There was lots to talk about at last night’s public meeting, held by Portland’s Marijuana Oversight Team and panel guests who had gathered to discuss indoor social consumption rules, event sampling vs. event consumption and much more. There were many voices to be heard, ranging from dispensary owners and hoteliers to consumer and child safety advocates, and there were many others present who briefly spoke. The goal was to provide state legislature with a set of recommendations for moving forward on the aforementioned issues. The meeting had a well-informed moderator, and used discussion parameters such as “Desired Outcomes,” “Topics of Discussion,” and “Values” to achieve the recommendations.
The Marijuana Oversight Team discussed the various topics with the invited guest panel for the first hour, followed by question & discussion, and concluding with the vote for recommendations. There was time allocated time for public attendees to clarify and ask questions of the sub-committee members prior to voting. The final recommendations were voted on by the attending Marijuana Oversight Sub-Committee members.
This isn’t an easy task given the varying mindsets, and Portland NORML recognizes the challenges it takes to implement a fair and balanced system for all. The colorful dots placed below the recommendations are votes in support (green) or against (red) by the sub-committee members. We are very encouraged with some of the recommendations and look forward to working towards achieving our goal of greater all-around, inclusive Measure 91 support—voted for and passed by Oregonians.
Scott Gordon
Portland NORML Director
