Oregon temporarily adjusts their cannabis testing procedures while they look to revamp their policies.
The legal cannabis industry in Oregon is in trouble, and those in positions of power are trying to do their part to address the issues at hand. Despite the attempts to right the course, retail marijuana shops around the state are sitting closed due to empty shelves, and jobs are being lost as a result. This goes against everything we have heard from other legal states like Colorado or Washington, where the legal pot industries are thriving. This has the power to have a large impact on the state’s potential for tax revenue, and also marijuana tourism – which brings in big money to several other industries in the state.
THE PROBLEM
One wouldn’t think that a state like Oregon would ever run out of weed, and they would be right! The problem isn’t having a lack of usable products, the problem is that the regulation system for testing products before they are legally allowed to be sold is gumming up the works.
This testing procedure assures all prospective customers that the products that they are looking to purchase are guaranteed to be safe for consumption. While other legal states have figured out a system for this that is fairly unobtrusive to production, sales, and tourism, Oregon is looking to revamp theirs. Retailers and producers alike say that the process is both too expensive, and too time consuming and it is turning customers back to the “Black Market.” This is also detrimental because when people come from out of state, they don’t know the guy who works at Burger King and grows his own herb.
With the high prices and long wait time of product testing, pot shops and producers that are less financially stable are closing their doors because they have been priced out of the market. This trend has been causing uproar in the industry and cannabis professionals have been calling for a restructuring of state regulations.
WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE
Oregon Governor Kate Brown steps in to help the legal marijuana industry!
Oregon state Governor Kate Brown has heard the pleas of the people and has taken the steps to instill some temporary testing guidelines that will make the process more cost effective, and better streamlined simultaneously. Brown’s temporary solution is to require producer/processors to test fewer samples, which is an interesting route to take.
While this temporary fix will help ease losses, and help maintain tax revenue for the state, there are some drawbacks as well to it. Governor Brown’s approach will achieve a lower cost at all levels, but will also mean that not every product on the shelves will have been tested for bacteria, pesticides, or other potentially harmful particles like mold.
FINAL WORDS
While we are glad to see legislators in Oregon step in to help an important industry, hopefully the state will take a good long look at how they can move forward with a more permanent solution in the future. These regulations have a huge fiscal impact on many industries in the state, and they would hate to lose all the money that comes with cannabis tourism! Check back here for more information as it becomes available! Also, if you are looking for retail marijuana shops in Oregon, please consult our comprehensive Oregon Retail Map and Directory by clicking here!
