Oregon is having talks about the day the feds finally fully get into the marijuana business. Experts are saying that Oregon should prepare for it. Recent news is talking about the huge stockpiles of weed and high quality that will make the state the national leader. A total of 21 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational use of marijuana.
Some in the state including Oregon auditors that believe the risk of federal intervention in the state’s regulated system is increasingly unlikely. They say this is due in part because the feds hasn’t done so yet. Oregon and Cali legislatures have already authorized their governors to enter into interstate cannabis trade agreements if the feds allow it. Lawmakers in Washington state followed suit recently with the measure waiting for Gov. Jay Inslee’s to sign it.
Oregon auditors recently said that federal authorities have been hands-off on states that legalize marijuana since the “Cole Memorandum” that came out in 2013. The memorandum said federal intervention wouldn’t be necessary as long as marijuana in those states was not trafficked to other states or distributed to minors, among other conditions.
Oregon’s auditors sent information to the body that hoverns weed in the state- the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) – to follow its own strategic plan to position the state as a national leader. They want them to increase the number of speaking engagements at national conferences, holding more statewide meetings and championing a nationwide framework for cannabis regulation.
The goal of real legalized marijuana in this country may still be far off. There is hope that the Biden administration will allow business transactions among states that have legalized it already. Many activists see little chance of the current Congress moving toward national legalization. The auditors said the OLCC should make burdensome marijuana regulations more like those governing distilled spirits, which the agency also regulates.
