Marty Sanders didn’t have any use for marijuana and didn’t much like the idea of making it legal for anyone in his home state before he got injured on the job. More than 200 of its 345 medical cannabis dispensaries are selling recreational weed, starting today.
Advertisement
Marijuana stores in Oregon on Thursday began selling to anyone over 21, a major milestone in the decades-long movement to liberalize marijuana laws.
The Oregon Legislature did not want to force the mostly rural communities opposed to marijuana to allow the drug to be sold, especially since it is still illegal under federal law, so a compromise was reached. A wanderer seeking weed would have to drive right through or past all that to reach Oregon, and bringing marijuana back would be like carrying coals to Newcastle.
The rollout of Oregon’s new law will likely go pretty smoothly; the businesses that have been involved with the medical marijuana industry for the good part of decade were able to upgrade their licenses ahead of the curve. Cities and counties still retain the power to prohibit sales in their jurisdiction. Until next year, it will only be sold at outlets licensed to sell medical marijuana.
“I’m anxious about the 25 percent tax coming in January”, he said, “but for a $10 gram that’s only a bit over $2 more”. Regular marijuana stores are expected to open next fall.
Oregon is set to become the latest U.S. state where recreational cannabis can be bought legally.
Although recreational marijuana became legal in Oregon on July 1, the state prohibited sales for 3 months as lawmakers discussed oversight.
Until then, consumers are only allowed to buy cannabis flowers, seeds and clone plants – pot-infused candy, oils, cookies and lotions will for now remain available only to people with medical marijuana cards.
Christopher Williams was the first customer in line to buy recreational pot at the shop.
Oregon is the third state to allow the sale of recreational marijuana, following Colorado and Washington, and its rollout is unique.
“I’m just trying to basically stock up for maybe four or five times what the normal volume would be”, said Chris Byers, owner of River City Dispensary in the southern Oregon town of Merlin.
In 2016, several states will vote on the legalization of marijuana including Ohio, Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, California, and Massachusetts. OHA restrictions on amounts purchased and taxes will only apply to recreational purchases made at medical marijuana dispensaries.
Washington taxes marijuana at 37 percent.
Recommended: How much do you know about marijuana?
Growers don’t face strict regulations yet, so the supply can more easily flow into retail stores than it did in Washington and Colorado.
Advertisement
The dispensary is one of many across the state preparing for the first day of retail legal sales starting Thursday.
