OLCC marijuana Listening Tour comes to Salem today, Feb. 2

You won't read about this in our increasingly useless Statesman Journal newspaper, but the OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission) is holding a Listening Tour meeting today in West Salem where people can express their views about how the recent legalization of recreational marijuana should be handled.

From the OLCC web site:

Monday, February 2
7:00PM - 9:00PM

SALEM
​Chemeketa Eola Hills, Viticulture Center
215 Doaks Ferry Road NW
Salem, OR 97304

This morning I emailed the OLCC to confirm that the meeting was happening. An OLCC staffer just confirmed that it is.

I have no idea why the Statesman Journal failed to cover this. Maybe because the paper editorialized against the passage of Measure 91?

I'm planning to attend the meeting, in part because I'm irked about how the Governor and some state legislators are trying to undermine Measure 91 before it even has been implemented. These are some main points I want to make during my speaking time:

(1) Leave Measure 91 alone. It was approved by 56% of voters last November. Implement the initiative as it was written, crafting regulations in accord with the intent of the Oregonians who voted "yes."

(2) Those who opposed marijuana legalization, like Governor Kitzhaber, shouldn't be able to weaken Measure 91 now. You lost. The voters spoke. Deal with it.

(3) The current medical marijuana sales and production system should be kept separate from the soon-to-be recreational marijuana system. One reason is that a new President, or new U.S. Attorney General, could crack down on recreational use under the current misguided federal anti-pot laws, while this would be more difficult to do with medical marijuana.

Comments

[Harry Vanderpool]

Well Brian, I am very disturbed by your very anti-government stance.
Don't you realize that the people you oppose were elected fair and square in the last election?
The simple fact that they won the election means that they know WAY MORE about pot than you do. They have WAY MORE knowledge about bees than I do.
I think you are maybe getting a little big for your britches.
Lets start having some respect for the all knowing, all seeing, Gods of government THAT YOU VOTED FOR; RIGHT?!!!

I am one the has really appreciated your contribution to our community, Brian.
But wake up!
Join the Republican party for which you mainly agree with!
XOXOXOXO

[Brian Hines]

Harry, you scare me when you talk this way. Geez, what if I really AM a Republican and just don't know it?

Yikes...

My self-image would have to completely change. I'd lose my liberal friends. Or at least their respect. My wife would make me sleep on the couch.

So I'm going to have to keep on believing that I'm a Democrat. Even if once in a while, you discern some Republican tendencies.

Or LIbertarian -- a more likely possibility.

[Rain Trueaxn]

Republicans only want government out of regulating safe food, environment, banks, schools, and rich people. Otherwise they want to dictate who we can marry, whether we have an abortion, and would get into entertainment-- sending us back to Father Knows Best days ;). I think you are safely a Democrat, Brian. A lot of liberals are pretty libertarian about social issues.

Glad you can go to the meeting and express the views of a lot of Oregonians.