Now that cannabis has been legal long enough to generate some reliable sales data, people in the industry are starting to ask the question: What type of cannabis products do people really want? A great deal of data, for example, suggests that older consumers are much more likely to buy edibles than younger consumers. Many […]
Oregon Cannabis
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Cannabis Policy in Bizarre-o World
Nearly 50 years ago, President Nixon declared war on certain drugs. A lot of people weren’t convinced that cannabis was terrible, so Congress established a commission to study cannabis. That commission reported that cannabis was no more harmful than alcohol and that the harm of the drug was not enough to warrant intrusion by the […]
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Commuting Drug Sentences
Should Oregon’s governor take a cue from the President?
Should you have to stay in prison when your crime is no longer a crime? Last week, Smoke Signals detailed the difficulties facing people who have been convicted of cannabis-related felonies. Even after repaying their debt to society, these folks have great difficulty finding jobs, housing, loans and other basic necessities of modern life in […]
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Is the Cannabis Gold Rush Headed for a Bust?
There is no doubt that the legal cannabis business is booming. In August, the Oregon Department of Revenue announced that it had collected more than $25 million in taxes on cannabis sales in the first six months of 2016. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) had previously estimated only $18.4 million in taxes in the […]
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Stigma Follows those Convicted of Cannabis Crimes, but New Laws Offer Some Hope
People who have been convicted of cannabis-related crimes live their lives with the proverbial scarlet letter sewn onto their shirts. To say these folks face difficulty in doing things many people take for granted is an understatement. Most people convicted of cannabis crimes cannot get a car or home loan, or often the kind of […]
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Feds vs States: The Reefer Madness Continues
Many Oregonians were aghast recently when Oregon’s chief federal prosecutor announced that he would charge Warm Springs teen Devontre Thomas with a federal crime for allegedly possessing one joint’s worth of cannabis. Williams eventually backed down in the wake of the public outrage, led most notably by Oregon’s Congressional cannabis policy crusader, Earl Blumenauer. But […]
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Reefer Madness
The DEA is in denial about cannabis
Even though there is a metaphoric mountain of evidence that cannabis can treat several serious medical conditions, the Obama administration’s Drug Enforcement Administration has again declined to loosen restrictions on the drug. Currently, cannabis is treated the same as heroin and LSD under federal law, which states that cannabis has “no currently accepted medical use […]
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Feds Back Down on Cannabis Prosecution of Warm Springs Man
Last week, Smoke Signals shared the story of Devontre Thomas, a 19-year old member of the Warm Springs Tribe. Last year, Thomas was a student at Chemawa Indian School in Salem when one of his classmates alleged that a very small amount of cannabis found in his backpack was supplied by Thomas. After hearing the […]
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Think a Pot Prosecution Can’t Happen to You? Think Again.
Cannabis prosecutions of two Warm Springs tribal members shed light on a double standard in the state. Native Americans have been subject to centuries of discrimination and mistreatment in the United States—and unfortunately, that legacy lives on in today’s cannabis laws. Cases in point: two recent prosecutions of Central Oregon tribal members. According to federal […]
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Cannabis Bliss
A CBD product that treats animal ailments
Many Benditos are familiar with “runner’s high,” the feeling of euphoria that people experience after intense exercise. Runner’s high is caused by the brain releasing endocannabinoids into the blood stream. That six-syllable term is a portmanteau of “endogenous,” meaning “coming from within” and “cannabanoids,” meaning “chemical compounds of the cannabis plant.” Yes, the human brain […]