Summary: OCTA, the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act 2010 | Will Tax and Regulate Cannabis (Marijuana) in Oregon. Currently, the black market controls cannabis growth, sale and distribution, meaning anyone of any age can buy or sell it. Regulations puts Oregonians in control.

According to in-school survey data from 2007, 37.4% of eighth-graders, 69% of tenth-graders, and 83.9% of twelfth-graders report that cannabis is "easy to get." The regulation of the sale and distribution of cannabis will dramatically reduce those numbers.

According to the Oregon Healthy Teen Survey of 2007, cannabis use among Oregon teens has dropped 1/3 since the enactment of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act of 1998, showing that regulations works.

Reform Oregonians value personal freedom AND direct democracy. Hence, Oregon was the first state to consider, and subsequently pass, a Death with Dignity law. now, Oregon will be the first state to consider updating cannabis use laws to reflect the times.

Oregon spends $61.5 million on enforcing out-of-date cannabis laws, diverting policy energy away from violent and often repeat offenders.

Surveys conducted by the RAND Corps Public Safety and Justice in 2002, the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2006 and the National Research Council Committee for Data and Research for Policy on Illegal Drug in 2008 all conclude that cannabis is NOT a gateway drug: Of the 114,275,000 nationally reported cannabis users, only 2,685,000 (2%) went on to use cocaine and only 153000 (0.1%) went on to use heroin.

Revenue: Oregon's General Fund will receive between $30 million and $300 million annually, paying for education, health care, public safety and other publicly funded programs.

Industrial hemp has the power to revolutionize Oregon's ecology and economy through re-opening paper mills to produce hemp paper, creating clean fuel sources with hemp biodiesel and providing additional food sources with ground hemp protein. A 2000 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture states that Americans purchased 35,000 pounds of Canadian hemp in 1999, and that number has certainly grown with hemp's popularity during the past eleven years.

Oregon has a rich history of taxing vices: alcohol, gambling and tobacco. It's time that Oregon stopped enforcing out-of-date prohibition-style laws regarding cannabis and tap into the ecological and economical possibilities of cannabis and hemp.

OCTA 2010 Frequently Asked Questions

I don't use cannabis, so why should I care?

We know prohibition doesn't work. Public money is being spent on enforcing laws that do not reflect the times. Violent offenders are being released from prison early to make room for non-violent, cannabis-related offenses. Through enacting the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act (OCTA), the state will generate reliable annual income for education, health care and public safety (just to name few benefits) for all Oregonians.

OCTA is not just about state-sanctioned cannabis use. 90% of the funds generated through the sale of cannabis will go to the general fund, and the other 10% will go to drug education and treatment programs and industrial hemp promotion. Hemp will revolutionize our agricultural industry, job market and economy, with seemingly infinite potential to generate additional revenue as Oregon's new cash crop.

How much reliable, annual income can Oregon expect?

According to conservative estimates, state revenue will increase by at least $30 million, while other estimates place the revenue increase upward of $300 million*. In addition, Oregon will save over $61.5 million** Oregon will save by no longer enforcing out-of-date cannabis laws.

If cannabis use is a matter of personal freedom, why allow government regulation? An estimated 300,000 cannabis users reside in Oregon, in addition to the 23,000 registered medical marijuana cardholders***. In other words, 1/10 of Oregonians use cannabis that currently is controlled by the black market. OCTA will take the control out of the hands of the drug lords and into the hands of the people.

In addition, OCTA brings about government regulation regarding the sale and distribution of cannabis, not the growth and consumption. The law extends personal freedoms by giving people the choice to grow their own cannabis, as well as choosing who and where they purchase it.

What about children?

OCTA stipulates that cannabis is only availabe to adults 21 years of age and older in state-sanctioned retail outlets. This will reduce the availability on cannabis of the streets and, therefore, to minors. A percentage of the revenue generated by OCTA goes to drug education programs in high schools, promoting responsible usage among legal adults.

* Estimates based upon revenue generated in California since the enactment of its Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

** Estimates based upon annual state law enforcement expenditures.

*** Numbers taken from the 2000 United States Census.

The text on this Bill can be found in the Links section here: I-73-text

Status: Folks are going thru Circulator training and Collecting signatures - the website sez they've collected about 5,000 so far - at campaign headquarters (5220 NE Sandy) and will be out collecting pledges every weekend starting then. If you can't make the training email Kyndall at (kyndall@democracyresources.com) and she will send you all the materials you need to get OCTA underway. We are in a unique position in Oregon to create laws that will end adult prohibition on marijuana and hemp. So Be There and help end adult prohibition on marijuana and hemp.

Contact info: office for OCTA is at 5220 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR, above Stanley Printing www.cannabistaxact.org/content/oregon-cannabis-tax-act-full-text, If you wanna get involved. You can also Visit - http://www.crrh.org/ - for more info.

Testifying

Each speaker called to testify will have two minutes to address the committee. The order of testimony may be managed to ensure that all points of view on these measures are presented.

Staff respectfully requests that you submit 25 collated copies of written materials at the time of your testimony and, if possible, an electronic copy of materials provided to staff 24 hours prior to the meeting. Persons making presentations including the use of video, DVD, PowerPoint or overhead projection equipment are asked to contact committee staff and provide an electronic copy 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Whether you want to testify or not, it would be good to come to Salem for any hearings. It would be especially good to try to schedule a meeting with your Senator -or- Representative before the meeting, possible.

As with coming to court, if you decide to attend hearings, please dress appropriately and be polite and respectful.

click here -

http://www.leg.state.or.us/capinfo/

- for Capitol Info, such as directions, phone numbers and maps.

If you cannot attend, Please write and testify. You can find wording of the measures here: http://www.leg.state.or.us/bills_laws/

you can listen to the hearings online here http://www.leg.state.or.us/listn/

Details:  

The Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, would set aside two percent of the profits from the sale of cannabis in cannabis-only stores for two state commissions that promote industrial hemp biodiesel, fiber, protein and oil. It will also legalize the sale, possession and personal private cultivation of marijuana. People who want to cultivate and sell marijuana, or process commercial psychoactive cannabis, would be required to obtain a license from the state. Adults could grow their own marijuana and the sale of all cannabis strains' seeds and starter plants would be legalized with no license, fee nor registration. The profits from the sale of cannabis to adults will add hundreds of millions into the state general fund as well as drug treatment and education.

This simple plant, cannabis, can be put to use as medicine, recreation, fiber, fuel, delicious and nutritious food, among many other things. It would fill so many needs and put Oregon on a path toward sustainability. Our forward-thinking attitude toward hemp and cannabis would create jobs, revitalize our farming communities, boost tourism, and create millions of dollars in revenue for the state. If you don't know much about cannabis, we urge you to take the time to learn about the plant. In order to be successful, this mission will require key assistance from volunteers across Oregon. Please tell ten friends about OCTA 2010 and get involved! We will soon begin circulating the petition across Oregon. We will need 83,000 valid signatures by July, 2, 2010 to qualify for the November ballot.

The certified ballot title is as follows: Permits personal marijuana, hemp cultivation/use without license; commission to regulate commercial marijuana cultivation/sale

Result of "Yes" Vote: "Yes" vote permits state-licensed marijuana (cannabis) cultivation/sale to adults through state stores; permits unlicensed adult personal cultivation/use; prohibits restrictions on hemp (defined).

Result of a "No" Vote: "No" vote retains existing civil and criminal laws prohibiting cultivation, possession and delivery of marijuana; retains current statues that permit regulated use of medical marijuana.

Summary: Currently, marijuana cultivation, possession and delivery are prohibited; regulated medical marijuana use permitted. Measure replaces state, local marijuana laws except medical marijuana and driving under the influence laws; distinguishes "hemp" from "marijuana"; prohibits regulation of hemp. Creates agency to license marijuana cultivation by qualified persons and to purchase entire crop. Agency sells marijuana at cost to pharmacies, medical research facilities, and to qualified adults for profit through state stores. Ninety percent of net proceeds goes to state general fund, remainder to drug education, treatment, hemp promotion. Bans sales to, possession by minors. Bans public consumption except where signs permit, minors barred. Agency to regulate use, set prices, other duties; Attorney General to defend against federal challenges/prosecution. Provides penalties. Effective January 1, 2011; other provisions.  

A copy of the Bill may be found here:

I-73-text.pdf

LTL (Letters-To-yer-Legislator, Editor, Org Director, Biz Owner)

you can send identical emails to every oregon senator (which will show as individual emails from you, to that senator) by sending To: orsen@oreg.net

you can send identical emails to every oregon representative (which will show as individual emails from you, to that representative) by sending To: orhouse@oreg.net

NOTEs - MAP's media resource center:


http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

If you go to about the middle of the page you will find the "Style Guide" with links to:

• MAP Letters to the Editor Archive
• Tips for Getting Letters to the Editor Published, by Platinum Letter Writer, Robert Sharpe
• Letters to the Editor & Opinion Pieces, American College of Emergency Physicians
• MAP Three Tips for Letter Writers
• Powerful Paragraphs, ClearWriter's ClearTips
• How to Write Letters to the Editor, Schaffer Library of Drug Policy
• Grammar Bytes!, Grammar Instruction with Attitude
• How to Communicate with Journalists, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
• Letter Writer's Style Guide, by Chris Donald
• Writing Effective Letters to the Editor, 20/20 Vision


respectfully, we suggest two main rules-of-thumb for letter writing to improve the liklihood of being published.

1. Write short declarative sentences as if you were speaking to a child, a small animal or a judge.

2. Limit yourself to 150 words.

Best of luck.

Here is .   Examples -

Will be posted as we learn about them.

Questions?  Comments?   Need some info?   Got some info?   NetWork!   E-Mail us or visit the Bulletin Board for further comments on this Bill -or- to post your own.

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