According to the Oregonian newspaper, ‘Secretary of State Kate Brown said Friday that both petitions (one being I-28 of course) had more than the 82,769 valid signatures needed to make the Nov. 2 ballot. Neither has been assigned a ballot measure number yet. That’s because signatures collected on behalf of four other citizen petitions are still being verified. Voters should know the full lineup by the Aug. 1 deadline.”
I found more information on another site stating, “According to the Elections Division, of the 130,702 signatures turned in for the dispensary measure, 85,848, or 66 percent, were valid.” Also, the article stated, “The marijuana dispensary ballot measure is expected to appear on the ballot as Measure 74.”
What do you think the outcome will be Oregon?? The only poll that I have ever read showed 59% in favor of a dispensary system, but that is an old, old poll. So much has happened in the dispensary industry since then, both negative and positive, that I personally don’t read too much into that statistic. This isn’t the first time that Oregon has voted on dispensaries – Measure 33 in 2004 tried to bring dispensaries to Oregon and it was defeated soundly (57%). Has enough changed in the last six years to change people’s minds, such as the economic potential of mmj dispensaries??
Would dispensaries be good for Oregon? There are other states that offer dispensaries, and the results have been mixed. Patients get ultimate access to quality medicine, but it also comes with the possibility of zoning laws, robberies, etc., and that’s assuming dispensaries catch on. Oregon has had a medical marijuana program since 1998, and since the beginning, participants have had to cultivate their own medicine or have someone do it for them. So this are my questions; If tens of thousands of medical growers are operating in Oregon, how many of them will continue to distribute their medicine the way they have been for 11 years? How many will actually take it to a state licensed dispensary to sell it? How many will continue to, um, ‘get rid of it’ the way they have been? I guess only time will tell.
For a full analysis of the initiative, click this link to read an article I wrote on May 31.
Go to NotDwightHolton.Com to find out why you should not vote for Dwight Holton for Oregon Attorney General, and ‘like’ the Not Dwight Holton Facebook Page!
