As we wrap up 2016—a year that, for many, has been filled with a distressing degree of loss, fear, and historical division—let’s take a look back at these past 12 months, and specifically what has happened with cannabis. (Hopefully you weren’t expecting a wrap-up about sportsball.)
LEGALIZATION—Oregon hit its one-year anniversary for recreational cannabis (AKA adult use) on July 1. It passed with little fanfare, save for a few people who said to no one in particular, “Oh yeah... It has been a year since we could grow and buy cannabis legally. Cool.” Despite the prohibitionists’ warnings that our state would become a horror show, we emerged intact.
POT PARTY POOPER—Both the city of Portland and the OLCC made some changes that sent a chill throughout cannabis-event-planner circles. The city now prohibits any event where cannabis is given away, sampled, or consumed if there is any type of admission charged, or any form of “consideration”—meaning donations, membership cards, etc. They now need to be absolutely free to each and every attendee. (Unfortunately, all of the venue costs, permit fees, and equipment rentals that go into putting on an event do not have similar requirements.) The OLCC ratcheted up this matter in the spring by announcing that any grower who activated a recreational producers license was forbidden from sharing a single gram of their product with the public, requiring it all be moved and taxed through the state dispensary system. Which is exactly how they treat beer, wine, spirits, and hard cider, and why you can no longer sample any of those products unless you pay money for them. Hey, wait a minute...