Cyd Maurer has been in the news a lot the past several days, especially if you follow marijuana policy. The former KEZI news anchor’s termination for using cannabis in her off-time, in a state that recently legalized cannabis with more than 56% of the vote, has struck a chord with a lot of people and has demonstrated the many inequalities that the cannabis community faces in their everyday lives. While the first states to legalize marijuana have dealt with the most important aspect of reform, keeping more people out of prison, employment law, custody issues, expunging past marijuana convictions, and access to proper medical care, such as organ transplants, are some of the next issues that reformers must, and will, tackle.

I had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Maurer for a bit and send her off some questions. I found her to be an extremely pleasant, articulate person with her heart in the right place. I shared the fact that I was about the same age as her, 25, when I first starting doing interviews and debates, supporting marijuana law reform efforts when I was a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and that I wished I was as sharp as she is at such a young age. Despite what she has unjustly gone through, she doesn’t seem to suffer any animosity at anyone, she just knows that employment law needs to change and that the cannabis community deserves true equality. Most importantly, Cyd Maurer hopes that her ordeal and story can help improve the lives of others. I’m honored and thankful for the opportunity to help her describe her experience in fuller detail.

How would you describe your upbringing? Relationship with friends, family, high school experience, etc?

I am the youngest of four children, raised in a Catholic home. Being the baby sister, I’ve always really looked up to my older siblings and learned a lot from them. I was always a good student with lots of friends, and I loved to be involved in as many different activities as possible. Throughout high school I took honors and Advanced Placement courses and graduated with a 3.89 GPA. I was involved in National Honor Society, Orchestra, Choir, Speech Team, Mock Trial, volleyball, swim team, and softball. My senior year, I was one of ten seniors chosen in the fall to participate in “Oly Pageant,” a yearlong fundraiser for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon that culminated at the end of the school year with a mock pageant in downtown Salem.  I also served as our Senior Class Historian, and soon will be in charge of planning our class reunions. (That I really hope I can convince people to come to!)

How did you get your start at KEZI and how long did you work there? How would you describe your work experience?

I started at KEZI at the end of August 2013. I got my first reporting job for another news station in Eugene one week before I graduated from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communications. I was quickly promoted and was filling in at the anchor desk after just six months on the job. After exactly one year there, the station went through a sale and I, along with almost the entire news staff, was laid off. Thirty of the fifty or so employees lost their jobs, but a handful of us were quickly hired by KEZI. I started my anchoring position with KEZI less than two months after losing that first job, and worked there for a year and nine months.

When did you first start using cannabis?

I started using cannabis in college. Growing up in Oregon, I had been around it a couple times, but only tried it once in high school. I wasn’t afraid of it by then, just like I wasn’t really afraid of drinking alcohol, but what I was afraid of getting in trouble, so I was never a partier.

What were you taught about cannabis? Did anything surprise you about the experience?

My first experience with cannabis was in elementary school DARE. I remember learning that all drugs were bad and marijuana, like all other terrible drugs, will make you lazy and will force you to drop out of high school. I quickly learned that marijuana was actually more on par with alcohol, but that adults just had to hide it because it wasn’t legal. When I actually started experiencing both alcohol and cannabis on a more regular basis in college, I slowly realized I really preferred marijuana. I’m not anti-drinking whatsoever – I love a good Oregon craft brew or a glass of Oregon wine now and then – but it just usually doesn’t sit well with me.

Surprisingly, the first term in college that I smoked regularly was the first term I earned a 4.0 GPA. I’d make sure to finish all my daily responsibilities of school, work, homework, meetings, working out… all in time for some marijuana, dinner and Jeopardy. I found that marijuana was something I could use responsibly in my free time without negatively impacting my academic performance the next day, as opposed to alcohol. I graduated the U of O after four years with a 3.59 GPA.

You obviously don’t fit the usual “stereotype” of the cannabis user? Have you met other users that also didn’t fit the stereotype? Can you explain how they broke through the stereotype?

I have actually met far more cannabis users who do not fit the stereotype, than those who do. The problem is that many people can only identify really “obvious” cannabis users and assume that all cannabis users fit the same mold.  Because many people who haven’t been exposed to marijuana use have negative associations with it, they can only see marijuana users who appear in pop culture as lazy and unmotivated.  Few people would assume that I use cannabis, so my appearance, actions, and personality challenge their preconceptions about cannabis users. In my experience, the normal cannabis user is a good, hardworking, and decent person who simply enjoys relaxing with friends and family after a hard workday.

How has the experience been since you have come out of the “cannabis closet”? Anything surprise you?

This experience has definitely been wild. I didn’t know how much attention and feedback my message would receive, but so far the response has just been incredible. So many people are reaching out to me, thanking me for joining the cause, or for just being the voice they can’t be. People have sent me personal messages saying they wish they could support me in public, but can’t for fear of losing their job, for fear of being exiled from their friends and families, or for fear of getting in trouble with the law. I think the immense outpouring of support shows how important it was for me to come forward with my story – it obviously struck a chord with a number of people. I was also surprised by the degree of negativity in some of the comments, tweets, and posts. I wanted to start a conversation, and personal attacks have no place in that conversation.

Any changes to the law that you would like to see regarding marijuana policy?

I definitely think that the employee drug testing policies need to change. Companies should not be held liable for trace amount of inactive THC in an employee’s system. Until a more accurate drug test exists that can efficiently, non-invasively and accurately test whether someone is impaired at the time of the test, the tests will remain discriminatory against people who use marijuana while off-the-clock. Though my argument is centered around recreational use, this is especially important for people who rely on medical marijuana for health reasons.

Ultimately I would like to see marijuana policy reflect policies toward other prescription medications and toward alcohol use. Policies need to ensure that cannabis users are treated equally in society.

Any advice that you may have to others that may be thinking about coming out of the cannabis closet to be more open about their use?

Now that marijuana is legal in Oregon, I hope it’s easier for at least some people to come out of the cannabis closet. I understand that for some, their jobs might still be at risk, but that’s exactly what I’m hoping to change by speaking out. The more we can expose people to responsible cannabis users, the quicker that change will come. My advice would be to weigh the pros and cons. I would never blame someone for choosing to stay private about their cannabis use, but if you have the ability to speak up, I really encourage people to do it. Think about the impact your story could make, and how you could possible change people’s minds about cannabis users.

Anything else that you would like to add?

I’d like to reiterate that none of my former coworkers are the issue here. Many of them had my back and are very good people. It’s disheartening to me that some of them have been attacked, because the real problem is the policy. As I said in my first video, those who worked with me every day trusted me and supported me. The decision to fire me was out of their hands – and came from a corporate attorney who had never even met me. And that is precisely the problem. The company considered me a possible liability, but I’m speaking out on why that’s ridiculous. Companies should not live in fear of being held liable for an employee caught with small amounts of inactive THC in their system.

You can learn more about Cyd Maurer and her journey from TV news anchor to cannabis activist at www.askmeaboutmarijuana.com. And stay tuned to Marijuana Politics as we continue to follow her journey as a cannabis activist. 

Cyd Maurer’s story has struck a chord with the cannabis community and people who believe in fairness across the country. A talented young news anchor with poise well beyond her 25 years, losing her job for off-the-job marijuana use has elevated the national discourse surrounding marijuana rights. While ending the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of nonviolent citizens who use marijuana is a great first step for states like Oregon, the fact that an employee can drink large amounts of alcohol on Friday and Saturday night and go to work unafraid on Monday, while someone like Cyd can be fired for just one toke on a Friday three weeks before a drug test is ridiculous on its face. Examples like Cyd’s will help lead us to a more fair and justice society for the cannabis community.

Cyd had taken the time to thank her supporters for the outpouring of support on a new YouTube video. She also pleads with people to not take their justified anger out on her former coworkers at KEZI as they didn’t make the corporate policy that caused her unjust termination. Please take the time to hear her out and share this important story. You can learn more about Cyd and her unfortunate ordeal at www.askemeaboutmarijuana.com.

Cyd Maurer, News Anchor Unjustly Fired for Marijuana, Thanks Supporters

After much speculation, it is official that existing Oregon medical marijuana dispensaries will sell cannabis to adults on October 1st. Licensed dispensaries will be able to provide up to 7 grams of cannabis flower to all adults starting on October 1st, as Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 460 into law today. The so-called Early Start Bill, SB 460, was initially championed by conservative Republican Senator Ted Ferrioli, as he deemed it imperative to provide regulated access to marijuana since the state legalized possession on July 1st. Democrats Floyd Prozanski and Peter Buckley were also early supporters and the bill went on to pass unanimously out of committee and with large, bipartisan margins out of both the Oregon Senate and House.

The bill, while good for the state in general, is a true godsend to the more than 300 medical marijuana dispensaries licensed in Oregon. The overall saturation of a market consisting of just over 70,000 patients, made staying in business very difficult for many facilities. “This is an important step to ensuring a smooth rollout of marijuana legalization in Oregon – and it will help grow our state’s small businesses and give consumers a safe place to buy cannabis,” Casey Houlihan, executive director of the Oregon Cannabis Retailers Association (ORCA) told Marijuana Politics.

I met early in the session with both Sen. Ferrioli and Sen. Prozanski to discuss the passage of such a bill and thought that the bill was a long-shot, but an important one that we never stopped advocating for; I am so pleased that Governor Brown signed the bill into law. Demonstrating the broad bipartisan support of the bill, Senators Prozanski and Ferrioli carried the bill on the Senate floor while Republican Andy Olson and Democrat Ann Lininger carried the bill on the House floor. Anyone following politics in Oregon knows that the Democrats and Republicans championing the bill before their colleagues don’t agree on that many issues, but a sensible cannabis policy brought them together. Cannabis law reformers have seen first-hand that pragmatic marijuana policies seem to be one of the few issues that can bring Republicans and Democrats together across the political divide.

Now that SB 460 has been signed by Governor Brown, the Oregon Health Authority will develop rules that medical marijuana dispensaries must follow to ensure that they are only providing the proper amount of marijuana flowers to non-patients 21 years of age and older. Concentrates, extracts and marijuana-infused products can’t be legally sold to non-patients under SB 460. A state temporary license will be provided that runs from October 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016. Additionally, the Oregon Department of Revenue must formulate rules and procedures for taxation. All marijuana purchased will be tax-free until January 4, 2016; then non-patients will pay a 25% tax. We will have the latest up-to-date info on the October 1st rules at the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference on September 12-13.

Senate Bill 460 is a great bill for Oregon and the Oregon cannabis industry. It simply makes sense to provide a regulated establishment for adults to legally purchase cannabis as early as possible following the legalization of marijuana possession and cultivation. Cannabis consumers will be able to purchase marijuana that has been tested for potency, mold, mildew and pesticides; medical dispensaries are able to expand their customer base; Oregon will collect new marijuana tax revenue months earlier than expected; and Oregon businesses will receive new tourism dollars as Oregon, especially Portland, will become an even bigger vacation destination for cannabis consumers across the nation. This bill is simply a win-win-win-win and Senate Bill 460 is one bill that the Oregon Legislature and Governor Kate Brown should be commended for making a reality.

Italy could be on the verge of legalizing marijuana after 250 legislators, across political demographics signed onto a plan to allow legal possession, cultivation and use. If the plan comes to fruition, Italy would become the largest country in Europe to legalize cannabis. Europe has long been more tolerant of marijuana use, with the Netherlands being the most famous example, while Portugal has had a great experience decriminalizing all personal drug use. The Italian proposal, while restrictive upon public use and advertising, would allow for personal cultivation and private social clubs.

International Business Times reports:

The leap may appear far-fetched for a country that just 10 years ago voted in a draconian anti-drug bill that removed any distinction between hard and soft drugs, increasing sentences for pot smokers and heroin addicts alike.

But the legalization movement recently gained momentum, with one of the world’s most progressive legislative proposals on marijuana being submitted to the Italian parliament. Drafted by the Intergrupo Parlamentare Cannabis Legale, the legislation would allow anyone over the age of 18 to cultivate as many as five plants at home. Italians could also team up to form a “cannabis social club,” with each having a maximum of 50 people growing as many as 250 plants.

In both cases, the product would have to be consumed or shared by the farmers, who would be banned from selling and profiting from it while notifying authorities about their activities. All other individuals would be allowed to store as many as 15 grams of marijuana at home and carry as many as 5 grams, with higher quantities being allowed for medical use.

Cannabis prohibition is a plight that hurts good people and societies across the globe, so it is great to see progress around the world. Each and every country that repeals prohibition adds momentum to this important fight for freedom. Italy’s society and economy will reap many rewards if this legalization plan comes to fruition and more countries will soon follow suit. State by state, country by country, step by step, cannabis prohibition is crumbling all around us and we all are better for it.

Oregon cannabis consumers are still wondering whether they will be allowed to start purchasing marijuana from dispensaries this October as Senate Bill 460 still sits on Governor Kate Brown’s desk. The bill only legalizes the sale of marijuana flowers, products such as concentrates, extracts and infused edibles will not be available to non-patients. Non-patients won’t be able to purchase marijuana products from state-regulated retailers until the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) finalizes the testing, labeling and packaging rules for marijuana products. With licensing, regulation and taxes (eventually), cannabis consumers are wonder about a potential increase in Portland pot prices after Oregon cannabis commerce is legalized. The Oregonian reports:

Oregon marijuana has long been among the cheapest in the country. PriceofWeed.com, a website that tracks the cost of marijuana on the street, says high-quality pot is going for at least $30 less per ounce (an ounce is a little more than 28 grams) in Oregon than in nearby states, including Washington and Colorado.

A study by EcoNorthwest puts the average state price at around $180 an ounce – enough for at least 30 joints, usually – which roughly matches the Price of Weed site findings. EcoNorthwest estimates the legal market will cause that price to fall to $145. There are several reasons: competition between brands; more consumers entering the market now that it’s above-board; and more varieties to spread the dollars around.

But whether the price falls October 1 is a different question. That will depend largely on whether there is enough supply, whether there are enough medical marijuana dispensaries ready to sell to recreational consumers and how many people show up to buy.

It is hard to predict exactly what will happen to the price of marijuana in Oregon, but I can safely state that marijuana retailers will have to provide relatively low prices over time, or they won’t be able to compete with the underground market in Oregon. It was disappointing that legislation passed this year will increase the cost of OLCC marijuana licenses from $1,250, as approved by over 56% of voters, to more than $4,000 per license. Vertical integration of a marijuana retailer, producer and processor went from $3,750 to over $12,000 for marijuana businesses; this is just one of the costs that will ultimately be passed onto consumers.

A 25% tax on marijuana flowers will start on January 4, 2016, then all marijuana products will be taxed either at 17% or 20% in OLCC stores, depending on whether cities or counties pass the allowed 3% local tax. Even though the Oregon Legislature increased taxes and fees approved under Measure 91, the added governmental costs are still much preferable to virtually every other state with regulated cannabis commerce (medical or otherwise).  Also, many Oregon growers have a long history of cultivating arguably the best cannabis in the world. The competition among growers is fierce, keeping prices the lowest in the country.

Nearly everyday, I receive a text, phone call, email or Facebook message asking me whether Governor Kate Brown will sign SB 460. While I do have some good sources pretty close to the political situation, I don’t have a definitive answer for anyone, but all signs point to Governor Brown either letting SB 460 become law without her signature or even signing it into law within the next two weeks. The Joint Blog reported (“Oregon Governor to Sign Bill Allowing Legal Recreational Cannabis Sales to Begin October 1st“) that Governor Brown is expected to sign the bill, but didn’t cite a source. It certainly makes sense to provide a safe, regulated avenue for both Oregon cannabis consumers as well as tourists visiting the beautiful Beaver State.

We can expect an uptick in tourism dollars as many cannabis consumers add Portland to their travel agenda, bringing in extra revenue and helping the local economy. Cannabis commerce simply makes sense and more and more states will be joining the revolution, Oregon needs to help lead the way as early as possible. Tourists dollars will benefit all Oregonians and should be encouraged, starting with early sales allowed, but we should remain innovative and help lead the way towards establishing safe locations for adults to consume cannabis, like advocates are attempting in Denver, but that is for a future blog and piece of legislation…step by step.

Update: Blog “What Does Donald Trump Think of Marijuana Legalization” includes latest news and polls. 

The 2016 presidential race is heating up with progressive Bernie Sanders, the favored candidate of many cannabis law reform advocates, gaining ground on the Hillary Clinton Machine on the Democratic side as Sanders’ progressive positions become known to likely Democratic primary voters and Clinton mired in unlikeability problems and scandal (potentially even a criminal investigation). On the Republican side, candidates are having a hard time getting noticed as Donald Trump sucks up all of the oxygen. Cannabis law reformers know that Chris Christie certainly isn’t an acceptable candidate and those that are inclined to vote in the Republican primary are flocking to Rand Paul.

As Donald Trump surges in the polls, the cannabis community wonders, “Donald Trump on marijuana: Fired?” Probably surprising to many, Trump actually called for the repeal of drug prohibition 25 years ago. Back in 1990, Trump told more than 700 people at The Miami Herald’s Company of the Year luncheon that the United States was was losing the Drug War “badly” and that,”You have to legalize drugs to win that war. You have to take away the profit from these drug czars.”

I don’t often (ever?) state this, but Donald Trump was right; we do need to end the Drug War and take profits away from criminal organizations and cartels. We have already seen drug cartels get pushed out of the marijuana industry because of just a few states ended cannabis prohibition. However, Trump seems to have flip-flopped on marijuana legalization, so the supposed straight talker should be asked why he has evolved on the issue. At the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump stated that he “felt strongly” opposed to marijuana legalization, but that he supported medical marijuana “100%”. When pressed by Sean Hannity on the states’ rights issue of marijuana legalization, he stated, “If they vote for it, they vote for it.” While Trump went on to state incorrectly that Colorado had “a lot of problems” and he seemed ignorant of the benefits the state is experiencing, including millions of dollars for schools, his supposed states’ rights position gives him a better position than most GOP candidates and really in line with Hillary Clinton’s positions thus far.

While The Donald has made numerous statements that give many voters pause, his stance on marijuana and the Drug War is actually pretty decent compared to the rest of the GOP. While not as sensible as Rand Paul (who I would urge Republican cannabis law reformers to support), Trump at least states that he is a supporter of medical marijuana, so it seems that he wouldn’t use federal agents to crack down on grandmothers with glaucoma, but his states’ rights to regulated marijuana regulations position needs to be clarified before anyone from the Republican Marijuana Majority jumps from Paul to Trump.

As a businessman, Trump understands supply and demand and the demand for drugs in this country is too great; drug cartels are going to meet the supply. Prohibition isn’t the answer, regulation, taxation and education is a much better policy. Trump wisely (did I really just type that?) stated at the luncheon that tax revenue should be utilized to educate the public about the consequences of drug use. Since the facts back demonstrate that states benefit from cannabis regulation, including fewer opiate overdoses, generating millions of dollars in new revenue from cannabis sales, taking money out of the criminal market and putting that money into schools and drug education has been a success, why has Trump flip-flopped on the issue of legalization? While the Donald needs to explain his flip-flopping evolution on marijuana legalization, at least he didn’t call cannabis consumers “diseased” and pledge to use armed federal agents to trample the will of voters, but jumping over the Chris Christie cannabis bar is a pretty low standard.

The Senate Appropriations Bill passed a key piece of marijuana legislation today that allows Washington, D.C., to license and regulate cannabis commerce and to allow banks to offer financial services to regulated marijuana businesses. The Financial Services Bill adopted by the U.S. Senate committee deletes previously approved language that prevented our nation’s capitol from regulating marijuana sales, even after more than 70% of District voters passed a legalization measure last November. Additionally, the committee approved an amendment sponsored by Oregon’s Jeff Merkley and Washington State’s Patty Murray that will allow banks to offer financial services to cannabis businesses located in areas where marijuana is legal.

It is great to see progress at the federal level as elected officials are finally catching up with the people. It was nonsensical and petty to prohibit Washington, D.C., from licensing, regulating and taxing marijuana when all adults can legally possess marijuana and cultivate cannabis plants. Denying banking services to regulated marijuana businesses has been a terrible policy as forcing marijuana businesses to be all-cash operations is a safety hazard and creates more opportunities for tax evasions.

Oregon United States Senator Ron Wyden, a well-respected moderate, announced his support for tax reform for marijuana businesses just a few months ago after Congressman Earl Blumenauer successfully brought him into the fold. At the press conference announcing his position on tax reform, Senator Wyden mentioned that Senator Merkley would be introducing banking reform; having the honor to participate in that press conference on behalf of New Approach Oregon was one of my career highlights. Congressman Blumenauer will certainly have an update on federal banking law and will be able to answer questions about federal reforms in general at the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference this September. Whenever positive federal reforms are announced, odds are that progress is being made in Congress thanks to the hard work over the years by Representative Blumenauer.

This latest bill is just the most recent demonstration of the progress sensible cannabis reform is making in Congress. As someone who has spent about 15 years working on marijuana law reform, I am amazed at the progress the cannabis community has made breaking through decades of Reefer Madness propaganda. A list of positive developments courtesy of the Drug Policy Alliance:

• The U.S. House voted five times last year to let states set their own marijuana policies (once on medical marijuana, twice on hemp, and twice on marijuana and banking).

• A medical marijuana amendment made it into the final spending bill last year that Obama signed into law – marking the first time Congress has rolled back marijuana prohibition in any significant way.

• This year the U.S. House has already voted four times to let states set their own marijuana policies (twice on medical marijuana, twice on hemp).

• Another  House amendment allowing states to legalize marijuana like alcohol without federal interference failed by only nine votes, a stunning outcome considering it was the first time Congress has ever voted on outright repealing marijuana prohibition.

• In addition to passing the banking amendment and removing the D.C. ban, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved three other marijuana amendments this year – allowing Veterans Administration doctors to recommend marijuana to their patients, prohibiting the DEA from undermining state medical marijuana laws, and prohibiting the DEA from undermining state hemp research laws.

23 states have legalized marijuana for medical use – and an additional 16 states have legalized CBD oils, a non-psychotropic component of marijuana that has proven uniquely effective in managing epileptic seizures that afflict children. Four states have legalized marijuana like alcohol – Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

***

“At this point, it’s probably only a question of when, not if, the failed war on drugs will come to an end,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “We basically tore a page out of the campaign playbook for repealing alcohol Prohibition – get state after state to adopt reform and then force the federal government to change.”

Thanks to the great work of organizations such as the Drug Policy Alliance, ACLU and local advocates and organizations across the country, cannabis law reform is being passed city by city, state by state. While some advocates, understandably so fed up with the ill-advised Drug War, would like to see federal law changed immediately, this local-first approach is working and is our best bet to end cannabis prohibition federally.

Each city and state that reforms marijuana law for the better, recruits more and more elected federal officials to our cause. It isn’t a coincidence that legislators from Oregon, Washington, California and Colorado are leading these efforts. These local and state elections demonstrate to representatives and senators that Drug War reform is a viable political position that is supported by their constituents and once they carefully study the issue, they understand that reforming our Drug War policies is both a good policy choice and good politics. Step by step, we are making progress to end the failed War on Drugs and today is just another sign that cannabis prohibition, like alcohol prohibition before it, will crumble.

This past Oregon legislative session, I was pleased to learn about House Bill 3372, Representative Lew Frederick’s bill designed to release nonviolent marijuana offenders from prison. I set up a meeting to discuss the bill with Rep. Frederick and to see if he was open to amending HB 3372 so that everyone convicted of marijuana offenses could retroactively have their convictions changed in accordance with Measure 91, Oregon’s recently-passed cannabis legalization law. Representative Frederick agreed and I was hopeful that we could get a bill passed this session. Unfortunately, it looked like HB 3372 was not going to pass out of the Oregon House Judiciary Committee.

After I had frankly given up hope on HB 3372, I was contacted by Aaron Brown, Outreach Coordinator for the Bus Project. The Bus Project, a nonprofit group promoting democracy and equality, was fresh off of helping pass the New Motor Voter Bill that will automatically register hundreds of thousands of Oregonians when they update their driver’s license info. Looking for a new, worthwhile bill to promote, the Bus Project realized that saddling nonviolent people with felony criminal records for actions that Oregonians just legalized was unjust and simply a bad policy. I shared my pessimism with Aaron, but he was undeterred and his optimism inspired me. The Bus Project and New Approach Oregon, the political action committee responsible for the Measure 91 legalization measure, joined forces to lobby the House Judiciary Committee to pass House Bill 3372. More than a thousand signatures were collected from Oregon voters, the #FreshStartOregon social media campaign promoted the bill online and many phone calls were made to legislators. Despite our best efforts, HB 3372 died in committee without getting a hearing.

When it looked like all hope was lost for the cause once again, Representative Ann Lininger, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Implementing Measure 91, stated that something similar to HB 3372 could potentially pass through the Measure 91 Committee, but that we would need to demonstrate bipartisan support. More signatures were collected, the social media campaign ramped up again and New Approach Oregon and the Bus Project launched a phone banking operation at the Bus Project’s headquarters. The effort to expunge past marijuana offenses and set aside old convictions to be in line with Oregon’s new cannabis laws had its up and downs in the M91 Committee and we weren’t sure if such a bill was going to pass. We never gave up and kept at it and we were pleased that such provisions were included in House Bill 3400 and that juvenile marijuana expungement provisions were passed out in Senate Bill 844. At the time of this blog’s typing, HB 3400 has been signed by Governor Kate Brown, but we are still waiting for her to sign SB 844.

Most of the time that marijuana legalization is covered by the media, it seems that the economic and tax benefits are touted as the major benefits of ending cannabis prohibition. However, for me and most activists, the human element is the real reason that we fight this fight. It is heartbreaking to hear about lives severely disrupted and ruined by marijuana laws. When you hear from people who are battling poverty or living paycheck to paycheck because of past marijuana felonies, you can’t help but feel for them and wonder why they happened to be so unlucky, when others, including the President of the United States, was fortunate enough to avoid arrest. When you hear from great parents that can’t volunteer for their kids’ sports teams or school activities because of past marijuana offenses, you don’t have a heart if you don’t feel for their pain.

The Oregon State Police concluded that more than 78,000 people are now able to set aside their old marijuana conviction to be in line with Oregon’s new marijuana laws. It feels great to have played a part in benefiting the lives of tens of thousands of people and I am so proud of everyone who helped this important campaign, especially the Reps. Lininger and Frederick and all of the New Approach Oregon and Bus Project staffers and volunteers.

Inspired by the work locally, Congressman Earl Blumenauer has taken the campaign national, announcing that he is introducing the “Clean Slate for Marijuana Offenses Act of 2015“. We all know that the fight to pass such a measure federally will take time, but criminal justice reform is one of the few bipartisan issues of our day. It makes absolutely no sense to saddle nonviolent citizens with felonies, harmful scarlet letters, that hurt their educational, housing and employment opportunities for actions that are now legal in their state. And of course, these scarlet letters are disproportionately inflicted upon people of color and people battling poverty.

Oregonians should be proud of leading the way on this issue. As far as I know, and I’ve spoken with prominent activists from across the country about this issue, retroactively setting aside past marijuana convictions and providing earlier expungement opportunities, is the first-of-its-kind legislation in this country. The four other states that have legalized marijuana haven’t passed this type of legislation and states that have lowered marijuana penalties haven’t allowed past offenders to change their convictions to be in line with the new law. It is only fair to allow people unlucky enough to be caught with marijuana to set aside their old convictions to be in line with the new law.

Not everyone is as lucky as President Barack Obama or George W. Bush or Bill Clinton or Al Gore or Newt Gingrich or Carl Sagan or Michael Phelps or the many, many prominent people who could have had their lives and careers derailed with just a little bit of bad luck. Thank you, Oregon, for leading the way and for Congressman Blumenauer for taking this important fight national. Hopefully, other states, and eventually the federal government, will soon catch up to Oregon. Step by step, state by state, until we are all equal and free.

Safe Streets, a nonprofit started with the mission of stopping crime before it occurs, is inadvertently pushing a plan that will only create more crime and endanger the very citizens the nonprofit wants to protect.The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) was designed to tackle the mafia, giving the government an avenue to prosecute the leaders of crime syndicates for the actions of their underlings. Safe Streets is misusing federal RICO laws in an attempt to shut down the burgeoning cannabis industry in Colorado, hoping that the tactic will provide a blueprint for prohibitionists across the country.

Safe Streets, by using these laws to shut down marijuana retailers, are actually helping criminal gangs and cartels. The prohibition of marijuana, enriches gangs and cartels, just as alcohol prohibition enriched gangsters like Al Capone. There are already published reports that drug cartels are getting out of the marijuana business due to competition from state-regulated businesses. Safe Streets will only pull the cartels back into the marijuana business by forcing out legitimate, state-regulated businesses hoping to pay their fees and taxes, just as an any other licensed-and-regulated business.

I can understand the irrational, Reefer Madness fear that some prohibitionists experience when thinking about marijuana legalization. Decades of propaganda is difficult to overcome. However, a sophisticated nonprofit organization engaged in policy making and political advocacy shouldn’t be swayed by fear, it should examine the facts on the ground and consider the harms their actions may cause. There have been several studies examining the crime rate in locations that have regulated marijuana and all of the studies demonstrate that cannabis regulations don’t lead to an increase in crime; the sky hasn’t fallen, Chicken Little.

Some studies actually demonstrate that locations that have licensed marijuana commerce experience a decrease in violent crime. While this reduction in violent crime may be counterintuitive to prohibitionists, there are some rather simple explanations: regulation pushes criminals out of the market and licensed cannabis retailers often help revitalize downtrodden neighborhoods. If Safe Streets is successful and suffocates the marijuana industry in its infancy, then criminal gangs can move in to fill the demand and tax-paying businesses forced out of businesses may leave behind vacant spaces that attract crime. Safe Streets, in hoping that its legal strategy catches on with other prohibitionists, is literally using the RICO law to help provide business opportunities for organized crime. Hopefully, the organization will learn the folly of its plan. Concerned citizens can contact Safe Streets and let them know that they are pushing a plan that will make our streets more dangerous.

Safe Streets is currently accepting donations and urging people to share their stories about how marijuana has impacted their or their loved ones’ lives. With marijuana law reform polling favorably across the nation and winning at the ballot box, millions upon millions of Americans are realizing that regulating cannabis is a preferred policy to prohibition. Now that the citizens in 23 states (plus our nation’s capital) are living under a medical marijuana law, millions of Americans understand the medicinal benefits of cannabis for patients with a variety of debilitating medical conditions. I think that the cannabis community should take some time to inform Safe Streets about how cannabis has benefited their lives and the lives of their loved one. Cannabis prohibition, like alcohol prohibition before it, is a failed and harmful policy that enriches criminals, why is a nonprofit designed to stop crime helping create crime and enrich criminal organizations?

The 4th Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (OMMBC) kicks off in Portland at the downtown Hilton, September 12th to the 13th. The OMMBC has sold out in previous years in both Ashland and Eugene and heads to Portland for the first time. I am proud to help organize the OMMBC as it always provides great information for those in the cannabis industry, but most importantly, it always has a strong focus on activism and remembering that marijuana law reform is really about protecting patients and keeping people out of prison.

The OMMBC will feature entrepreneurs, lawyers, politicians and advocates to provide an overview of where Oregon’s marijuana laws are currently and where they are headed. Recent legislation has altered the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) in some key ways, bringing new regulation and rules to labs, producers and processors. We will have people on hand that have worked in the Oregon medical industry and those that have helped shape the laws and those studying to help businesses adapt to the new landscape.

The timing of the OMMBC is perfect as it occurs just about two weeks before medical marijuana dispensaries should be allowed to sell cannabis flower to adults over the age of 21 on October 1st and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission Rules Advisory Committee hearings will be well underway, giving us a good ideas as to how the recreational rules are shaping up. The OLCC RAC should complete its work by November 1st, giving the state plenty of time to finalize the licensing rules and regulations by the January 4, 2016, deadline. In addition to Oregon-specific knowledge, Congressman Earl Blumenaur and former Libertarian vice-presidential candidate Judge Jim Gray, will both be on hand to discuss the national prospective.

The OMMBC is Oregon’s premiere cannabis business and networking event, catering to cannabis professionals, as well as curious newbies looking to get into the industry. Along with a boutique exhibition area and nightly networking parties, the OMMBC creates an environment that is not only educational, but fun and exciting. Not your average business conference, that’s for sure. Tickets are currently $299. Head over to www.ommbc.com for more information and to get your tickets before prices go up.

Presidential candidate Barack Obama was a skilled orator that could bring grown men to tears. His hope and change speeches and “Yes We Can” rhetoric inspired millions who thought that we would be electing a progressive president who would tackle the serious issues of the day. In retrospect, it appeared that Obama was really a blank canvas that progressives could project their own sensibilities upon. If you were concerned about climate change, he would take on the polluters. If you were concerned about the United States waging unnecessary wars, then you just knew that President Obama would only wage war if absolutely necessary and with a clear exit plan. If ending the Drug War was your thing, well surely an African-American member of the Choom Gang would understand the unjust, harmful and racist implication of the War on Drugs and start dismantling the prison-industrial-complex that many refer to as “The New Jim Crow“.

I think that it is safe to say that most progressives have had their ups and downs with President Obama during his tenure. For marijuana law reform advocates, the president immediately went against his word as his Justice Department raided, arrested and prosecuted people cultivating and providing medical cannabis. President Obama even made jokes about the cannabis community and didn’t seem to take the issue seriously. But slowly but surely, the former Choom Gang member has started to come around. His first big step was not immediately squashing the marijuana legalization laws in Colorado and Washington. The federal Cole Memo, while not perfect provided a decent guideline for states and Native American reservations to follow. President Obama then removed one of the unnecessary barriers to medical cannabis research. And finally, President Obama has commuted Drug War prisoners’ sentences and has named criminal justice reforms one of the major principles of his remaining years in office.

The AP reports in the Boston Herald:

Calling America “a nation of second chances,” President Barack Obama cut the prison sentences of 46 non-violent drug offenders on Monday in what the White House hopes will be just one prong of a broader push to make the criminal justice system fairer while saving the government money.

Fourteen of those whose sentences were commuted had been sentenced to life in prison and the vast majority to at least 20 years, the president said in a video released by the White House, adding that “their punishments didn’t fit the crime.”

“These men and women were not hardened criminals,” he said, promising to lay out more ideas on criminal justice changes during a speech to the NAACP on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Not only is President Obama commuting unjust, draconian Drug War sentences, but his administration is dedicating itself to working towards more criminal justice reforms during the remainder of the the term. These reforms are clearly needed as Families Against Mandatory Minimums states, the federal prison population has exploded from just 24,000 in the 1980s to more than 214,000 today. The expansion of the prison-industrial-complex has grown too much and has caused too much damage, especially to folks battling poverty and people of color, to be ignored any longer. As The Wall Street Journal notes, President Obama is working across the political spectrum to try and reform our broken criminal justice system:

“Right now with our overall crime rate and incarceration rate both falling, we’re at a moment when some good people in both parties, Republicans and Democrats, and folks all across the country are coming together around ideas to make the system work smarter, make it work better,” Mr. Obama said. “And I’m determined to do my part wherever I can.”

The push for a criminal-justice overhaul has been led by advocates from both ends of the political spectrum, including the left-leaning Center for American Progress and conservative megadonors Charles and David Koch.

Mr. Obama plans to press for a broader legislative solution that would address some of the inequities in the justice system. But administration officials also have signaled that he may continue to act on his own.

Political gridlock across most issues is the status quo. One of the few issues that Republicans and Democrats can agree upon is criminal justice reform. From allowing states to implement their own marijuana laws, to banking, to IRS 280e reform, to Drug War sentencing, we are seeing the left and the right, and everyone inbetween realize that the War on Drugs has been an abysmal failure. It is a shame that our country has had to ruin so many lives and waste so many resources before this bipartisan consensus could be reached, but it is promising that we are finally making progress. While these commutations and further potential reforms by the POTUS won’t solve all of our Drug War problems, they are a great step forward and get us closer to ending a failed and harmful war that we have been waging upon our own citizens for far too long. #ThanksObama

When we were drafting the Measure 91 legalization measure, we had the benefit of following in the footsteps of Colorado and Washington and also building upon the foundation of Oregon’s already progressive marijuana laws. I am very proud of what we managed to accomplish with Measure 91, particularly of the fact that we were able to garner more than 56% of the vote in a mid-term election for a legalization measure that allowed for the home cultivation of 4 plants, an eight ounce home possession limit (up to a pound decriminalized) and avoided any per se driving under the influence provision.

We never would have been able to pass such a progressive law if not for the hard work of activists in other states and Oregon advocates that had spent decades improving and protecting Oregon’s marijuana laws. While very happy that we had crafted a measure that will benefit Oregon, we imagined that future legalization measures will be able to build upon Measure 91 and pass even better marijuana laws in the future.

This past legislative session both improved Measure 91 (decreased marijuana penalties, allowing the expungement of past marijuana convictions, etc.) and worsened the law (allowing localities that didn’t support legalization with 45% of the vote to ban marijuana businesses without a vote of the people and a local tax provision that could push marijuana prices higher than M91 intended, for example). However, the cannabis community still moved forward a couple of steps, in my opinion, while taking one step back as the sausage making of political compromise usually includes a bit of a give and take.

Once the legislative session ended, I started comparing Oregon’s law compared to other states and am convinced that we have the best marijuana law in the country. The law isn’t perfect and we will continue to work to improve the law, but relatively speaking, the law is pretty great. Russ Belville, 420Radio.org Executive Director, Marijuana Poltics blogger and Portland NORML Executive Director (you can see why he is arguably the hardest working man in cannabis activism), declared that Oregon has the best marijuana law in the world over at High Times. Russ’ Radical Rant includes 10 reasons why the Beaver State has the best marijuana law, here are just a few:

1. The Country’s Greatest Legal Marijuana Possession Limits

As of July 1, Oregon’s Measure 91 allows adults 21 and older to possess an ounce of marijuana in public, a half-pound at home, a pound of marijuana-infused edibles, 4.5 pints of marijuana-infused liquids and an ounce of store-bought extracts.

4. We Can Grow Our Own Marijuana, Even Near Schools

It’s unlawful cultivation near a school that’s a felony. The legislature explicitly protected our possession, processing and home grow rights near schools, which is four marijuana plants per household.

8. Lowest Marijuana Prices

PriceOfWeed.com and MJCharts.com consistently show Oregon to have the lowest reported prices for marijuana. Some medical dispensaries in Portland, which will be allowed to sell to all adults on October 1, are offering ounce specials as low as $79, and even the best quality super-bud rarely sells for over $225 an ounce.

The entire Radical Rant is certainly worth reading over at High Times, so check it out and let Russ know what you think. I may be a little biased as chief petitioner and co-author of Measure 91 as well as engaging in the lobbying negotiations to reduce marijuana penalties across the board in Oregon, so I am curious as to what others think as well. Passing Measure 91 and further reducing marijuana penalties is a great achievement by the Oregon cannabis community, but we know that we aren’t done yet. We still have a ways to go until the cannabis community is truly equal and free and we won’t rest until our ultimate goal is reached. However, activists, every now and again, need to reflect upon and appreciate the advances that we have made and crafting arguably the best marijuana law in the country, if not the world, is something that the Oregon cannabis community can be proud of.

Portland International Airport (PDX), has long been recognized as a great airport by travellers. PDX prohibits retailers from inflating prices at the airport, including Portland’s famous food carts that are now doing business at the airport. The airport has such a cult following in Portland, that the airport’s carpet is iconic and even was named the grand marshal of the city’s Starlight Parade. Portlanders really love the PDX carpet, I mean really, really love it. Now PDX is back in the news and has garnered the favor of the local cannabis community, announcing that they will not prohibit up to an ounce of marijuana from in-state flights.

KPTV reports:

PDX is allowing travelers to board with the legal amount of marijuana on flights that take off and land within Oregon’s borders.

Airport officials said if a TSA agent finds pot on you, they will notify Port Police. Port Police will check to see if you’re over the legal limit, check your age and look at your boarding pass to make sure you aren’t flying out of the state.

If everything checks out, they’ll let you go on so you can make your flight.

As KPTV notes, federal TSA agents aren’t really looking for marijuana, but may make you dispose of it if you are flying out of Oregon. What hasn’t been reported much in the media, is that the Port of Portland had previously announced that they wouldn’t bother state-licensed medical marijuana patients who complied with state law. PDX’s announcement is just the latest move in marijuana being normalized in Oregon, as it should be. The cannabis community has long been seeking to have marijuana treated like beer and wine, and this may just be one instance where marijuana is actually treated better than beer and wine, as you are now more likely to be able to have marijuana in your carry-on than a bottle of beer or wine.

The cannabis community has made great strides across the country, both politically and culturally. Cannabis law reforms win a vast majority of the time when placed on the ballot box and supporting marijuana legalization is no longer seen as a political handicap. However, despite winning great gains around the nation, the cannabis community still suffers through many forms of discrimination, from employment law to housing discrimination. One form of discrimination, that cannabis use must always be tucked away in private, some Denver cannabis activists are seeking to legalize the social use of marijuana in public establishments.

Time reports:

“I enjoy drinking a beer but I don’t feel like I should always have to do it sitting in my home,” said Mason Tvert, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project, which spearheaded the effort to legalize pot in 2012. “And people who are visiting from out of town are able to purchase marijuana but are not able to consume it legally.”

Tvert, along with attorney Brian Vicente, are leading the initiative to get the issue on the ballot in November, calling their effort the Campaign for Limited Social Use. In order to qualify, they’ll need to collect the signatures of 4,726 registered Denver voters by early August. But some local leaders feel that advocates are pushing their luck this time.

***

Under the proposed ballot initiative, commercial establishments that sell alcohol on site would be able to allow marijuana consumption on their premises—which might mean someone vaping at the cocktail bar or smoking a joint in a fenced-in outdoor area. It would also allow for cannabis-only businesses—meaning they do not serve alcohol but do serve as a place to vape—and would give Denver the power to regulate them, setting restrictions on hours and locations.

Forcing people to use marijuana in private isn’t just unnecessary discrimination, but it also has negative policy implications as well. Many people, especially tourists, will choose marijuana-infused edibles instead of smoking cannabis flowers because they don’t have a place to use cannabis. Infused edibles can lead to unfortunate consequences for people that aren’t used to such products, often seeing edibles as a tamer way to use cannabis, when the opposite can actually be the case. Many people will continue to smoke marijuana in private as well, subjecting themselves to fines and wasting law enforcement resources. I wish Denver cannabis advocates luck with this sensible initiative and hope that a similar policy can be a model for the rest of the country.

The 2016 presidential election is a pivotal event for the future of the cannabis community and greater Drug War reforms. Just as it was critical to have the Obama Administration allow the implementation of legalization in Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska, the next president will have a tremendous influence upon the next wave of states voting to regulate marijuana.  As civil libertarians and those interested in a new approach toward marijuana and the War on Drugs, start to consider presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders certainly looks like the candidate to consider on the Democratic side and likely the best candidate overall.

Senator Sanders has had a long political career that includes executive experience as a mayor and then many years in Congress, both as a representative and a senator. Sanders was expressing progressive views on gay rights and the Drug War forty years ago, clearly ahead of his time. At first, no political pundit would give Sanders any hope of defeating the Hillary Clinton political machine, but now, the large crowds he attracts, his fundraising and rising polling numbers have shown that he could give Clinton a run for her money. In Portland, Maine, yesterday, a town hall meeting turned into a big rally that had to be delayed so more people could be let in. It is estimated that up to 9,000 people turned out to listen to the Vermont Senator call for a political revolution. Bangor Daily News reports:

Sanders said his goal was to create a movement in the tradition of the abolitionists, suffragettes, civil rights activists and union organizers. “If we want real change, it’s not just electing someone — hopefully me,” he said to laughs. “No one in the White House will have the power to take on Wall Street alone, corporate America alone, the billionaire classes alone. The only way that change takes place is when we develop that strong grass-roots movement, make that political revolution, stand together, and then we bring about change.”

Sanders touted his progressive bona fides, promoting an increased minimum wage, protections for access to abortion and an end to the war on drugs. He railed against trade agreements that saw American jobs moved overseas, and promised to fight for free public college education and universal health care, paid sick time and paid maternity leave. He swore to unequivocally pursue energy policy to fight climate change.

But it was income inequality that Sanders called “the great moral issue of our time.”

(Emphasis mine)

Bernie Sanders’ messaging should resonate with anyone that wants to reform our drug laws. The Drug War has been waged upon people of color and people battling poverty. Income inequality rears its head in tragic ways when someone is arrested for drugs. If you are poor and can’t afford an attorney, the consequences for you and your family can be devastating, but if you are rich and can hire the best attorneys in town, odds are you won’t see the inside of a prison cell. When is the last time you have heard of a wealthy person serving prison time for drugs?

The narrative surrounding Bernie Sanders is changing rapidly and I urge all of his supporters to publicly tout his candidacy. It is possible that Sanders could win the Iowa Caucus, where motivation and passion of supporters is key and the Clinton team is already concerned (rightfully so, as she finished third behind Barack Obama and John Edwards in 2008). Sanders could definitely win the New Hampshire Primary, especially if he does well in Iowa, as the Granite State borders Vermont, giving Sanders better name recognition than in most of the country. If he can pull off two early upsets, then the narrative surrounding the Democratic Primary changes. Many people didn’t think that we would see an African-American president in our lifetime, let alone one with the middle name “Hussein”, so don’t let anyone say that Sanders is “too old”, “too liberal” or that he doesn’t “look presidential.” Political revolutions don’t come easy, but Bernie Sanders is hoping to lead one. The question is, are we willing to follow him?