Cannabis Legalization Still Faulty in Oregon

During 2015, Christopher and Lindsey Pate, husband and wife, bought fifteen acres of land in Central Oregon, where they planned to grow cannabis to sell for recreational uses. These plans came to an end in December when Deschutes County decided to ban recreational marijuana in unincorporated areas. This includes the land that the Pates bought.

Highlighting the changing nature that Oregon has been going through since voters legalized cannabis in 2014, the county’s commissioners, after setting up meetings and hearing from many groups and individuals, decided last week to allow cannabis to be grown and sold.

As another sign of the changes in Oregon, voters in Grant County, which is a very conservative part of Oregon, as well as Klamath County in the south will choose in Oregon’s primary election this week on whether or not to reimplement the county’s ban although proponents of marijuana were able to gain enough signatures. Oregon is one of four states that allow recreational marijuana for those 21 or older.

After Oregon voters had been elected to legalize cannabis, the state decided to allow cities and countries to get rid of cannabis production and sales where more than fifty-five percent of voters did not approve of legalization. According to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, over a hundred cities and counties have “opted out” since then. The Deschutes County Commissioners stated that they struggle with the proposal of putting the prohibition back into play.

“I think that we have a responsibility to do what we can to find a balance, somewhere in the middle of a very divisive issue,” Commissioner Tammy Baney stated right before the commissions voted to overturn the ban. “Whether we like it or not, this (marijuana) is something that is here.”

There were definitely people against the idea of legal cannabis in Deschutes County, but they are going to have to deal with marijuana, as Baney indicated.