Comment

Comment by Mo Moore on July 7, 2010 at 4:12pm

Sorry to hear the signatures fell short for the OCTA legislation. Christina, your post below on 5/27 at 2:21pm is by far the best description I've seen of what the Act would do. I'd like to humbly suggest the next campaign be geared more in the way your comment is (pithy, bullet points, commonly inherent questions pointed out), and perhaps put higher focus on the hemp (fuel, jobs) & financial aspects which moderates and even conservatives would take notice of. To be honest, I don't think the 'cannabis community', if you will, really comprehends the general public's apathy (at best) towards legalizing cannabis. They'll have to be practically force-fed the facts on what it will do for them and the overall community, and the economic factors.

I say this as an OMMp cardholder who primarily exists in the non-cannabis community (with that general thought-process), and became acutely aware of the dividing line from how the cannabis community views things when I started interacting within it to learn how to use and obtain medication. I was, and am, stunned at how the cannabis community seems to have no idea of how the non-cannabis community thinks or functions sans desire for personal cannabis use.

The next push for the OCTA would be well-served by having open communications (maybe Town Hall meetings) with people in the non-cannabis community, to hear their views, concerns, and desires. They should probably be part of the planning committee(s), and part of the entire process, and they can help educate people from the general-public perspective all along the way.

This is one of those cases where it is imperative to really understand those who are indifferent or in opposition, because they are the masses. Everything I saw about the OCTA campain was geared towards what the cannabis community wants - the general public really does not care about what the cannabis community wants. The next campaign should be more focused on showing the general public they will get what THEY want.

Just my 2 cents....

Thank you and all of the volunteers for all of your passion and hard work!

Comment by Noah Petersen on June 22, 2010 at 1:35pm

Greetings fellow Oregon atheists. Living in Italy now, but lived in Oregon until I was 20. Was just back in Portland as recently as December. Had to visit Voodo Doughnuts, Powell's Bookstore and the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Comment by Christina on May 28, 2010 at 3:09pm

Thank you so much for your help! And please thank your head shop for their support of I-28, which I am also supporting! Many thanks!!

Comment by Ron Dotson on May 28, 2010 at 1:45pm

Thanks for the correction Christina. I will do as you suggest asap.

Comment by Christina on May 28, 2010 at 1:39pm

Ron, I'm afraid your head shop people are wrong! They must be thinking of initiave 28, which is in reference to medical marijuana only. That group HAS collected enough signatures to get their measure on the ballot, but they have been collecting for much longer, and with paid circulators. The OCTA petition has only been gathering signatures since the beginning of May. We need 83,000 valid signatures before July 2. The last time signature were counted was a month ago, and then we were only at 4,014. We are currently nowhere near the amount needed, which is why we need all the help we can get. I recommend taking a copy of the OCTA petition down there to show them, and see which one they have there. I bet they have the two initiatives confused. And please tell them that the pressure is on to get all the signatures of registered voters that they can get!

Comment by Ron Dotson on May 28, 2010 at 1:31pm

I just called my local headshop here in Medford about the petition with the intent of bringing them several signature petitions if they didn't have them already. Not only were they well aware of it, but the gentleman I spoke with told me that they have sent in at least 180 signatures and that more than enough signatures have already been collected to insure that the initiative WILL be on the ballot in November, HURRAH!!! I'm sure it's activists like yourself who have made this possible Christina. Thank you! :-D

Comment by Christina on May 28, 2010 at 10:10am

Thank you so much Ron, every signature helps! Tell a friend! Anyone who wants to volunteer to help collect signatures can go to the website and print a 10-signature sheet to circulate & mail back, and/or sign up for a free volunteer packet via the website! We need all the help we can get, thanks to anyone who reads this and takes action!

Comment by Ron Dotson on May 27, 2010 at 7:23pm

Thank you for the "heads-up" Christina. I have an Oregon medical marijuana permit and have just printed out a single signature petition which I will mail in. Also I'll check with the only "head shop" I know of down here in Medford to make sure they have a petition sheet available for their customers to sign.

Comment by Christina on May 27, 2010 at 2:21pm

Oregonians, please support the OCTA (Oregon Cannabis Tax Act)!!! Right now an all-volunteer effort is scrambling to get enough signatures on our petition to get this important initiative on the November ballot. Some of you may have already heard that California has established this and WILL vote on it this year; Washington state and Oregon are trying to get ours on the ballot too!! If we manage to get this done, and the law were to pass, the following would happen:

--Cannabis would be legalized for adults 21+ to consume in the privacy of their own homes
--A new agency similar to the OLCC would be created to license businesses to sell cannabis to adults, as well as license farmers and others to grow cannabis for sale in such stores. All the same rules we have in place for alcohol (a far more dangerous substance) would apply--NO intoxicated driving, NO public consumption, etc. Irresponsible cannabis users would face serious consequences, just like alcohol consumers would.
--The hemp industry in Oregon would be de-regulated, meaning that our farmers would be able to legally grow crops of hemp for the companies here in Oregon who already manufacture and distribute hemp products. Under current law, it is legal to make and sell hemp products, we're just not allowed to grow our own materials, which means these companies have to purchase hemp from other countries and pay far more for their supply.
--The estimated revenue that could be collected from regulating and taxing cannabis is 300 million per year, 90% of which goes to the Oregon general fund.
--Oregon currently spends 61 million per year to enforce marijuana laws--just marijuana, not other drugs. Add that 61 million to the above-mentioned 300 million, and voila! 361 million+ for Oregon. Not to mention earth-friendly products made from hemp. From hemp plywood to hemp foods, fuels, plastics, clothing, lotions, soaps and shampoos.... the potential for the uses of hemp is ENORMOUS, and this means JOBS.
--Currently our youth make up the majority of marijuana offenses/arrests. Students convicted of possession are denied financial aid for higher education. Murderers, rapists and child molesters are NOT denied financial aid (what's wrong with this picture??)
--If passed, the OCTA will wipe out the black market dealers, and with them the violence associated with big-time pushers. What's not to like about that???

The amount of good this initiative can do for Oregon is massive. 361 million per year is nothing to sneeze at.

For more information please see the website:
www.cannabistaxact.org
or find us on Facebook under
"OCTA 2010" or "1000 strong in Oregon to volunteer to pass the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act"

We have until July 2 to collect enough signatures to make the ballot. Your help is needed and greatly appreciated!!!

Comment by Travis Scott on April 3, 2010 at 10:25am

I joined a few days ago! I'm from Roseburg, Or. Just woke up so we'll leave it at that for now.

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