Oregon Senate OKs bill to shield pot users’ data

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Lawmakers in the Oregon Senate have approved a bill that would shield thousands of recreational pot customers from having their names, birthdates, driver’s license numbers or any other identifying information exposed.

Senate Bill 863, a bipartisan proposal, is one of the first state responses to mixed signals coming out of Washington D.C. about the new White House administration’s stance on enforcing federal marijuana laws. It passed Tuesday and now goes to the House.

The proposal would require legal pot retailers in Oregon to destroy the names, birthdates, addresses, driver’s license numbers and other private information of their recreational customers within 30 days of becoming law.

Any future record-keeping would also be banned, with some exceptions. Medical marijuana cardholders were excluded from the provisions.