Wednesday, August 29, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Oregon has oversupply of legal pot
By Gillian Flaccus and
Kathleen Foody
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— Two of the first states to
broadly legalize marijuana
took different approaches to
regulation that left Oregon
with a vast oversupply and
Colorado with a well-bal-
anced market. But in both
states prices for bud have
plummeted.
A new Oregon report by
law enforcement found nearly
70 percent of the legal recre-
ational marijuana grown goes
unsold, while an unrelated
state-commissioned Colorado
study found most growers
there are planting less than
half of their legal allotment
— and still meeting demand.
The reports offer case
studies for California and
other pot-friendly states as
they ramp up their legal pot
industries. They also under-
score some key differences
in how broad legalization
was handled that have helped
shape differently evolving
markets in each state.
The Oregon study released
by the Oregon-Idaho High
Intensity Drug Trafficking
Area — a coalition of local,
state and federal agencies
— includes the medical and
general-use markets and the
illegal market, despite gaps
in data on illicit marijuana
grows.
It noted Oregon still has
a serious problem with out-
of-state trafficking and black
market grows — and the
top federal law enforcement
officer in Oregon demanded
more cooperation from state
and local officials Thursday
in a strident statement.
“What is often lost in this
discussion is the link between
marijuana and serious,
interstate criminal activity.
Overproduction is rampant,
and the illegal transport of
product out-of-state — a vio-
lation of both state and federal
law — continues unchecked,”
said Billy Williams, U.S.
Attorney for Oregon. “It’s
time for the state to wake up,
slow down and address these
issues in a responsible and
thoughtful manner.”
The Colorado study,
released Thursday, focuses
on the legal, general-use
market, and researchers at
the University of Colorado
Boulder’s business school
and a Denver consulting firm
had access to state tracking
data to produce the first-of-
its-kind analysis.
Colorado sales of broadly
legalized marijuana began
in 2014, roughly two years
before Oregon allowed
marijuana to be sold at non-
medical retail stores. From
the beginning, Colorado had
stricter regulations for its
growers than Oregon did.
Colorado gave existing
medical marijuana growers
the right of first refusal for
licenses, cutting down right
away on a potential source
of black market production.
The state also requires grow-
ers to show they have sold 85
percent of their output before
allowing them to expand their
growing operation, said Beau
Whitney, senior economist at
national cannabis analytics
firm New Frontier Data.
“That was the right
approach, and we’ve made
that recommendation to other
state regulators to do that
because if you exclude the
medical folks from entering
the market, then there could
be propensity for diversion”
to the black market, he said.
“Colorado has done a
good job in sizing the market.
In Oregon, it’s going to take
a while for that balance to be
established.”
Oregon didn’t give exist-
ing medical marijuana grow-
ers priority over new appli-
cants as Colorado did, and it
also didn’t cap licenses. That
created a perfect storm of
endless licenses for all com-
ers paired with less incentive
for medical growers to enter
the new industry.
In June, the Oregon
Liquor Control Commission,
which oversees general-use
marijuana, did put a pause on
issuing new grow licenses to
work through a monthslong
backlog of applicants. The
Legislature will likely con-
sider steps to get a handle
on oversupply in the 2019
session.
The Pacific Northwest
state also had to contend with
a long-entrenched culture
Mark Barringer
& Bob Baker
Playing in the
Lounge at
Chops Bistro
( 370 E Cascade Ave.)
Saturday,
September 1
6 to 8 p.m.
Come join us!
of illegal marijuana cultiva-
tion along its border with
California, where there are
near-perfect outdoor growing
conditions. That tradition of
illicit marijuana has created
a nightmare for law enforce-
ment agencies in rural, heav-
ily forested counties already
stretched thin by budget cuts.
The Oregon report, for
example, noted nearly 15,000
pounds (6,800 kilograms) of
marijuana with a street value
of $48 million has been seized
heading to 37 other states.
That doesn’t include ille-
gal pot snagged at Portland
International Airport.
“I know a lot of the legal
industry in Oregon has
been asking for stepped-up
enforcement to combat illegal
operations, but there doesn’t
appear in those conversa-
tions a clear owner of the law
enforcement,” Whitney said.
Although Colorado has
been more successful in find-
ing a balance between sup-
ply and demand, retail prices
for bud, or marijuana flower,
have plummeted in both
states about 50 percent since
2015.
That statistic could be
deceiving, however, because
most growers are now cul-
tivating their crop for con-
version into the increasingly
popular oil extracts that wind
up in everything from soaps
to vape pens to edible gum-
mies to salves. It takes 10
times more dried flower to
make an oil extract and much
of the dried flower is going to
that market, Whitney said.
FREE LIVE MUSIC!
Saturday, Sept. 1
7 to 10 p.m.
The HWY. 97 Band
for Classic Rock & More!
175 N. Larch St.
t..
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Visit us at the restaurant
or our food booth at
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243 N. Elm St. Sisters
Tues.-Sun., 5-9 p.m. • Walk-ins welcome!
13
entertainment & EVENTS
WED...AUG. 29
MON...SEPT. 3
Sisters Saloon Poker Night
7 p.m. Every Wednesday! $20.
For additional information call
541-549-7427 or go online to
sisterssaloon.net.
Food Cart Garden at
Eurosports Trivia Night
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sign-up is
at 6:15 p.m. Final Trivia Night
of the summer! For additional
information call 541-549-2471.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Open
Mic & Jam Night 7 p.m.
Every Monday, no cover! For
additional information call
541-549-6114 or go online to
hardtailsoregon.com.
Sisters Saloon Painting
Party 6 to 8 p.m. $35, every
Monday! For additional
information call 541-904-5280
or go to sisterssaloon.net.
THURS...AUG. 30
TUES...SEPT. 4
Cork Cellars Tasty Thursday
Hosted Wine Tasting 5 to
7 p.m. For more information
call 541-549-2675 or go to
corkcellarswinebistro.com.
Sisters Saloon Karaoke
Night 9 p.m. to midnight.
Every Thursday, no cover! For
information call 541-549-7427
or go to sisterssaloon.net.
Sisters Saloon Trivia Night
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sign-up is at
6:15 p.m. Free, every Tuesday!
For information call 541-549-
7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net.
FRI...AUG. 31
Food Cart Garden at
Eurosports Live Music with
Juju Eyeball 5 to 7 p.m. Final
show of this summer with the
Beatles tribute band, no cover!
For info call 541-549-2471.
Black Butte Ranch Art
at the Ranch Artists’
Reception, Silent Auction,
& Live Music with Coyote
Willow 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at
The Lodge. For information go
online to blackbutteranch.com.
Hardtails Bar & Grill
Karaoke Night 9 p.m. Every
Friday, no cover! For more
information call 541-549-6114
or go to hardtailsoregon.com.
Fir Street Park Sisters
Farmers Market 2 to
5:30 p.m. Fresh on Fridays,
through September! For info go
to sistersfarmersmarket.com.
SAT...SEPT. 1
Hardtails Bar & Grill Live
Music with The HWY. 97
Band 7 to 10 p.m. FREE show!
For more information call
541-549-6114 or go online to
hardtailsoregon.com.
Chops Bistro Live Music
with Mark Barringer &
(Fiddler)Bob Baker 6 to
8 p.m. No cover! For additional
information call 541-549-6015.
Oak & Main Sisters Fall
Street Festival 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. Featuring arts, crafts,
antiques, food, beer/wine
garden and entertainment. For
info call 541-420-0279 or go to
centraloregonshows.com.
Black Butte Ranch Art at
the Ranch Art Fair 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at the Lakeside
Promedade. With Plein Air
Paint Out 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at
the Lakeside Lawn. Live Music
by The Anvil Blasters 11 a.m.
to 1 p.m. Live Music by
Honey Don’t 1 to 4 p.m. For
more information go online to
blackbutteranch.com.
Cork Cellars Live Music!
7 to 9 p.m. No cover! For info
call 541-549-2675 or go online
to corkcellarswinebistro.com.
SUN...SEPT. 2
Oak & Main Sisters Fall
Street Festival 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. Featuring arts, crafts,
antiques, food, beer/wine
garden and entertainment. For
info call 541-420-0279 or go
to centraloregonshows.com.
Sisters Saloon Open Mic
Night 8 to 10 p.m. Free, every
fi rst and third Sunday! For
information call 541-549-7427
or go to sisterssaloon.net.
WED...SEPT. 5
Sisters Saloon Poker Night
7 p.m. Every Wednesday! $20.
For information call 541-549-
7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net.
THURS...SEPT. 6
Cork Cellars Tasty
Thursday Hosted Wine
Tasting 5 to 7 p.m. For
additional information call
541-549-2675 or go online to
corkcellarswinebistro.com.
Sisters Saloon Karaoke
Night 9 p.m. to midnight.
Every Thursday, no cover!
For additional information
call 541-549-7427 or go to
sisterssaloon.net.
FRI...SEPT. 7
Venues throughout Sisters
Sisters Folk Festival It’s the
22nd annual celebration of
American music! For more
information call 541-549-4979
or go to sistersfolkfestival.org.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Live
Music with Fun Bobby
9 p.m. to midnight. FREE show!
For more information call
541-549-6114 or go online to
hardtailsoregon.com.
Raven Makes Gallery
Artist’s Reception with
Native Yup’ik Sculptor
Terresa White 4 to 7 p.m.
See her beautiful bronze
pieces and ceramic masks.
For more information call
541-719-1182 or go online to
ravenmakesgallery.com.
Fir Street Park Sisters
Farmers Market 2 to
5:30 p.m. Fresh on Fridays,
through September! For info go
to sistersfarmersmarket.com.
SAT...SEPT. 8
Hardtails Bar & Grill Live
Music with Jukebox Heroes
9 p.m. The premier Foreigner
tribute band! $10 in advance
or $15 at the door. Tickets at
bendticket.com or Hardtails. For
info call 541-549-6114 or go to
hardtailsoregon.com.
Paulina Springs Books
Author Reading with
Apricot Irving 6:30 p.m.
Debut author Irving will read
from and sign her memoir,
“The Gospel of Trees.” For more
information call 541-549-0866
or go to paulinasprings.com.
Venues throughout Sisters
Sisters Folk Festival It’s the
22nd annual celebration of
American music! For more
information call 541-549-4979
or go to sistersfolkfestival.org.
Cork Cellars Live Music!
7 to 9 p.m. No cover! For info
call 541-549-2675 or go online
to corkcellarswinebistro.com.
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