White Supremacy Allegations Affect Oregon Cannabis Lab

Recently, Bethany Sherman, co-owner of OG Analytical, a cannabis testing lab in Eugene, resigned from her job on December 6 after being accused of alleged neo-Nazi ties.

According to The Register Guard, Sherman was accused by Eugene, Oregon’s chapter of Antifa, a group that declares itself anti-fascist, of ties to white supremacist organizations. This scandal was so widespread in the Oregon area that it even hurt innocent businesses with similar names, even though they had no ties to OG Analytical. Eugene OG and OG Collective have been receiving threatening phone calls by those who mistakenly link them to OG Analytical.

The Oregonian reports that Sherman is stepping down from her position with this company, and plans to sell the lab. While she denies any ties to neo-Nazi organizations, Sherman admitted to having pride in being white. She also admitted that she did discreetly associate with groups that support white pride.

“I find it extremely disconcerting that it is admired and revered to have ‘gay pride,’ ‘black pride,’ ‘Asian pride,’ or pride in any other cultural heritage, but if you have ‘white pride’ it automatically makes you a Nazi, and you are ostracized, attacked and lynched by your community,” she claimed in an official statement to The Oregonian. “I admit, I am proud that I am white, and I’m not ashamed of my heritage. And I admit that I have been so conditioned to feel shame about this pride that I discreetly sought community where I could.”

Not everyone at OG Analytical agrees with Sherman’s views, however, including Lab Director Rodger Voelker, who called the allegations “disgusting.” According to The Oregonian, Co-owner Matthew L. Combs, who is an organizer for the American Patriots Brigade, was also accused of having white supremacist ties.

Although Sherman’s controversial Twitter account was disabled, it was archived by activists. The Twitter account, under the handle 14 words, represents a white supremacist slogan that reads, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”

OG Analytical hsa since claimed that its business operations have come to a complete halt since this scandal first came to light.

The cannabis industry has already made it clear that it will not tolerate those it perceives to be racists. There was major backlash when Roger Stone, one of Trump’s political strategists and a man accused of making racist comments, was dropped from list of speakers at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition. It is not surprising that after these allegations, OG Analytical is no longer able to conduct business.