Oregon may be the next state to legalize same-sex marriage. It may have already happened, by the time you read this.
I’m wondering what took them so long.
I would have thought Oregon, being a generally progressive state, would have been in the first wave.
Oregon is only a “progressive state” so long as you stay in Portland, Salem, or Eugene.
The first wave was all states that had no entrenched prohibition of same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, the voters in Oregon added an anti-marriage amendment to their state’s constitution in 2004.
Ah, thanks for clarifying that. Same thing happened here in Michigan but we are slowly making progress.
Oregon also passed a horrible law in March authorizing the licensing of “medical” marijuana dispensaries. Most cities immediately placed a moratorium on it, but not Portland, of course, because we’re just soooo hip.
It was a sad (and embarrassing) time to be an Oregonian, I can tell you that.
And, as someone noted earlier, the progressive part of Oregon is the I-5 corridor, from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south. The rest of the state is very rural and very Republican.
I’m hoping to see the constitutional amendment repealed very soon.
What’s your issue with this?
Actually, much of the Salem area is extremely conservative. Corvallis is the other progressive enclave (being a college town and all.)
It’s been legalized.
As an Oregonian, I couldn’t be happier. Now my best friend will have the freedom to marry who she wants.
Add PA to this list tomorrow. 
But when will they let me pump my own gas?
Heresy! Summon the Inquisition!
Oh, my stars:
*For starters, it was written by two consultants who own a dispensary.
*The language for regulation is vague and arbitrary (big surprise). It states that no dispensary may be located less than 1000 feet from a school, which is merely lip service to parents. However, it’s perfectly okay to open one next to a church, a day care center, a park, a community center, or any other location that services children.
*The license applicants can keep their identities secret. What other legitimate business is allowed to do that?
*There is no requirement for public notice or discussion before one of these opens in your neighborhood.
*There is only enough money for four inspectors statewide which means we’re paying salaries for people who are unable to do their jobs.
*There is nearly zero accountability by the sellers. Written records, no database, no list of other sellers that can be contacted.
*The only person who is required to have a background check is the owner, and that is only for a felony drug conviction. No other employees are required to have a BC.
*People with a med marijuana card can purchase up to 24 ounces and have six plants in their possession; since there is no inter-dispensary database, someone could hit any number of these places in a day and acquire a very large amount. The opportunity for illegal distribution is not only inevitable, but documented.
*The state with the best-written law (Colorado) can’t keep up with inspections or enforcement. This is a multi-billion dollar business and the cash can’t be put in a bank because of the Federal regulations governing Class 1 narcotics.
- The state with the worst-written law (California) is in complete disarray trying to manage the distribution.
Aren’t you sorry you asked?
I have no quarrel with people using pot for illness relief or even for recreation. I do have a major beef with a legislature that can’t be bothered to write a coherent law to regulate these businesses. The one in our neighborhood is a block away from me, directly across from the Baptist Church (which has children’s programs), within a few blocks of day care facilities, a block from a taekwondo dojo that teaches classes for all ages, a few blocks from the community center that has many classes and programs for children, etc. It’s also smack in the middle of a residential zoned area, rather than in a commercial district, where it belongs.
Since all the surrounding counties have placed a moratorium on these businesses, and since our part of town is right on the county line, guess where they’re going to go for their product? And if it’s made generally legal in November (which is likely), this place will turn retail. How would you like to try to sell your house if it was located just down the street from a business that has the potential to attract all manner of assholes to the neighborhood?
I hate to continue this tangent, but I can’t imagine apwhy it would be a proble pm for a marijuana store to be near a daycare or a church. It’s not like marijuana users pose any risk to children that book store customers don’t.
I haven’t noticed marijuana users to be more likely to be “assholes” either.
ETA. Yea on the SSM thing Oregon!
Not at all. That was very illuminating. Thanks.
My county (Santa Barbara, CA) has effectively made dispensaries illegal by adding so much regulation that it’s impossible to run one. There were lots of them at one time but they all had to close. There are several delivery services that serve the area now.
The problem is that the law is capricious. It’s giving lip service to “protecting children”, but only in limited circumstances. It essentially says “we must protect schoolchildren, but only if they’re in a school. If they’re congregating anywhere else, well. . .fuck 'em.” I’d rather there had been nothing in the law about schools than to have a blatantly pandering clause that is a sop to PTAs everywhere. Of more concern to me is allowing someone to hold 24 ounces of pot. Other places that have legalized allow 1-3 ounces, which seems reasonable. A pound and a half? Not so much. Assuming it won’t lead to distribution is naive.
Intoxicated people are always more likely to be assholes than sober people are. I’ve known more than my share of both and been threatened by both. It’s also a matter of record that crime increases in areas where these places open; primarily burglaries, but also more petty crimes like smash and grab from neighborhood cars. In Colorado, it’s estimated that the cartels have lost more than $3 billion since legalization. That’s a lot of cash temptation and has spawned a cottage industry of armed guards and escort vehicles for both cash and product movement.
Congratulations Oregon! Now, what’s this about Pennsylvania??
Today, my friend. Today.
Bonus points if you recognized the Judge’s name from another famous ruling of his. 