Oregon Cannabis Tax Act
Residents of Oregon May Vote to Legalize Marijuana
While the bad news tends to stay ingrained in our psyche, it is important to note all of the success the marijuana reform movement has accomplished. Dispensary raids and the DEA’s recent refusal to admit that marijuana is less harmful than crack and heroine can give the false impression that patients and marijuana advocates have not been successful. This sentiment could not be farther from the truth. There are already 17 states and Washington D.C. (plus more states with proposed legislation)that have already enacted laws that permit medical marijuana. Additionally 13 states have approved measures to decriminalize low level marijuana possession.
2012 may be the year where marijuana reform is taken to even further heights. Earlier in the year we already learned that both Washington State and Colorado will see its residents vote on whether or not they want a legalized and regulated marijuana system. The groups New Approach Washington and Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol were instrumental in collecting enough signatures to get the issues to the ballot this November. If passed in either or both of those states, marijuana will be regulated and handled in a similar fashion to alcohol.
Late last week we at marijuana.net were encouraged to hear that it appears a third state may also be joining the legalization list. Oregon activists collected and submitted over twice the required signatures to the state in order to get the issue on the ballot and voted on by residents. The proposed law is being called the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act. Another interesting aspect of the bill is that it would also permit farmers to grow hemp, which can be used in a variety of ways including food, fuel, rope, building materials and paper. If approved, Oregon stands to create many jobs including new employees that would be required to operate the hemp farms.
Though the government still is attempting to derail the will of the people, their battle appears futile. Elected officials often forget who they work for and with over half the country supporting legalization and approximately 75% supporting medical marijuana, reform seems to be a matter of inevitability. Their jobs require votes and it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict where they will come from if they ignore several generations of Americans who will no longer tolerate the failed war on drugs, unnecessary youth incarcerations and denying relief to needy patients.