Identity Protection

If you’ve purchased cannabis in Oregon’s legal market, you can rest easy knowing that your personal identity won’t be handed off to the federal government. Oregon representatives recently voted in favor of a measure that would protect the identities of those who buy recreational cannabis in Oregon from being given to the federal government. The proposal aims to do away with the practice of cannabis business owners keeping a log of their customer’s personal information.

Until now, dispensaries and other cannabis related businesses have kept records of who comes into their store and what they buy. When consumers enter into a dispensary, the first thing that happens is somebody takes a copy of your driver’s license. They keep these on file, along with your purchase history. Because cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, a release of this type of personal information could be bad news for thousands of consumers of Oregon’s legalized cannabis. A bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed this new legislation that will force cannabis businesses to destroy their customer’s personal information within 48 hours. The new measure protects Oregon recreational cannabis consumer’s identities and other information from being passed on to federal agencies.

“Any attempt to crack down on law-abiding recreational users in states that have legalized marijuana use will be met with strong resistance, and I’ll join a bipartisan group of colleagues in the fight against such a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Even though over half the states in the country have passed laws to legalize cannabis, either medically or recreationally, there continues to be a huge disconnect between state and federal laws. “Oregon voters have spoken, and recreational cannabis is legal in our state,” Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici told CULTURE. “I’m committed to working at the federal level to support the implementation of Oregon’s law. Statements made by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions suggesting repercussions for states like Oregon are deeply concerning. Any attempt to crack down on law-abiding recreational users in states that have legalized marijuana use will be met with strong resistance, and I’ll join a bipartisan group of colleagues in the fight against such a waste of taxpayer dollars.” With fear of the federal government cracking down on recreational cannabis businesses, consumers have expressed this new proposal has given them some reassurance.

Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the new measure protecting the identities of legal cannabis consumers into law very soon. Oregon will be jumping on board with states like Colorado and Alaska, who already have similar protections in place. Oregonians are legally able to purchase cannabis, and they have a right to know that their personal information is protected from federal agencies. However, medical cannabis patients will still be required to give their personal information to receive the benefits of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program.

Some recreational cannabis businesses are considering the fact that it might be wise to reclassify their businesses as medical. This way they can avoid losing revenue, or even their business, should the federal government interfere. In Colorado, for instance, lawmakers are working to make it easier for businesses to switch over to a medical classification in expectation of a federal crackdown on recreational cannabis sales.

Federal government agencies have not been able to use funds to interfere with state cannabis laws since 2014. That will soon change with the expiration of an amendment that blocked the federal government from channeling funds into state cannabis prohibition. Fortunately, we have representatives in Oregon that will continue to fight for the laws our citizens have voted into place, and this new identity protection measure brings the state just one step closer to making sure the federal government stays away from Oregon state cannabis business.