Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 21, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 State laws protect against federal pot crackdown Customer identification protected By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau PORTLAND — A new state marijuana law designed to protect customers from fed- eral prosecution is already changing the nature of sales at dispensaries. Effective as soon as it was signed by Gov. Kate Brown in April, the law prohibits dispen- saries from recording, retain- ing or transferring the names or other identifying informa- tion of customers who purchase marijuana. The regulation is one of sev- eral new state laws designed to shield the cannabis industry from a potential federal crack- down on the state’s legal market and to refine overall rules gov- erning the industry. “Changes seem to be occur- ring on a daily if not an hourly basis on the federal side, and I personally am very concerned that we give as much protection to Oregon citizens to ensure their personal identification information isn’t compromised through some kind of federal subpoena or some other act that a business is not going to have the fortitude or maybe the legal basis that the state would have to fight those type of requests,” said state Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, a chief sponsor of the legislation. The absence of customer records would hinder authori- ties from prosecuting customers for federal marijuana crimes. However, from a customer service perspective, the change brought some disadvantages to retailers. “It was nice to be able to bring up their sales history. We used to keep track of what prod- ucts customers bought so if they forgot what they bought last time we could pull up a record of it,” said Alex Richter, man- ager of Foster Buds’ location on Northeast Glisan Street in Port- land. “Now, we’re like a bar or a convenience store. We just look at your ID to make sure you’re over 21.” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has publicly disagreed with the Obama administra- tion’s acceptance of state mar- ijuana programs, which violate federal law. In May, Sessions wrote to Congress asking it to scrap a budget amendment in effect since 2014 that effec- tively shields state medical Paris Achen/Capital Bureau Kodey Kern, assistant manager at Foster Buds, weighs some “Alpha Blue” marijuana buds at the company’s loca- tion at Northeast Glisan Street in Portland Tuesday. marijuana programs from fed- eral prosecution. Sessions’ comments on marijuana prompted Prozanski to add an emergency clause to law, making it effective upon passage. Avoiding backlash Rep. Ann Lininger, D-Lake Oswego, a lawyer who co-chairs the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Marijuana Reg- ulation, said other new laws also aim at fortifying the indus- try against federal backlash. Senate Bill 1057 allows rec- reational marijuana retailers to quickly switch their adult-use recreational licenses to a medi- cal-only license in case of “fed- eral obstacles,” Lininger wrote in a memo on new cannabis laws. The law assumed that Congress would continue the budget amendment, known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amend- ment, to prohibit the federal government from spending money to interfere with medi- cal marijuana programs. The bill mandates that medi- cal cannabis producers, proces- sors, wholesalers and medical dispensaries undergo the same stringent seed-to-sale track- ing of products that the recre- ational industry has been sub- ject to since recreational sales were legalized. The bill also directs state regulators to create a database of anonymized medical mari- juana transactions to help detect and prevent diversion of prod- uct into the illicit market. An analysis by Oregon State Police earlier this year showed product is leaking into the ille- gal market. “Anything we can do to cut off leakage … would put us in a stronger position” with the fed- eral government, Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, co-chair- woman of the marijuana regu- lation committee, said in May. House Bill 2198 gives the Oregon Liquor Control Com- mission additional authority to respond to applicant or licensee misconduct. Another new law allows the liquor control com- mission to immediately sus- pend any licensee who has transferred product into the ille- gal market. The legislation also orders the creation of a state hotline where local authorities can verify whether a grow site is registered or licensed. One of eight Oregon is one of eight states, plus the District of Columbia, that has legalized recreational adult use of cannabis. Twen- ty-one other states have legal- ized medical marijuana. Despite local efforts to protect the industry, the fed- eral government may not need states’ cooperation to enforce the federal ban. The U.S. Department of Justice could shut down the marijuana industry through the federal courts, according to Mark Kleiman, a professor of public policy at New York Uni- versity’s Marron Institute of Urban Management, when he was quoted in Business Insider in February. The federal government would only need to obtain cop- ies of marijuana license appli- cants and seek an injunction against the applicants from selling cannabis, Kleiman has said. Such a shutdown would likely revive Oregon’s ille- gal market, wipe out 12,500 jobs and drain state coffers of a projected $105 million in annual recreational marijuana tax revenue, used to support public education and services, Lininger said. The Capital Bureau is a col- laboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. Clatsop Post 12 Purple Moon Boutique owner says goodbye Pot retailer interested in Hemlock store By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH — The Purple Moon Boutique has plans to move out of its loca- tion on Hemlock Street, with the possibility of a marijuana dispensary taking its place. The women’s clothing store has been operating at 215 N. Hemlock Street for 14 years. Store owner Abbas Atwi said he put his business up for sale a couple of months ago and is moving with his family to Portland. “We have been here 14 years, and, like anything in life, there are pros and cons to living here,” Atwi said. “I think it is time for a new venture for us.” For now, Atwi does not have a solid closing date in mind, but he does have three potential buyers interested in his store. Two of the parties are inter- ested in buying the lease with the intent to keep running it as Purple Moon Boutique, he said. The third is Oregrown Indus- tries, a Bend-based marijuana dispensary. The Design Review Board approved Oregrown’s request to modify signage, door color and window display restrictions. City Planner Mark Barnes said he has not received permit requests from anyone else for this location. Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian Purple Moon Boutique owner to sell his shop after 14 years in Cannon Beach. Atwi said he and the owner of the building, Gene Cope, are communicating with all interested buyers and will jointly make a decision on who is awarded the space. If the dispensary is awarded the lease, the owners will still need approval from the Ore- gon Liquor Control Commis- sion and a city business license to open. Oregrown Industries is one of three dispensaries that have submitted land use appli- cations to the city since the town voted to approve retail marijuana within city lim- its last November. The Port- land-based, recreational dis- pensary Five Zero Trees has plans to move into the former location of the home goods store Fruffels at 140 S. Hem- lock St. within the next cou- ple of months. One application will be heard by the Design Review Board in August about plans to open a marijuana dis- pensary at 3115 S. Hemlock St. Co-owners Kevin Hogan and Hunter Neubauer of Ore- grown Industries said they wanted to expand their busi- ness to Cannon Beach because of its natural beauty, which fits State hikes individual, business health premiums By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregonians and small businesses buying their health insurance on the individual and small group markets can generally expect to see rate increases next year. The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Ser- vices released its annual rate decisions Thursday, as uncer- tainty around health care pol- icy looms on the state and fed- eral levels. On the individual market, the changes announced Thurs- day range from an average 1.6 percent dip for BridgeSpan Health Co. to an average 14.8 percent increase for the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest. For small businesses, the average changes range from increases of 3.3 to 10.1 percent. The state uses a variety of criteria to make rate decisions, and multiple factors, including legal uncertainty surrounding the fate of the federal Afford- able Care Act and the escalat- ing cost of providing insur- ance, have led to increases in costs. But the Department of Con- sumer and Business Services says that the rates would be, on average, 6 percent higher if not for the reinsurance program created by the Legislature this year, which it says “will add additional stability and pre- dictability in the market.” in with the company’s Oregon outdoors, lifestyle brand. “Cannon Beach is such an iconic Oregon destination,” Neubauer said. The two started their flag- ship store in Bend 3 1/2 years ago. Hogan said their No. 1 priority is to go through all proper channels and to make sure, if the store is approved, it will fit in with the aesthetic and the culture of the town. “We like to do things the right way,” Hogan said. “That’s what made us successful.” Until the decision is made, Atwi said to expect business as usual. “We’re still Purple Moon until otherwise,” Atwi said. “I’m not opening another Pur- ple Moon for sure, but I hav- en’t decided what my new venture will be.” W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 Saturday , July 22 nd 91 st Birthday of the Doughboy Monument “Doughboy Over the Top at Cantigny” on Presented to the City of Astoria by Clatsop Post 12, The American Legion July 21, 1926 3 PM: “World ERA Movie War I” 4 PM: Reception/Dinner/Birthday Cake at Clatsop Post 12 Program to include: • Displays on Post 12 and Cantigny, France • Memorial of the Fallen in The Great War • Charter Members of Clatsop Post 12 and others that served • Presentation of rendering of possible Memorial Monument at “Doughboy Monument” American Legion | Clatsop Post 12 1132 Exchange Street All is open to the Public Volunteer Pick of the Week PENINSULA SADDLE CLUB & BRIM’S FARM & GARDEN PRESENTS 72 nd Riley 7-year old Beagle blend Such a happy boy. Go from friendship to family in the wag of a tail (More on http://Petfi nder.com/ ) Sponsored By B AYSHORE A NIMAL H OSPITAL C LATSOP C OUNTY A NIMAL S HELTER 1315 SE 19 th Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat J uly 29 & 30, 2017 1:00 p.m. Family night starts Saturday after Rodeo “Featuring free fun events for kids up to 12 years” Friday, July 28th 6:30 pm • Rodeo Parade Downtown Long Beach Latigo & Lace Drill Team • Beer Garden • Vendors • Concessions clatsop care Admission: PRES ALE Adults $9.50 Seniors $8.50 Children (6-12 yrs.) $4.50 * Peninsula Pharmacy Adults $10.00 Seniors $9.00 Children (6-12yrs.) $5.00 Children 5 & under FREE FU N D R A I S E R SUGGESTED DONATION $5 SATURDAY JULY 22 ND 10AM-3PM Clatsop Care parking lot 646 16th Street, Astoria COWBOY BREAKFAST Sat. & Sun. 7a.m. til 11 a.m . 6407 Sandridge Road • Info 1-800-451-2542 LONG BEACH, WASHINGTON ASTOR STREET OPRY COMPANY We thank our Coast Guard for graciously offering to assist us with the fundraiser! $3 H O T D O G, CHIPS & DRINK 100% of funds raised or donated will be used to repair our bus 33rd Season of S hanghaied in A storia July 7 - September 9 Thursday through Saturday: 7pm Sunday Matinees: 2pm Aug. 6 & Sept. 9 Tickets on Sale ONE HOUR before all shows ***Reservations Recommended*** For tickets, visit our website www.astorstreetoprycompany.com or call 503-325-6104 129 West Bond Street | Uniontown | Astoria www.facebook.com/AstorStreetOpryCompany
