August 4, 2010
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IN S ID E
The Week n Review
L aw
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Page 3
FredMeyer
What's on your list today?.
page 2
J ustice
Cannabis Café Starts Anew
pages 4-5
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pages 6-7
ENTERTAINMENT
pages 9-12
C lassifieds
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page 13
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H ealth
Adjustments
made in move to
82nd Avenue
by J ake
T homas
T he P ortland O bserver
The country’s first cannabis cafe
reopened its doors on Saturday on
Southeast 82nd Avenue, giving
medical marijuana patients a place
to once again openly medicate and
socialize.
The Cannabis Cafe originally
opened last November on North­
east Dekum Street in the Woodlawn
Neighborhood. Operated by the
Oregon chapter o f the National Or­
ganization for the Reform o f Mari­
juana Laws, the cafe quickly drew
national attention as the first o f its Madeline Martinez
kind in the U.S., where holders o f modate big crowds and for environ­
medical marijuana cards could use mental reasons. However, it differs
the drug in a cafe setting.
from its last location.
But six months after opening,
It looks like the place you might
Oregon NORML got into a dispute take your straight-laced parents to
with the building’s owners over the after dinner, if it wasn’t for the loaded
naming o f the cafe, and decided to bong sitting on one o f the tables
move it elsewhere.
scattered throughout the cafe and a
Since May, volunteers at Oregon sign that reads, “Parking for hippies
NORML had been searching prop­ only. All other will be stoned.”
erties on Craigslist located all over
The cafe is also much better lit,
the city looking for a new location, with wood panels lining the walls- a
eventually settling on Aaron’s Wine departure from the murky building
Cellar and Piano Bar located at 322 on Dekum that seemed to always
S.E. 82nd Ave.
have its curtains drawn.
On the first day at the new loca­
"We don't want it to be that dark
tion, sausages crackled on grills kind o f a bar atmosphere," said
outside the building. Folk-rock Martinez o f the building, which costs
songs blared on speakers while $4,000 a month to rent.
people lined up for its 4:20 p.m.
There’s already air hockey, a pool
opening.
table, and shuffleboard. A Wii con­
"I'm really excited about the po­ sole will be set up with a big screen
te n tia l here," said M ad elin e television for tournaments, and there
Martinez, the executive director o f are plans in the works to install a
Oregon NORML, while giving re­ confection oven to serve food to
porters a tour o f the cafe.
patrons. However, the big black pi­
She noted that Oregon NORML ano is on its way out, said Martinez.
made sure that the 5,000 square foot Alcohol also won't be served and
space was located near public tran­ cigarettes need to be taken outside,
sit like the spot on Dekum to accom- she said.
People wanting to get in must
have an Oregon medical marijuana
card, pay the $35 annual fee to joip
Oregon NORML and pony up a $20
annual fee to use the cafe, in addi­
tion to a $5 cover for each entrance.
Two “very large guys” will be moni­
toring the door to ensure compli­
ance, said Martinez.
M artinez said that the police
haven’t expressed any concerns
about the cafe, and she doesn’t
expect that to change. She also said
that they've been warmly welcomed
by the tobacco shop and tattoo
parlor in a strip mall next door.
Marijuana will be offered free to
patrons since it is illegal to sell it,
noted Martinez. Pot-infused food
will be available later on, she added.
But Martinez stressed that the
cafe was more than a novelty: It’s a
gathering space for patients w ho’ve
previously had to relegate their ac­
tivities to the shadows.
"We do know that there are so
many people out there that need the
type o f service we offer here be­
cause it's the camaraderie and the
socialization. When you're home
and disabled, you get very de­
pressed," she said.
The need for a community space
for medical marijuana patients was
echoed by Ben Cunningham , a
Willamette Valley pig farmer who is
helping with the business aspects
o f the cafe.
"Really, I'm just here because I've
lived my whole life for this day,”
said Cunningham , in his Texas
drawl.
Cunningham uses medical mari­
juana for stomach ulcers. Like many
patients, he said he had to keep use
o f the drug concealed, and have
wanted a social environment to
medicate. He said that many pa­
trons o f the cafe “will get flat emo­
tional about the fact that we've
waited this long simply to hang out."
page 8
Sex Trafficking Story Apology
*
F ood
)
page 20
The Portland Observer has apolo- ticular, she says her son s father was
gized to a woman profiled in last never her pimp. She also was prosti-
week’s cover story about sex traf- tuted on the streets for a far less time
ficking in Portland (Modem Day than was stated in the article.
Slavery, July 28).
Dooley was just 16 years old
Sherry Dooley says the story was when she became a victim o f sex
written out ofcontext with misquotes trafficking. By telling herstory, she
and damaging falsehoods. In par- wanted to shed light on the dehu-
manizing and criminal nature o f pros-
tituting minors as Portland leaders
and advocates for victims tackle a
growing problem.
The Portland Observer and the
authorofthis article sincerely apolo-
gize for any harm done to Dooley
and her family.