By Josh Jardine
In 2023, cannabis was frequently both in me, and in the news. If that was the case with you as well, here’s a recap.
Pacific Wonderland got some well-deserved props when a survey ranked Portland as the number-one city for cannabis users. The authors looked at 15 cities with some forms of regulated cannabis programs, and cited Portland’s 13.7 dispensaries per 100,000 residents (second only to Oklahoma City’s 48.7) and lowest prices for “high quality” cannabis at $210 per ounce among other factors. (Least cannabis friendly city? Birmingham, Alabama, to which I say, “truth.”)
Those low prices for top-quality flowers were driven by the lowest cannabis prices on record in Oregon, hitting a rock bottom $4 a gram at the start of the year. Oversupply continues to drive that, which hadn’t changed much by this fall. (It’s worth noting that there are plenty of $7 and $9 grams at dispensaries, top-shelf ounces at $270 with tax, and $49 poorly manicured sungrown ounces harvested 12 months ago available.)
Speaking of things falling, cannabis took down our Secretary of State at a stunning speed. Shemia Fagan resigned after revealing she had a side hustle as a consultant to super messy cannabis brand La Mota, for $10,000 per month. That La Mota had dozens of lawsuits, millions in tax liens, and a half million dollar grant awarded (then rescinded) by the state to a nonprofit co-founded by their CEO was not helpful. Did I mention Fagan’s office was performing an audit of the cannabis industry at the same time? Yeah.
The Oregon Health Authority announced that growers would need to pass a new zero- tolerance test for Aspergillosis, the ubiquitous mold that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says we all breathe daily. It can cause serious respiratory illnesses in rare cases of people who are severely immunocompromised, but seemingly is not a threat to the vast majority of cannabis users.
The test was a threat to numerous smaller growers, who filed a lawsuit asking for a delay and possible modification to the testing requirements. In August, an Oregon Court of Appeals judge agreed.
Oregon is poised to lose the best friend cannabis has in Congress, both statewide and federally, in the honorable Rep. Earl Blumenhauer. He announced he does not plan to seek reelection, after a remarkable 27-year congressional run. He founded the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, and was a crucial supporter of the SAFE Banking Act and MORE Act. His recent Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act was signed by President Biden.
Speaking of Biden, in September his administration’s request to the DEA to explore rescheduling cannabis launched the question if this meant cannabis was about to become federally legal. It’s not, although an expected rescheduling from One to Three would offer multiple benefits in tax relief to the industry, as well as better access for medical cannabis research. It’s not the more desirable descheduling, but it is progress, and will move forward the discussion about eventual federal legalization.
The year 2023 saw Ohio legalize Adult Use cannabis through ballot measure, the 24th state with legal recreational cannabis. Now, 38 states (and Washington, D.C.) have medical cannabis programs, and supporters plan legalization efforts for some of the remaining holdout states in 2024. Fewer arguments against legalization are swaying voters, with the recognition of myriad benefits a regulated program offers.
That includes the financial windfall for states, with one report from MJ Biz Daily this year estimating that for every $10 spent at a cannabis retail outlet, an “additional $18 will be injected into the economy, much at the local level.” The report concludes “The total U.S. economic impact generated by cannabis sales is expected to top $100 billion in 2023, up more than 12% from last year.”
Challenges abound, with consolidation continuing to buy up craft producers, and numerous smaller companies simply throwing in the towel. Oregon is still light years behind other states as far as consumption spaces and events and continues to seemingly favor the celebration and enjoyment of alcohol over cannabis. But Oregonians enjoy high quality, low-priced cannabis, which contributes to a better quality of life.
Happy New Year to all.
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