State of Oregon Archives: on Drugs

Cliff Bentz: Oppose marijuana trade between states when federal laws end

Craft Cannabis Alliance analysis: Senate Bill 582 allows Oregon's governor to enter into agreements with other states for the licensed interstate transfer of cannabis as soon as the federal government indicates that such transactions would no longer be subject to prosecution under federal law. "Oregon's bill is a sensible fix for a myriad of issues that arise when you have a thriving legal market bumping up against the remnants of a failed federal prohibition," said the executive director of the Craft Cannabis Alliance.

Legislative Outcome:Passed Senate 19-9-2 on May/15/19; State Sen. Cliff Bentz voted NO; Passed House 43-16-1 on Jun/11/19; Signed by Governor Kate Brown on Jun/20/19

Kate Brown: Support marijuana trade between states when federal laws end

Craft Cannabis Alliance analysis: Senate Bill 582 allows Oregon's governor to enter into agreements with other states for the licensed interstate transfer of cannabis as soon as the federal government indicates that such transactions would no longer be subject to prosecution under federal law. "Oregon's bill is a sensible fix for a myriad of issues that arise when you have a thriving legal market bumping up against the remnants of a failed federal prohibition," said the executive director of the Craft Cannabis Alliance.

Legislative Outcome:Passed Senate 19-9-2 on May/15/19; Passed House 43-16-1 on Jun/11/19; Signed by Governor Kate Brown on Jun/20/19

Jo Rae Perkins: Don't legalize marijuana federally; leave it to the states

A: No. But I also believe this is not a federal issue as much as it is a States Powers issue. The federal comes in when marijuana is transported across state lines from a legalized state to a not legalized state. I do not support legalization of other drugs.

Knute Buehler: Federal government needs to respect state laws on marijuana

Kate Brown: Liberalize recreational marijuana use but regulate it

HB-4014 Legislative Summary:Makes changes to laws regulating production, processing, sale, use and governance of cannabis: A marijuana producer must have a production license; that license must be annually renewed.

SB-1598 Legislative Summary:Exempts research marijuana from requiring a license to produce marijuana;; allows for fingerprinting of applica

Kevin Stine: Fearful rhetoric about marijuana leads to waste, not safety

A: Strongly oppose. Decades of fearful rhetoric about the "dangers" of marijuana has led to a waste of human assets, and a waste of taxpayer dollars, without making us safer.

Jeff Merkley: Positives of pot legalization outweigh the negatives

"I think folks on both sides of the argument make a good case," Merkley said. "And there is concern about a series of new products--and we don't have a real track record from Colorado and Washington. But I feel on balance that we spend a lot of money on our criminal justice system in the wrong places and I lean in favor of this ballot measure."

While politicians nationwide have been reluctant to stake out a position on the issue, Merkley is unlikely to be the last to so explicitly announce his support for legalization as attitudes toward the drug continue to shift. As an increasingly clear majority of Americans support the idea of legalizing the drug, more are expected to follow.

Jason Conger: Voted NO on retail medical marijuana establishments

1. The Oregon Health Authority shall establish by rule a medical marijuana facility registration system to authorize the transfer of usable marijuana and immature marijuana plants from a marijuana grow site to the medical marijuana facility.
2. The registration system must require documentation that demonstrates the medical marijuana facility meets the state qualifications
3. To qualify for registration, a medical marijuana facility:
   • Must be located in an area that is zoned for commercial or industrial use
   • May not be located at the same address as a marijuana grow site
   • Must be registered as a business with the Office of the Secretary of State
   • Must not be located within 1,000 feet of a public or private elementary or secondary school
   • Must not be located within 1,000 feet of another medical marijuana facility.

Jeff Merkley: Toughen laws against meth traffickers

Merkley hopes his crime-fighting proposals will respond to voter concerns about high levels of methamphetamine use and cuts to law enforcement in many Oregon communities.

Merkley wants the federal government to pay the costs of adding another 50,000 local police officers around the country, as well as additional prosecutors and resources for crime labs. He would also toughen laws against meth traffickers, toughen reporting requirements for sex offenders and expand federal laws against child pornography.

Gordon Harold Smith: Mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs

Smith supports the following principles regarding drug issues:
• Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
• Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
• Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.

John Kitzhaber: Decriminalize medicinal marijuana

Kitzhaber indicates he supports the following principles concerning crime:
• Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
• Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
• Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
• Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.