And Then There Were Three: Oregon to Vote on Marijuana Legalization in November - by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Coordinator - July 13, 2012

The Oregon secretary of state’s office completed the legalization trifecta this afternoon when they announced the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act of 2012 (OCTA) officially qualified for the November ballot. Oregon now joins Washington and Colorado on the list of states whose voters will have the opportunity to end cannabis prohibition this fall.

Supporters ended up turning in 88,887 valid signatures, slightly over 1,000 more than required for qualification. The initiative will appear on the Oregon ballot as “Measure 80.” According to the campaign, Measure 80 would “regulate cannabis (marijuana) for adults 21 years of age and older, with commercial sales only through state-licensed stores. Ninety percent of tax revenue, estimated at more than $140 million annually, would go to the state’s battered general fund. Seven percent of tax proceeds would go toward funding drug treatment programs, and much of the remaining revenue would be directed toward kickstarting and promoting Oregon’s hemp food, fiber and bio-fuel industries.”

A June 2012 survey from Public Policy Polling showed Oregonian’s were split on the issue. 43% responded that they believed marijuana should be made legal, 46% believed it should remain illegal, and 11% were undecided.

You can read more about Measure 80 at the campaign’s website or through their Facebook page. NORML will keep you updated as the campaign moves forward and expect more in-depth coverage on the initiative to follow shortly.  Source = http://blog.norml.org/2012/07/13/and-then-there-were-three-oregon-to-vote-on-marijuana-legalization-in-november/

OCTA 2012 Supporters Turn Out for Turn In – by Perry Stripling for the Oregon Cannabis Connection (OCC)

On Friday, July 6^th, friends and ‘family’ of the 2012 effort for the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act (OCTA) turned out at the capital in Salem, to witness the final turn in of Petition signatures for Initiative  9.  The measure,  seeking to tax and regulate cannabis for adults over the age of 21, is a proposed initiative for the November 2012 Oregon state general election that would allow personal marijuana and hemp cultivation or use without a license and create a commission to regulate the sale of commercial marijuana.  The act would also set aside two percent of profits from cannabis sales to promote industrial hemp, biodiesel, fiber, protein and oil.

OCTA organizers gathered from around the state bringing in some 31,000 signatures during the day and ended up turning in a total of  167,845  for the campaign by the 5PM, the deadline.   I-9, which needs to have  87,213  of them be signatures by valid registered Oregon voters' to qualify, will not affect the current Medical Marijuana Program.

The Secretary of State will officially start validating and counting petitions Monday, July 9^th and has until August 5^th to complete the task.  OCTA organizers believe that their Initiative will be processed after another petition - for casinos – that is also seeking to qualify for the ballot and the end result is that they will know early in the period between July 16^th and 28^th.  At that time, if qualified, they will get their ballot number, which is expected to be #80.

OCTA folks are optimistic; even at the previous disqualification rate of almost 60% they experienced for a time they should have enough and have been working very hard down the home stretch to insure quality signature gathering.

Proponents estimate the act will raise an estimated $140 million a year by taxing commercial cannabis sales to adults 21 years of age and older, and save an estimated $61.5 million on law enforcement, corrections and judicial costs.  Groups in support of passing the measure include the Pacific Green Party, Oregon NORML, and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Local 555.

Representatives of the UFCW spoke to the belief that regulating the growth and sale of cannabis would help kick start an agricultural hemp industry in Oregon.  "From retail to manufacturing to health care, we recognize that a vibrant hemp and cannabis industry in Oregon will create thousands of family-wage, sustainable jobs across the entire state," said union President Dan Clay in a statement.  The Union Food and Commercial Workers Union has 19,000 members in Oregon and southwest Washington.

Speakers at the turn-in rally echoed the same sentiments:  Madeline Martinez, of Oregon NORML fame, was there speaking as a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP);  Jeff Anderson of UFCW Local 555 spoke for the Union; as well as chief petitioner and OCTA originator D. Paul Stanford.

“With this we hope to end the prohibition of cannabis hemp, the oldest and most resourceful crop sown, and to promote justice, freedom, and peace with political action and education.” commented Mr. Stanford. 

“This versatile plant, cannabis, can be put to use as fuel, fiber, medicine, delicious and nutritious food and thousands of other products”  Mr. Stanford continued.  “It will resolve many needs and put Oregon on a path to lead the way toward economic and environmental sustainability. Legalizing hemp and cannabis will create tens of thousands of new jobs, revitalize our farming communities, boost tourism, and create millions of dollars in revenue for the state.”

Ms. Martinez, a former Law Enforcement officer, spoke from LEAPs perspective: “It’s time to look at the bigger picture, it’s more than medical” and pointed out “we can clear the forests of ‘cartel’ gardens”.  She concluded with a statement in Spanish to the Latino community.  Visit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aklJA60eDtM&feature=relmfu - to view video.

The Oregon Cannabis Tax Act website touts the many applications of cannabis, from biofuel to consumer health products, and says that regulating its growth will not only create jobs, it will also help ensure that marijuana is only sold to adults for approved uses. Proponents say the tax would generate more than $140 million a year.

To Mr. Anderson and UFCW Local 555, who support the measure, “It’s a jobs issue”.  By way of example, he relayed a story about being aware of lay-offs at bio-fuel plant because they couldn’t get enough cost-effective materiel – using corn, in this case, got to be too expensive.  “So, these jobs alone could have been saved by having a viable alternative like hemp, which OCTA would allow in Oregon.”  He also pointed out it would actually take it off the streets – make it less available - for minors.  Visit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZOFqYQduHc&feature=youtu.be - to view video.

According to Mr. Stanford, the petition drive has been largely financed by profits from clinics he owns that help people qualify for medical marijuana cards in Oregon and several other states.  He reports he has spent about  $300,000  so far and expects significant help from national reform interests, hopefully to the tune of a couple of million that will be needed.  You see, it is not just for the campaign, but also things like the federal challenge expected to follow it’s hopefully successful November vote-in.

“We anticipate being held up like Death With Dignity”, commented Mr. Stanford on the issue, “so we wrote in the preamble that these are findings by The People based on legal, historical and scientific facts.  Also, our specific text dealing with is taken from the International Single Convention treaty and there is a clause in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) – citation 21.USC.903, to be exact – that we believe will make a difference.”  (visit - http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/21usc/903.htm - for more on CSA citation.  The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 is an international treaty to prohibit production and supply of specific (nominally narcotic) drugs and of drugs with similar effects except under licence for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research.  Visit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_Convention_on_Narcotic_Drugs - for more. )

Mr. Stanford, chief petitioner and President of The Hemp & Cannabis Foundation (THCF) and Campaign for the Restoration & Regulation of Hemp (CRRH), is a long-time, Oregon-based advocate, activist and entrepreneur who is an Expert court witness on marijuana and medicinal cannabis as well as having expertise in hemp & cannabis in general. THCF Medical Clinics has offices in 9 states and has helped over 100,000 patients obtain their state's permit for medical marijuana. Our physicians help qualified patients get a state permit to legally possess, use and grow medical marijuana. Our clinics help patients learn to cultivate cannabis and teach the about alternatives to smoking, such as vaporization and making cannabis foods and extracts with oil, butter, alcohol and glycerine.

He also produces and hosts Cannabis Common Sense, the show that tells the truth about marijuana and the politics behind its prohibition.  Cannabis Common Sense is one of America's most popular cable access TV shows and has generated over 630 episodes over 15 years, since 1996.  The show is on cable television in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado and Michigan, and is available, now, on demand on the THCF and CRRH websites.  Visit - www.THC-Foundation.org - for more on THCF. At the same time, CRRH  - a federally registered political committee, a 501c4 under IRS rules - is working to end adult marijuana prohibition and to restore industrial hemp to a prominent role in the world's economy.

CRRH is working to regulate the sale of cannabis to adults, allow doctors to prescribe cannabis through pharmacies and allow the unregulated production of industrial hemp. CRRH promotes the Cannabis Tax Act initiative petitions to put this on the ballot, for people to vote on and enact. CRRH educates elected officials and the public to start a real debate about hemp and cannabis.  Visit -  http://www.crrh.org/  - for more on CRRH.

More on OCTA: Here is the ballot title, question and summary that will appear on our state's ballots, for a vote in Oregon on November 6, 2012:

Allows personal marijuana, hemp cultivation/use without license; commission to regulate commercial marijuana cultivation/sale

Result of a "Yes" Vote: "Yes" vote allows commercial marijuana (cannabis) cultivation/sale to adults through state-licensed stores;

allows unlicensed adult personal cultivation/use; prohibits restrictions on hemp (defined).

Result of a "No" Vote: "No" vote retains existing civil and

criminal laws prohibiting cultivation, possession and delivery of

marijuana; retains current statutes that permit regulated medical use of marijuana.

Summary: Currently, marijuana cultivation, possession and delivery are prohibited; regulated medical marijuana use is permitted. Measure replaces state, local marijuana laws except medical marijuana and driving under the influence laws; distinguishes "hemp" from "marijuana"; prohibits regulation of hemp. Creates commission to license marijuana cultivation by qualified persons and to purchase entire crop. Commission sells marijuana at cost to pharmacies, medical research facilities, and to qualified adults for profit through state-licensed stores. Ninety percent of net goes to state general fund, remainder to drug education, treatment, hemp promotion. Bans sales to, possession by minors. Bans public consumption except where signs permit, minors barred. Commission regulates use, sets prices, other duties; Attorney General to defend against federal challenges/prosecutions. Provides penalties. Effective January 1, 2013; other provisions.

---[ End ]---

OCTA 2012 will set aside two percent of the profits from the sale of cannabis in adult-only stores for two new state committees that will promote Oregon industrial hemp biodiesel, fiber and food.

It will also legalize the sale, possession and personal private cultivation of marijuana. People who want to cultivate and sell marijuana, or process commercial psychoactive cannabis, would be required to obtain a license from the state. Adults could grow their own marijuana and the sale of all cannabis strains' seeds and starter plants would be legalized with no license, fee nor registration. The profits from the sale of cannabis to adults will add hundreds of millions of dollars into the state general fund, as well as drug treatment and education.

OCTA began as a bill to regulate marijuana and restore hemp in 1988, which was initially called the Oregon Cannabis Control Act. Today, the Act has been through over 200 revisions, with input included from over a hundred people. As the name changed to the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act in the early 1990s, OCTA was circulated extensively three times, but filed more. It was first filed in 1990 for the 1992 election cycle as the Oregon Cannabis Control Act, but never went into circulation for signatures. In 1993, we began the first signature drive and gathered about 60,000 signatures, but not enough for qualification. Each of those three 1990s campaigns were primarily volunteer, but had a small paid drive funded by wife and my student loans and my disabled veteran's benefits.

OCTA circulated in the 2008 to gather sponsorship signatures for the 2010 election cycle Late in 2008, they decided to withdraw the 2010 version of OCTA that was filed in 2008, and it was completely withdrawn early in 2009. In 2009, they revised the 2010 version of OCTA and filed it again. People in the BM 74 campaign filed challenges to OCTA's ballot title in late 2009, and subsequently, OCTA 2010 was not approved for circulation until March 2010. Given numerous reasons that will not be discussed now, but mostly due to the fact that there was only 3 months left to qualify, and it was clear that I-74 was going to qualify, OCTA organizers decided that the time was not right to launch a paid petition drive and OCTA 2010 never did. They decided to wait on OCTA for the 2012 election cycle

“The truth is that marijuana is a bellwether issue for the future of freedom” explains Mr. Stanford.  “Unless we legalize hemp and cannabis and firmly expand natural individual rights to include a right to privacy and to include freedom of thought, freedom of consciousness, and the freedom to get high, in the not-to-distant future, the exponential expansion of genomic biotech, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence will enslave us and the future of humanity is grim. Hemp fuel, fiber, food and medicine can realign our economic system and make this less likely; OCTA was written to be upheld in federal court and make that happen.

“I want to stop making patients fund our state health 'authority' and make hemp & cannabis cheap and plentiful for all. I want to restore hemp and cannabis to their rightful place in our life's. I want the first agricultural crop purposely sown by humans over 12,000 years ago to lead us and protect us into the singularity, which is near.

“It is about the plant that makes more fuel, fiber, food and medicine than any other. It is about stopping and reversing the continued centralization of economic and political control inherent in cannabis prohibition. It is about restoring and celebrating the symbiotic relationship between humanity and cannabis. It is about stopping the destruction of lives and families by the wrongful and destructive penalties for cannabis upon the altar of a squeaky clean America.

“The issue is freedom: personal freedom, economic freedom and the freedom to use hemp to help preserve and restore the remnants of our biosphere's precious heritage for future generations.”

For more info, contact OCTA Campaign Headquarters by writing - 2712 NE Sandy Blvd Portland, Oregon 97232, stopping by -  Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9am-6pm;  calling the Campaign Telephone number: 503-473-8790, or visiting -- http://octa2012.org/

Cannabis Tax Act Sparks Nov. Debate; Marijuana Advocate Says Voters Will See Measure On Ballot - By Tyler Richardson, The World (Coos Bay, OR), Posted: Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Supporters of an initiative to allow the sale and production of marijuana and hemp throughout the state say they have more than enough signatures to make it on November's ballot.

One of the chief petitioners of Oregon's Cannabis Tax Act, Paul Stanford -- who has been working on the initiative since 1988 -- said he is 'very confident" supporters have more than the 87, 213 required signatures.

Stanford said he has 100,000 -110,000 valid signatures and that his initiative -- which he tentatively called Measure 80 -- is first in line for the 'validation process" later this month.

If everything goes according to Stanford's plan, hemp, which is currently illegal to cultivate, will contribute to an estimated $140 million in tax revenue for the state, and become an alternative source of fuel, food and fiber.

'This will become and economic windfall for farmers across the state," he said. 'Prohibiting America's oldest crop is wrong."

Cannabis Tax Act basics | Backers say the legislation will protect Oregon’s children and increase public safety by creating a series of regulations around the growth and sale of cannabis and industrial hemp. Here are a few rules outlined in the initiative:

No restrictions on how much marijuana citizens could grow or possess.

Restrictions from the state on how much a person can buy at one time.

No person under the age of 21 can possess or smoke marijuana.  

The sale or production of marijuana without a license is illegal.

Smoking marijuana in public is prohibited and anyone caught smoking in public will receive a $250 fine

Stanford said hemp production will 'dwarf" the legalization of marijuana. He said that the taxation of marijuana will account for nearly 5 percent of the state's overall budget and that that number will greatly increase as the hemp industry develops.

Stanford said 90 percent of the proceeds generated by the Tax Act, if passed, will go to the state's general fund, 7 percent will go towards drug rehabilitation programs, 1 percent to drug education programs and 2 percent to the new state commissions for fuel, fiber and food.

Stanford said three separate licenses will be required for the cultivation, production and sale of marijuana and hemp. If the initiative is passed, a seven-member committee called the Oregon Cannabis Commission will be formed to sell the licenses and determine 'rules," Stanford said.

Once the initiative becomes a measure, Stanford said he will launch a $4 million ad campaign, backed by the United Food and Workers Union Local 555, which is the largest private sector labor union in Oregon and represents 18,000 workers in Oregon and Southwestern Washington, according to their web site.

UFCW president Dan Clay did not return The World's phone calls.

Along with the economic implications of the Tax Act, Stanford said consumers will see not only a drop in marijuana prices but also a drop in crime.

He estimated the black market price for an ounce of marijuana at $300-$500 currently. An ounce under the Tax Act would cost consumers $50 -$100.

Stanford said currently the state spends around $61.5 million in law enforcement costs related to marijuana. He thinks the act would eliminate nearly all of these costs.

'There will be less incentive for people to steal because they can grow it on their own or buy it in stores," he said referring to marijuana. 'There won't be a reason to buy it on the black market."

Coos County Sheriff Craig Zanni was quick to contradict Stanford's ideas about crime reduction.

'I don't think we will see a decrease in crime at all," Zanni said. 'The only effect it will have on us is figuring out how to deal with people driving while impaired."

Stanford said recent polls have shown as high as 56 percent of the state would support the Tax Act, and he believes similar measures in Colorado and Washington will help gain recognition and support.

The next step for the Tax Act will be making sure all the signatures supporting the initiative are valid. Once the initiative reaches the ballot, Stanford said his legislation -- which he designed to be upheld in federal court -- could spark a new era of economic fruition in the state.

'They aren't going to be saying we are the stoner state," he said. 'Oregon will be the cutting edge for new economic prosperity."  Source =  http://theworldlink.com/news/local/cannabis-tax-act-sparks-nov-debate/article_a57d8c1b-4d03-5558-bc05-da3afa49bb1b.html