by Josh Jardine
![pot1-alabaster.jpg]()
It's estimated that on any night, Portland has nearly 4,000 people either sleeping in shelters or on the street. Adjust those numbers to include those couch surfing, camping in cars, and those in transitional housing, and the number skyrockets to more than 16,000. The explosion of ramshackle tents and lean-tos along Portland city streets, highways, and parks is both a shameful disgrace and a tragedy that has been weighing heavily on my heart and mind this year.
Alabaster Pizzo
It's estimated that on any night, Portland has nearly 4,000 people either sleeping in shelters or on the street. Adjust those numbers to include those couch surfing, camping in cars, and those in transitional housing, and the number skyrockets to more than 16,000. The explosion of ramshackle tents and lean-tos along Portland city streets, highways, and parks is both a shameful disgrace and a tragedy that has been weighing heavily on my heart and mind this year.
What does that have to do with cannabis? Well, lately I’ve seen a number of handmade signs asking for money for weed, or simply: “Spare nugs?”
So where should you stand on these types of requests? Much like addressing our homelessness crisis, I’m not sure I have any clear answers.