Senate Bill 302A and Senate Bill 303B, which clean up and improve the marijuana offense code, as well as laws relating to minor in possession of marijuana or alcohol, passed the House on Thursday, April 6, 2017. Senate Bill 303B now goes back to the Senate for concurrence. Both bills were largely crafted by AOC Legal Counsel, and result from a work group of stakeholders that met numerous times over the interim. It is anticipated that the Governor will sign both bills on Thursday, April 13, 2017. As in the past, AOC Legal Counsel will be providing Oregon law enforcement with written materials and a summary of the new laws, as well as a training video that will be recorded on Friday, April 14, graciously hosted by the Port of Portland Police Department. That training video will be widely distributed among Oregon law enforcement.
Senate Bill 1057, the big cleanup technical fix bill, will be heard by the Joint Marijuana Committee on Tuesday, April 11, 2017. A number of amendments will also be considered, including some proposed by AOC Legal Counsel to address ongoing issues with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program supply system.
Senate Bill 307, the so-called “social consumption” bill, has an uncertain future, although many of the stakeholders are actively working on a more limited option that would allow OLCC to license outdoor cannabis consumption premises and temporary events, with local opt-in and no exceptions to the Indoor Clean Air Act. The devil will be in the details, and it is uncertain if the key stakeholders can reach consensus. If they do, the bill will likely be heard by the Joint Marijuana Committee on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.
It is also likely that the Joint Marijuana Committee will shut down operations soon, after an amazing and event-filled three-year run in which ten key legislators considered a multitude of issues, and made many complex policy choices. The Joint Marijuana Committee will be sorely missed by many, including AOC Legal Counsel.
Contributed by: Rob Bovett | AOC legal counsel