Over 50 Oregon Communities Consider Lifting Recreational Cannabis Ban

When Oregon legalized cannabis in 2014, cities and counties still held the power over whether or not to allow cannabis-related businesses in their communities. This led to about 100 different Oregon communities to pass legislation that banned cannabis businesses, according to Seattle Times.

Two years later, about 50 towns and counties will consider lifting the recreational cannabis ban in their communities. Voters will have the chance to voice their opinions at the November 8 election. This comes to great news for many businesses like Golden Leaf Holdings, which purchased land for recreational cannabis-related purposes in an area that later banned such operations.

Golden Leaf Holdings purchased about 100 acres of land in Marion County for $3.3 million in Oregon. The company planned on building a huge operation for researching, cultivating and processing cannabis. Shortly after the company’s purchase, Marion County voted to ban cannabis-related businesses in unincorporated area. Beau Whitney a Vice President of Golden Leaf. She told Seattle Times, “That shut us out completely out of the recreational market, which was our original strategy.”

Luckily for Golden Leaf, the future may be a little brighter in Marion County. The November ballot for Marion gives voters the opportunity to opt back into the recreational cannabis market. If Marion County does not decide to allow cannabis-related businesses, they will be missing out on a huge financial opportunity. Whitney shared that Marion could lose up to $7.5 million that would go to paying salaries and developing infrastructure. “We just want a level playing field,” Whitney stated. “We’re just looking for reasonable regulation.”

If voters in Marion County decide to allow recreational cannabis, the county will impose an additional 3 percent sales tax. This would be in addition to the 17 percent sales tax that is already on recreational cannabis. This November election will give a glimpse into what the future holds for Marion County and many other Oregon communities.