Our political action toolshed; info, links, and FAQs related to marijuana laws in Oregon, the Nation and the World - and how to change them for the better.  

Here we explore propositions and ballot measures locally, nationwide and internationally to allow the growth and distribution of medical marijuana.  

Stay tuned for our next event -or- opportunity for contact -and/or- Legislation.

Federal: Members of Congress Unveil Historic Bills to Revamp Medical Marijuana Policy

Support the Veterans Equal Access Act | A bipartisan coalition of nine House lawmakers has introduced legislation, House Resolution 667: The Veterans Equal Access Act, to permit Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers “to provide recommendations and opinions to veterans regarding participation in state marijuana programs.” Passage of this act would allow VA doctors to recommend cannabis therapy to veterans in states that allow for its therapeutic use. Under current federal law, VA physicians are not permitted to fill out written documentation forms authorizing their patients to participate in state-sanctioned medical cannabis programs.

“Post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury can be more damaging and harmful than injuries that are visible from the outside,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR.), a co-sponsor of the bill. “And they can have a devastating effect on a veteran’s family. We should be allowing these wounded veterans access to the medicine that will help them survive and thrive, including medical marijuana -- not treating them like criminals and forcing them into the shadows. It’s shameful.” > Act Today! >> >> Learn more

Legislation, Senate Bill 683: The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act, is pending in the US Senate to strengthen statewide medical marijuana protections and impose various changes to federal law. Identical companion legislation, HR 1538, is also pending in the US House of Representatives. Passage of these measures permits qualified patients, doctors, and businesses to engage in state-sanctioned behavior involving the production, sale, or use of medical cannabis without fear of federal prosecution. The proposals reschedule marijuana at the federal level and remove the compound cannabidiol (CBD) from the Controlled Substances Act.

Additional provisions would allow opportunities for financial institutions to legally provide services to medical marijuana businesses, permit VA doctors to authorize medical cannabis, and would remove existing federal barriers to clinical trial research. You can read the full text of the measures here >> Learn more

Get the Federal Government Out of the Marijuana Enforcement Business | Legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives to permit states to establish their own marijuana regulatory policies free from federal interference. House Resolution 1013, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, removes cannabis from the United States Controlled Substances Act. It also removes enforcement power from the US Drug Enforcement Administration in matter concerning marijuana possession, production, and sales — thus permitting state governments to regulate these activities as they see fit.

Said the bill’s primary sponsor, Democrat Jared Polis of Colorado: "Over the past year, Colorado has demonstrated that regulating marijuana like alcohol takes money away from criminals and cartels, grows our economy, and keeps marijuana out of the hands of children. While President Obama and the Justice Department have allowed the will of voters in states like Colorado and 22 other jurisdictions to move forward, small business owners, medical marijuana patients, and others who follow state laws still live with the fear that a new administration – or this one—could reverse course and turn them into criminals. It is time for us to replace the failed prohibition with a regulatory system that works and let states and municipalities decide for themselves if they want, or don’t want, to have legal marijuana within their borders." > Act Now! >> Learn more

Members Of Congress Move To Exclude Hemp From the Controlled Substances Act | Members of Congress have reintroduced legislation to amend the federal Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp. House Bill 525 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The measure has 49 co-sponsors. The measure has 49 co-sponsors. Senate companion legislation, S. 134, is also pending. If enacted, the measure would exclude low-THC strains of cannabis grown for industrial purposes from the federal definition of marijuana.

Twenty-one states states have already enacted legislation redefining hemp as an agricultural commodity and allowing for state-sponsored research and/or commercial cultivation of the crop. Last year, members of Congress approved language in the omnibus federal Farm Bill explicitly authorizing states to sponsor hemp research absent federal reclassification of the plant. >> Learn more

Also these Bills still in play:

HB2676 - Turns the MMF (Medical Marijuana Facility, "Dispensaries") management over to the OLCC. >> >> Learn more

HB2754 - The "Good Samaratin" Law: immunity for persons who seek medical assistance; >> Learn more

HB2781 - The "No Child Left Behind With Some Evil Pot-head" Act; prohibits OMMP CardHolders from employment of any nature with child care facility. >> Learn more

SB162 - Prohibits marijuana grow sites and licensed producers, processors and sellers of marijuana from being located within 1,000 feet of school. >> Learn more

SB417 - the "Head Shops now Report to OLCC" law; Requires premises where person makes retail sales of tobacco products and inhalant delivery systems to be licensed by Oregon Liquor Control Commission. >> Learn more

SB445 - the "Parrot Federal Lies on Pregnancy and Cannabis or Else" Law; Requires medical marijuana facilities and marijuana retailers to post at facility or on premises of retail location notice of harmful effects of marijuana on pregnant women and potential for marijuana to cause birth defects. >> Learn more

SB464 - Regulates Extracts; Requires specific registration and Authority to adopt rules regulating processing of cannabinoid extracts. >> Learn more

SB479 - Creates Task Force on Clinical Research of Cannabis; >> Learn more

SB480 - also Research; Establishes as semi-independent state agency Clinical Research of Cannabis Board. >> Learn more

The List; NOTE: see - here - for latest, the full list and links to pages where you can leave/pick-up Talking Points, LTE Examples, Bulletin Boards and other Tools per Bill.

SENATE BILL 1531 - At the request of: (at the request of Association of Oregon Counties and League of Oregon Cities) Chief Sponsors: Senator Hansell , Senator Monroe , Senator Starr Regular Sponsors: Senator Baertschiger Jr , Senator Boquist , Senator Close , Senator Ferrioli , Senator Girod , Senator Johnson , Senator Knopp , Representative Esquivel , Senator Kruse , Senator Monnes Anderson , Representative Jenson , Senator Olsen , Representative Thatcher , Senator Thomsen , Representative Thompson , Senator Whitsett , Representative Whisnant , Senator Winters , Representative Witt (Presession Filed) | Relating to marijuana facilities; declaring an emergency. SB 1531 Specifies that governing body of city or county may prohibit the establishment or regulate or restrict the operation of medical marijuana facilities. >> Read text

SENATE BILL 1556 - At the request of: Chief Sponsors: Senator Prozanski , Representative Buckley Regular Sponsors: Senator Dembrow , Senator Steiner Hayward , Representative Barker , Representative Barnhart , Representative Frederick , Representative Holvey(Presession Filed) | Relating to marijuana [ Legalization ]; providing that this Act shall be referred to the people for their approval or rejection. DSB 1556 eclares that person 21 years of age or older legally should be able to possess, transfer or produce marijuana. >> Read text

HOUSE BILL 4023 - At the request of: (at the request of House Interim Committee on Veterans' Services and Emergency Preparedness) Chief Sponsors: Regular Sponsors: (Presession Filed) | Relating to veterans; appropriating money; declaring an emergency. Designates portion of U.S. Highway 26 within Warm Springs Reservation as Warm Springs Veterans Memorial Highway. HB 4023 also allows 100 percent disabled veterans to pay discounted fee for annual medical marijuana cards. >> Read text

HOUSE BILL 4068 - At the request of: Chief Sponsors: Representative Gomberg , Representative Thatcher Regular Sponsors: Senator Prozanski , Representative Barker , Representative Esquivel , Representative Krieger , Representative Weidner (Presession Filed) | Relating to concealed handgun license applicants previously charged with marijuana offenses. Summary: Modifies requirements for concealed handgun license applicants. Currently, a person who has been convicted of a violation for possessing marijuana is not disqualified from obtaining a concealed firearms permit if otherwise eligible to do so. >> Read text

HOUSE BILL 4098 - At the request of: Chief Sponsors: Representative Hicks Regular Sponsors: (Presession Filed) | Relating to crime; declaring an emergency. Summary: Allows Department of Corrections inmates to receive credit for time served for presentence incarceration after arrest for lesser included offense, greater inclusive offense or crime committed during same criminal episode as sentencing crime. HB 4098 also Removes marijuana and marijuana products from the commercial drug offense list. >> Read text

HOUSE BILL 4099 - At the request of: Chief Sponsors: Representative Hicks (Presession Filed) | Relating to marijuana; declaring an emergency. Summary: Directs Department of Justice to conduct study on laws of this state that would need to be amended if people of this state vote to legalize marijuana at next regular general election held throughout this state. >> Read text

Momentum toward marijuana policy reform in Oregon! - Last Update: March 1, 2014 | Learn more >>

Oregon lawmakers convene short session | On February 3, Oregon lawmakers convened to begin the 2014 short session in Salem. With adjournment scheduled for March 9, lawmakers have little time to address big issues. One of the major issues up for consideration is legalizing marijuana for adults and regulating it like alcohol. There is talk of passing a legislative referral to November’s ballot, giving voters the opportunity to enact a marijuana regulation and taxation bill crafted by the legislature. Gov. John Kitzhaber stated that “the Legislature would be the right place to craft [a marijuana taxation and regulation ballot measure]” to ensure the program is properly regulated. If you’re a resident of Oregon, please ask your lawmakers to end the state’s costly prohibition of marijuana. Oregonians last had the opportunity to vote to end marijuana prohibition in 2012. Unfortunately, the measure was defeated 53% to 47%, but considering a May 2013 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll found 63% support for taxing, regulating, and legalizing marijuana, advocates are hopeful 2014 could be the year for victory. - visit >>   Visit - http://www.mpp.org/states/oregon/

Success in Salem in 2013 | The 2013 session was quite a successful one for marijuana policy advocates in Salem. Gov. John Kitzhaber signed into law a bill adding PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions for the state’s medical marijuana program. He also signed two bills into law that reduce the penalties for possession of marijuana: one reduces the maximum sentences for possession of more than one ounce of marijuana, and the other eliminates the practice of suspending driving privileges for someone found in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. In addition to these proposals, local advocates were able to pass HB 3460 — a bill to allow medical marijuana facilities to obtain marijuana and immature marijuana plants from and sell marijuana to medical marijuana patients and their designated primary caregivers. Gov. Kitzhaber signed HB 3460 on August 14, making Oregon the 14th state (plus D.C.) to create a regulated medical marijuana dispensary program. Many thanks go to Sam Chapman and Oregonians for Medical Rights who orchestrated the lobbying effort to see this bill through. >>   Visit - http://www.mpp.org/states/oregon/

Marijuana laws in Oregon | Arrests for marijuana possession are still happening across the state, despite the fact that Oregon decriminalized possession of up to an ounce of marijuana over 40 years ago. Unfortunately, these arrests disproportionately affect minority communities. According to the ACLU, African Americans in Oregon are more than twice as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as their white neighbors. Additionally, the cost of a marijuana possession citation is excessive. Currently, an individual who possesses up to an ounce of marijuana could be levied with a typical fine of $650! In comparison, in 2008, Massachusetts’ voters chose to decriminalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by replacing their state's past criminal penalties with a $100 civil fine. For the same offense, Oregon penalizes its residents more than six times as harshly as Massachusetts. For more information on the current legal status of marijuana, as well as information on use rates, arrests, and other helpful information, please see Marijuana In Oregon, authored by Dr. Jon Gettman, Ph.D. >>   Visit - http://www.mpp.org/states/oregon/

Stay connected | To support the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. If you have any questions concerning the status of marijuana policy reform in Oregon, you can contact MPP at state@mpp.org. Also, be sure to subscribe to MPP's free legislative alert service today. >>   Visit - http://www.mpp.org/states/oregon/

Also, visit - the MERCY Legislative ToolShed - for more Oregon State Legislative guidance and action items.