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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2021)
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Marijuana sales soared in 2020 PORTLAND (AP) 4 Oregon recreational-cannabis sales soared in 2020, peaking during a challenging summer of racial justice protests and coronavirus lockdowns. The result was a record year of business for mari- juana purveyors, based on data from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees marijuana sales, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Total marijuana sales in Oregon jumped from $795 million in 2019 to more than $1 billion 4 $1,110,520,723 4 for the year that just ended. Oregonians began buying a lot more recreational canna- bis in March when Gov. Kate Brown instituted a stay-at- home order and other restric- tions in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Sales numbers for marijuana spiked about 20% in March and kept climbing in the following months. In May, Oregon marijuana sales topped $100 million in a single month for the first time. Sales then surpassed $100 million in each of the three months that followed as well, with a high of more than $106 million in July. State tax revenue from marijuana sales in 2020 likely will exceed $150 million. 7 Commentary... A teachable moment, not to be ignored By Edie Jones Columnist What do we say to our kids in the wake of the events of January 6, 2021? I ask this question know- ing many of us feel what we witnessed was unbeliev- able, incomprehensible, and inexcusable. No matter our political affiliation, there are les- sons to be learned by us adults and our kids. This is a teachable moment of which I implore every parent, with children old enough to understand what happened, to take advantage. What are these lessons? " Preparedness. Without more information, none of us know why the Capitol Police appeared so unready for the onslaught of people. As in all situations, plan- ning ahead is paramount. This is why we teach our kids to pay attention to the weather, why we outline what to do in case of a fire, and what to do if they get lost. One of my daughters was indeed <misplaced= for many hours. Her instinct and training told her to stay where she was, a maneuver that aided authorities and others to eventually find her. " The importance of thinking about what9s hap- pening so good judgment can help in deciding how to behave. Whatever we think motivated President Trump, I think most of us can agree that poor judgment in his choice of words was part of what eventually happened. " The importance of fol- lowing rules. There is a rea- son there were barricades set up around the Capitol, just like there are rules for visitors coming into our public schools. There are reasons families have rules for their households and why we ask our children to follow them. As kids grow, they are entitled to know the reasons behind those rules. Nevertheless, if the reasons make sense and it9s impor- tant to have a rule (or a law), it is important for it to be observed. " What constitutes free speech? We all value our right to be able to say what is on our mind, however if what we say causes harm to others or our country it isn9t protected under the First Amendment. This applies to obscenities, slander and to yelling that there is fire in a building when no fire exists. Helping our kids understand what this means is explicit to the maturity we want them to develop. " The importance of tell- ing the truth and relying on facts in what is espoused as truth. This, I believe, is a lesson all parents want their children to internalize. " Respect. All our chil- dren have to do to see many examples of outrageous dis- respect displayed is to watch coverage of what took place at the Capitol. I encourage parents to point these out to their kids, talk about what was happening and con- verse about what that kind of behavior means in our everyday lives. Much can be learned about how not to behave from these exam- ples. Even more important is talking about opposite kinds of behavior and how it9s important to be respect- ful to everyone, no matter our age. " How easy it is to fol- low the <mob= even when it goes against our best judg- ment. As we hear of more and more indictments being issued to people who may or may not have been casual bystanders, we wonder how many are regretting their own actions on that day. " Violence or bullying is not the way to accomplish what you want. Pointing out that the joint session of Congress continued after order was restored is a beau- tiful example of how neither of these approaches accom- plishes anything positive. " Being accountable, taking responsibility, and accepting consequences. Here is probably the most glaring lesson to be taught and learned from January 6. Wherever the responsibil- ity lies for the events that happened and who should be held accountable, con- sequences will happen. In asking my son, who lives in Germany, about the reac- tions of the people there, he responded that <the stand- ing of the U.S., in the eyes of Europeans, has plum- meted to a very low level and it will take years for its position as a world leader to be restored.= A very sad commentary. I thoroughly believe the more we parents guide our kids to become upstanding, civic-minded citizens, the sooner that restoration can take place. A motto I often share is that <the future of our children depends on the parenting of today.= Today I9m thinking an even more profound statement would be that <the future of our country depends on the par- enting of today.=
