Group Trying To Legalize, Tax Pot In Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A group is collecting signatures to get an initiative put on the ballot in 2010 that would allow the state of Oregon to sell marijuana in stores like they do cigarettes.

Monday, the group, called Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, started getting signatures for the Cannabis Tax Act.

The campaign needs 82,769 valid signatures to get the proposal on the November 2010 ballot. Their deadline for the signatures is July 2010.

The group said a tax on those stores could put millions of dollars into the state's general fund.

In the group's plan, part of the money would also go into drug treatment programs.

One supporter asked about the proposal said it makes more sense for the state to take in money through regulation than to spend money on prosecution.

"I think it's a bit of a waste of time spending that much money on prosecuting people that are basically not hurting anybody else besides themselves," supporter Alan Tinsley said.

But not everyone was in support of the proposal.

"Society is already going away from, you know, doing what's right and laws. Why make one more thing OK when it's hurting others?" critic Shelby Ulrich said.

The proposal would allow people age 21 and older to buy marijuana at the stores with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission managing the program.

The stores would get the marijuana from people licensed by the OLCC.

Some of those licensed pot growers would also supply medical marijuana for cardholders.

In addition to marijuana, the plan would allow people to grow hemp.

Supporters said the proposal could generate up to $300 million per year.

They said they think the state would also get an additional $50 million annually in increased tourism.
Group Trying To Legalize, Tax Pot In Oregon - Portland News Story - KPTV Portland

The fed should love this one....best of luck to the fine people of Oregon!:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

Nice!! My sister lives up there. Shes lucky

:thumbsup:This needs to happen nationwide :smokin:!!! Let Oregon show us the way. As it stands now the DEA is in violation of the law by keeping cannabis in a schedule I catagory. The Law has been interpreted by the Supreme Court that the states decide where a drug should be classified and that is then Federal Law. In Gonzales vs Oregon the Supreme Court OVERTURNED the ruling in Gonzales vs Raich which said the DEA does have a right to uphold the federal controlled substance act and arrest small Medical Marijuana growers and users. In other words the Supreme Court said the Federal Gov doest not have the power to arrest state legalized growers and their patients :jumphappy:The DEA should have, by law, changed marijuana from a schedule I cass to a schedule II since the medical efficacy of marijuana has been proven and made legal in 12 states. The DEA should have done this in 1996 when medical marijuana was made legal in California. In fact Rev Carl Olsen of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church (whose religious sacrament is cannabis) filed a petition with the DEA in May 2008 to re-classify cannabis. Just this past week he was notified that the DEA has excepted his petition. Question: Why is a private citizen the one to force the DEA to abide by the law? Just :google: Carl Olsen or the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church/Iowa. Yeah, believe it or not the corn state IOWA (soon to be the HEMP state for growing legal Industrial Hemp like we did in WWII, it was against the law back then for farmers NOT to grow Hemp to help the war effort :pimp:. At harvest time Hemp plants tower 4 feet over the 12' corn along the fence rows. Since it has come out that the U.S. DHHS holds a patent on any future meds made from the cannabis plant (they actually patented the plant and any future meds to be made from it for neuropain control and nausea, etc)...and considering that Jocelyn Elders, our Surgeon General, along with the Young/Future AMA Members have joined the ranks of such insightful people as Francis L. Young who said in 1986..."Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the most theraputically active suhstances known. It would be arbitrary, unreasonable and capricious for the DEA to stand between those sufferer's and the substance."-Francis L. Young-DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge, 1986. Plus the American College of Physicians endorsing Medical Marijuana this is the next logical step to go. Remember Obama will stop the DEA raids by diverting their funds and the states will then be free to make changes concerning Medical and personal use of marijuana. Plus the DEA/FDA (whoever) will have to change the Federal Pharmcutical Schedule of Cannabis from schedule I to schedule II. Let's all do our part to make this change happen nationwide. :giggity::s4: Peace...:smokin:

You gotta love the west coast.:thumbsup:
We do seem to be leading the fight for legalization. But are we winning?

hell yeah were winning. The DEA has no argument against us.

Yeah but they got the laws. Till we get some libertarians in office to curb big government.

If they are looking for a taxation system for MMJ,, Nevada already has a MMJ TAX system in place. :thumbsup:

Thats just the thing, We are trying to change the law. It's not much longer that the government can imprision people for using it medically. Thats just plain wrong. They are slowly getting the point. Our time to shine is near, thats for sure. Marijuana is no longer just being pushed by special interests groups. It's almost EVERYONE.

If that passes, I'm moving to Oregon. :rastasmoke:

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Originally Posted by dlocal

If that passes, I'm moving to Oregon. :rastasmoke:

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I am out of WA and down to Oregon too, if it passes. :thumbsup:

I think this should be the national model for cannabis policy. It just makes the most sense!

DAMN I fucking live in Portland, how have I not heard about this? :(
I have to get my name on that petition, I HAVE TO.

Im going to look for their site, if they have one, if anybody knows it please post incase i cant find it.

Tight if this passes I gotta go to oregon....:thumbsup::rastasmoke: