[IndicaIsland]

subbed

[frostqueen]

Originally Posted by Robrites

Oregon's medical marijuana advocates say the state's proposed rules for production impose expensive and unnecessary burdens on growers and will ultimately harm patients who rely on the drug to cope with a wide range of health problems.

The Oregon Health Authority's draft rules, set to take effect March 1, are part of a sweeping law passed last year that regulates Oregon's cannabis industry.

The proposed requirements represent regulators' efforts to put some checks on medical marijuana production in a state where growers have operated largely without oversight for more than a decade. The rules call for round-the-clock security and regular reports to the health authority about how many plants a grower has and where their harvests ended up.

The health authority also may inspect grow sites with more than a dozen plants or those selling marijuana to processors or dispensaries.

Growers who plan to move cannabis into the dispensary market or those who grow for more than two patients or for a patient who doesn't live on the property are most affected by the proposed rules. Patients who grow their own medical marijuana or those who grow for one other person on their property also face new requirements, though they are not as extensive.

Many in Oregon's medical marijuana community have pressed the state to delay implementing the rules until next year. They argue that the health authority has not notified growers of the particular changes that impact them and that those who do know about the rules don't have enough time to comply.

"Most growers and patients have no idea about this yet," said Cedar Grey, a Williams grower with the Oregon Sungrown Growers Guild, which represents outdoor growers in southern Oregon. "And it completely changes the program."

Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, a staunch advocate of the state's medical marijuana program, blasted the health authority in an interview Thursday with The Oregonian/OregonLive, saying the agency has "run amok."

"The proposed rules are a direct assault on the (medical marijuana) program and the small family farm," said Prozanski.

Among the new requirements:

Record keeping: Growers must establish online accounts with the health authority where they are required to file monthly reports on the number of plants they have, their harvests and how much they transferred overall to dispensaries and patients.

Reporting requirements: Medical marijuana growers producing cannabis for dispensaries, more than two patients or patients who live off the property must track their use of pesticides and fertilizers. They are required, under the draft rules, to list the names of products they use, the dates they used them, the names of those who applied them and how much was used. Those records must be kept for two years.

Plant limits: Starting March 1, medical marijuana growers who grow in residential areas within city limits can have up to a dozen plants. If the site isn't in a residential zone or is outside of city limits, then growers are allowed up to 48 plants.

"Grandfathered" grow sites: Some medical marijuana producers may be eligible to have more plants, depending on the number of patients who were on their rolls on Jan. 1, 2015. Those limits are capped at 24 plants for people living in residential areas within a city and 96 for those outside of those areas.

Residency requirements: For the first time, the Oregon Legislature has imposed a residency requirement for growers and patients. People registered as growers on or before Jan. 1, 2015, must prove they've lived in the state for the past year. Otherwise, they must show proof that they've lived in Oregon for the previous two years. Patients also must be Oregon residents.

Water rights: The proposed rule requires that growers have a water right for irrigation or "nursery use" and that they have "legal authorization" to use the water.

Under a provision of last year's landmark marijuana regulatory law, growers may be reimbursed by patients for their labor, something previously not allowed.

That change, health authority officials said, means marijuana production becomes a "commercial enterprise," which subjects growers to "existing water laws that they haven't been subject to before," health authority spokesman Jonathan Modie said.

Security: Growers must install round-the-clock camera surveillance with video backup for two years. The system must be equipped with motion sensors. Cannabis must be stored in a locked safe or vault.

Ourso said growers may apply for waivers from the security requirement. He said growers may cite cost and practicality as reasons for the request.

Can you post your source for this?

[Robrites]

Originally Posted by frostqueen

Can you post your source for this?

I usually try to do that... not sure, might have been the registerguard or the oregonian. If I run across it I will update.

[mfdoo0mm]

No this is all very real and they are hosting workshops for METRC learning as we speak. OMMP growers + rec growers are encouraged to attend. It will be used as a POS device for logging data and tracking. They are heavily suggesting using RFID tags and/or barcodes to make all product traceable from seed to sale. This is still being debated currently, but it COULD, if the new draft rules are accepted, affect OMMP as well as Rec.

[Dinja]

Here is the link to the proposed changes
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/mmj/Docume...posed-text.pdf

[IndicaIsland]

Good info. thanks.

[Robrites]

WASHINGTON -

Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined with Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici Thursday to introduce a bill that would allow publications in Oregon and other states where marijuana is legal to mail their publications containing written advertising for the product.

The Marijuana Advertising in Legal States (MAILS) Act would reverse the outdated declaration by the U.S. Postal Service in December 2015 that prohibited the mailing of newspapers with ads offering to buy or sell marijuana, even if the marijuana-related ad complies with state law.

“Federal agencies must respect the decisions made by law-abiding Oregonians and small business owners in the state,” Wyden said. “Our bill updates the federal approach to marijuana, ending the threat to news publications that choose to accept advertising from legal marijuana businesses in Oregon and other states where voters also have freely decided to legalize marijuana.”

“Oregon voters have made it clear that they support marijuana legalization, but in area after area, federal regulation makes it difficult for legitimate marijuana businesses to operate. It’s time the federal government starts updating its rules and regulations in states where marijuana is now legal,” said Merkley. “This is common sense legislation to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service treats marijuana advertising like any other regulated product.”

“Regardless of how you feel about our failed prohibition of marijuana, every American should agree that the U.S. Postal Service should not be censoring what is or is not published in newspapers,” said Blumenauer. “This USPS policy is outdated and ignores reforms happening in Oregon and across the country. The federal government must stay out of the way of these state legalization efforts.”
ktvz.com

[Robrites]

Originally Posted by solofoe

Hey Oregon brothers and sisters I am going to be visiting my in-laws in Oregon the second half of March we will be in vacouver Washington also and this is a borderline cry for help.... I would love nothing more than to find some quality seeds to bring back to my prohibition state if anyone knows how or could help me make this happen I would be extremely grateful.

Answers to most questions can be found with a google search.

[Robrites]

Originally Posted by Dinja

Here is the link to the proposed changes
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/mmj/Docume...posed-text.pdf

Thank You, Dinja.

[Robrites]

SALEM — A temporary 25-percent tax is now in effect for all recreational marijuana products sold at medical marijuana dispensaries through December 31, 2016. The tax is applied to the retail price of the recreational products. Dispensaries must list the retail price and total tax separately on customer receipts.

Right now, medical dispensaries are the only Oregon facilities authorized to sell recreational marijuana products. Their sales are currently limited to flowers, leaves, immature marijuana plants, and seeds. Medical marijuana remains untaxed.

Visit oregon.gov/dor/marijuana for more information on the marijuana tax program.

Dispensaries must register with the Department of Revenue before remitting payments or filing returns. This allows the department to create a tax account for them. About half of the dispensaries (140 out of 284) publicly listed as recreational marijuana retailers with the Oregon Health Authority, have not registered.

Payments are due monthly starting in February. Returns are due quarterly. Returns for the first quarter are due by May 2,2016. Subsequent returns will be due at the end of the month following the end of the quarter. On Dec. 31, 2016, dispensaries must stop selling limited recreational marijuana products. After that date, only retailers licensed through the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) may sell recreational marijuana products. OLCC started accepting license applications last week. Its goal is to start issuing retail licenses by late 2016.

The permanent, 17-percent tax on the sales price of all recreational marijuana products will take effect once a facility is licensed. Cities and counties can decide whether or not to adopt an additional local tax of up to 3 percent on retail sales. Revenue is not involved in the collection of local marijuana taxes.

dailyastorian.com