A press conference introducing an initiative petition, the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act 2010, and its signature-gathering campaign will be held Monday, July 7th at 10 am at the campaign office, located at 105 SE 18th Avenue in Portland. All media representatives are encouraged to attend. Speakers at the press conference will include Madeline Martinez and D. Paul Stanford, co-chief petitioners for the measure.

OCTA proposes to redirect millions of dollars annually into Oregon’s general fund by permitting cannabis (marijuana) to be sold in retail stores to adults over 21 years of age. The OLCC would be tasked with managing the program, which would license approved individuals to cultivate the product for sale. A portion of the cannabis grown would also be directed to registered cardholders in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. A portion of the taxes collected would go to drug treatment.

In addition, the initiative would permit cultivation of industrial hemp, which could quickly become Oregon’s largest cash crop. Used for clothing, food, building materials, fuel and even plastics, hemp is in great demand but cannot be grown under current law.

Supporters estimate that revenue generated by state-controlled cannabis sales could easily reach $300 million annually. In addition, tourism and related activities would generate at least $50 million annually.

The campaign plans to gather a minimum of 82,769 valid signatures by the deadline of 5pm on July 2, 2010. After the measure has been certified by the Secretary of State, it will be presented to Oregonians for a vote in November of 2010.

For more information about the press conference or the campaign, please contact: Madeline Martinez - 503.313.9929

Download the NORML Daily Audio Stash for 2008-05-05

Es lunes, Cinco de mayo y es cuatro veinte en alguna parte en el mundo. Soy su anfitrión, “Radical” Russ Belville.

This weekend was the kickoff to the summer protestival season. I hope you all enjoyed your Global Marijuana March and took the opportunity to use your freedom of speech, freedom assembly, and freedom to petition your government. But that’s only the beginning, because ending adult marijuana prohibition starts with you. Call your Congress at 202-224-3121, and tell your representative to support Barney Frank’s HR5843 bill that would legalize marijuana for personal use.

For our Political Activism day today I’m bringing you my report from Portland, Oregon’s ninth annual Million Marijuana March, held in the center of downtown at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I’m also calling on all local activists to send me your audio, video, and pictures from your March, so we can share your experience with the global cannabis community.

We’ve got just a few news stories and your Weekly Legislative Roundup, then right after the news we’ll take a look at our Reformer’s Calendar.

Next I’ve got exclusive audio from our Portland event. Friday night we held a party for Oregon NORML’s Board of Directors, PonyBoy, Fuzzy, and SK from Los Marijuanos out of Las Vegas, DJ Selekta Lou from Sacramento, and Chief Greenbud who flew out from Nashville, Tennessee. I’ll take you inside NORML West Coast Media HQ for an impromptu interview. Then you’ll hear speeches from the event by our Executive Director Madeline Martinez, Board Member Melodie Silverwolf, and Co-Founder Anna Diaz.

For our musical break on this Blues Monday, Cannabis Karri brings us a bluesman from my neck of the woods, just south in Salem, Oregon. Mark Lemhouse performs “You Can’t Get That Stuff No More”, something I’m sure we’ve all said a time or two when searching for our favorite prohibited strain.

To conclude our Stash I’ve got an extra-special musical treat as Chief Greenbud joined us on the local cable access show I host in Portland called “A Cannabis Community Forum”. Chief performed two songs live for our show, and you’ll get to hear his parody of the Plain White T’s hit, “Hey There, Delilah” that he has re-written as “It’s Only a Weed”, a tragic tale of an average cannabis arrest, and an original number called “The Legalization Song”.

And remember, if you are a business or non-profit who’d like your message heard on the Daily Audio Stash or the NORML Weekly News, you can advertise with us. We have rates for every budget and a 10% discount for non-profits. You can target your message to the focused audience of enlightened cannabis consumers you’re looking for. With over 28,000 daily downloads and hundreds of thousands of embedded players on websites worldwide, advertising with NORML is the most effective way of reaching your potential customers. Just send us an email at stash ‘at’ norml.org and we’ll have you on the air in no time.

So sit back and relax with your favorite strain, it’s time for your NORML Daily Audio Stash.

Just catching up on some of the reports from the March this weekend:

Close to 500 protesters took to the streets [of Calgary, Alberta, Canada] Saturday in favour of marijuana’s medicinal use and making it more accessible to those suffering debilitating pain.

Amid the incense aromas and reggae beats, several hundred Austinites rallied at the Capitol on Saturday for the legalization of marijuana for personal and medical use.

Rolling out at high noon May 3, the Ninth Annual Million Marijuana March smoked through downtown Portland as part of Oregon NORML’s protest of pot prohibition and to support the use of medicinal marijuana through Oregon’s sometimes controversial Medical Marijuana Act.

“These guys are easy compared to the anarchists,” said Sgt. Voepel of the Portland Police Department, “they’re on time, and they’re orderly.”

According to the Sarge, the only rabble rousers during the march were two drunkards who were pestering people but were unconnected to the peaceful pro-pot gatherers. No pot smokers were spotted.

Read the rest of this entry by clicking here

Just stopping in for a second… the March in Portland was fantastic.  Police estimated 750 people marching, and we had three local TV stations covering us, with a different member of the Board of Directors of Oregon NORML (myself on the CBS affiliate) quoted in the report.  They gave us favorable coverage, especially of our announcement of the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act (OCTA) for 2010, our initiative to tax and regulate cannabis for adults and sell through Oregon liquor stores.

Audio and video coming soon… but I’m on my way to the after-party concert with Los Marijuanos, Chief Greenbud, and more.