. I want us to have a chance."

State officials also said they are working to bring smaller growers into the regulated recreational marijuana program through a so-called micro-canopy license.

Rob Patridge, the liquor control commission chairman, said growers with fewer than 100 plants could apply for the license, which would come with lower fees and requirements.

Also on Tuesday, health authority officials said the agency has retreated from proposed medical marijuana production rules related to security and water use. Medical marijuana advocates, growers especially, balked at the rules, calling them costly and unnecessary, and saying they would drive out smaller producers.

André Ourso, manager of the health authority's medical marijuana program, said the agency replaced a rule for fencing and cameras with a broad requirement that leaves it to growers to "prevent public access and keep plants out of public view."

While growers are still required to follow laws related to water rights and pesticides, the agency removed those references from its rules.

-- Noelle Crombie

oregonian.com

[Bradley_Danks]

Originally Posted by Robrites

State officials also said they are working to bring smaller growers into the regulated recreational marijuana program through a so-called micro-canopy license.

Rob Patridge, the liquor control commission chairman, said growers with fewer than 100 plants could apply for the license, which would come with lower fees and requirements.

That's pretty sweet for the micro growers producing those small batches of premium quality

[Robrites]

Originally Posted by bigdank

That's pretty sweet for the micro growers producing those small batches of premium quality

I hear they are calling it the "bigdank" clause.

There has been a lot of bad news for small growers lately...maybe it won't be all bad.

[Robrites]

PORTLAND — About 2,500 prospective marijuana growers, investors, marketers and other entrepreneurs are expected to attend the Cannabis Collaborative Conference Feb. 3 and 4 at the Portland Expo Center.

The conference features more than 90 exhibitors and 80 speakers, highlighted by a keynote address by Cliff Robinson, the former Portland Trailblazers basketball player who now counts himself a cannabis activist.

Robinson, who was nicknamed “Uncle Cliffy” during his 18-year NBA career, reportedly plans to open a marijuana store called “Uncle Spliffy.” A spliffy is a marijuana cigarette.

The conference’s technology presentations will include the latest in growing, marketing and security products.

Conference organizers tout cannabis as the “fastest-growing agricultural businesses in North America” as more states legalize recreational and medical pot use.

The District of Columbia and four states, including Washington and Oregon, have legalized pot for recreational use by adults. Twenty-three states allow medical marijuana use. Seven states will vote this year on legalizing adult recreational use.

A conference news release said 2016 “will be the tipping point in which a majority of U.S. states transition from cannabis prohibition to some form of regulated legal market.”

A couple of cannabis industry consulting companies, New Frontier and ArcView Market Research, recently released a State of Legal Marijuana Markets report that said the industry is growing at a rate of 30 percent annually.

In 2015 it reached a estimated value of $5.4 billion. “Adult use” sales of pot grew from and estimated $351 million in 2014 to $998 million in 2015, a 184 percent increase, according to the groups.

Despite the growth, there doesn’t appear to be much room for conventional farmers in the pot market. Seth Crawford, an Oregon State University instructor who specializes in pot policy studies, told the Capital Press in 2015 that the entire Oregon demand could be met on 35 acres in Southern Oregon, and the entire U.S. demand could be grown on 5,000 acres.

Crawford said marijuana probably is Oregon’s most valuable crop, worth close to $1 billion. But he said conventional farmers would swamp the market if they started growing it, and quality might suffer.

capitalpress.com

[Bradley_Danks]

Originally Posted by Robrites

Despite the growth, there doesn’t appear to be much room for conventional farmers in the pot market. Seth Crawford, an Oregon State University instructor who specializes in pot policy studies, told the Capital Press in 2015 that the entire Oregon demand could be met on 35 acres in Southern Oregon, and the entire U.S. demand could be grown on 5,000 acres.

Crawford said marijuana probably is Oregon’s most valuable crop, worth close to $1 billion. But he said conventional farmers would swamp the market if they started growing it, and quality might suffer.

capitalpress.com

Not sure a large scale outdoor op is going to meet everyone's desires though. Well see

[CannaBossFarms]

Subscribing for the updates

Thank you for posting the information

[mfdoo0mm]

Originally Posted by Robrites

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.

=============

This METRC stuff is insane!

RFID tags?! Seriously?

And I quote:

Originally Posted by METRC.COM

Q – Why does the Metrc system utilize RFID tags?
A - The CTS tags have multiple modalities that include human readable information, barcodes and RFID. RFID specifically offers a higher degree of accuracy, improved speed of reading and ultimately makes reporting for both the industry and the OLCC more cost efficient.

Q – How much do the tags cost?
A – Plant tags are .45 cents each and package tags are .25 cents each.