Senate bill could expand Oregon cannabis industry

Senate Bill 307 would allow for the consumption and sale of marijuana at temporary events for people over 21. A public hearing is being held Tuesday in Salem on the bill.

Currently, those who buy cannabis products can only legally consume it in their homes. If this bill passes, a temporary event could apply and be regulated by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

Former Portland Trail Blazer Cliff Robinson plans to testify in favor of the bill. He said he supports it because he believes adults should have the opportunity to consume marijuana in a safe and responsible area outside their home.

However, State Health Officer Katrina Hedberg of the Oregon Health Authority said in written testimony the bill could expose more youth to advertising and promotion of marijuana.

Dr. Paul Lewis of the Multnomah County Health Department said it weakens Oregon’s Clean Air Act.

Nonetheless, Bend’s Oregrown co-owner Hunter Neubauer said adults should have the opportunity to partake in cannabis in a safe environment away from home.

“I think it makes a lot of sense to have a controlled or semi-controlled environment where people over the age of 21 can have the opportunity to interact and sample those craft products,” Neubauer told NewsChannel 21 by phone Monday evening. “It’s time to bring it above the table and make it legal and normalize the industry.”

If the bill passes, an applicant could not have cannabis at their event if was within 1,000 feet of a school or in an area exclusively for residential use. If the event were indoors, the applicant would have to meet public health and safety rules and have a ventilation system.

The Senate Joint Committee on Marijuana Regulation will hold a hearing on Senate Bill 307 on Tuesday at 5 p.m.