Welcomed Changes

Ever since recreational cannabis was legalized in Oregon with the passage of Measure 91, the state’s medical cannabis program has been struggling to stay afloat. House Bill 2198, the Cannabis Commission Bill, was created in response to the failing medical cannabis program in Oregon, and it could be a last hope for many employees working in the medical industry.

Since legalization, many medical cultivators have continued to sell cannabis on the black market or even send the crop to other states for sale. HB-2198 would allow some medical cannabis cultivators to sell up to 20 pounds of usable cannabis to dispensaries for sale to recreational consumers. The new provisions would provide cannabis cultivators with a way to operate a profitable business while still operating legally. However, the bill is considered by some in the industry as too little, too late.

“The new bill provides the bare minimum to keep the medical growers on life support. In my opinion they must make some provisions for the medical industry in order to save face.”

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP), which is currently run by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is in dire need of modernization in the face of changing laws. One of the biggest changes that could arise from the passing of HB-2198 is the formation of a new cannabis commission to oversee the OHA in the implementation of cannabis rulings. Oregon’s medical cannabis market, which has flourished in the past, now pales in comparison to the new recreational market. It’s a necessity for this bill to pass to save the medical program, and without it, the program could disappear altogether. This could be very bad news for patients who need cannabis for treatment but cannot afford to pay recreational taxes.

HB-2198 would be a step in the right direction, but for many in the medical industry, it may be too little, too late. Tim Anderson is a Portland native who has been growing medical cannabis in Oregon for nearly 10 years. With the medical industry fading into the shadows of legalized cannabis, it has become more and more difficult to provide for his registered patients. “The new bill provides the bare minimum to keep the medical growers on life support,” Anderson told CULTURE. “In my opinion they must make some provisions for the medical industry in order to save face. This is the bare minimum they can do in order to say they are trying to make room for the medical side of the cannabis industry. Recreational marijuana is much more lucrative for the government than medical marijuana, and that’s all they care about.” Anderson’s sentiment is similar to many who have been working with Oregon’s medical cannabis market, as well as patients trying to medicate.

More and more medical cannabis cardholders are choosing not to renew their cards in Oregon. More than 10,000 patients in the past two years have decided that paying the yearly fee isn’t worth the savings that come from avoiding the recreational sales tax. Almost 80 percent of dispensaries that once sold medical cannabis are switching to exclusively recreational sales. With very few medical dispensaries left, patients are left paying extra for their OMMP cards with little benefit. Stores are seeing medical sales drop dramatically as recreational sales continue to increase.

Lawmakers in Oregon are concerned that the medical cannabis program is going to eventually flounder, and this new bill has been introduced to help medical growers earn more money, while still providing for their cardholders. This extra income would help pay for the cost of grow sites and medical cannabis processing. Under the new bill, patients who grow their own cannabis would be able to share a grow site address with another patient. Six mature plants per address were previously allowed, but these new provisions would allow up to 12 with two patients at one address.

HB-2198 passed through the House on July 5, and in the Senate on July 18. The Cannabis Commission Bill could bring necessary changes to Oregon’s medical cannabis program, and medical patients and growers can only hope that they are just the first of many more to come.