The cannabis gold rush may be over in Oregon, but the industry still sees a bright future
“In 2022, we were $170 million in tax dollars to Oregon, and we’re tracking the same for this year,” Hudson said of the cannabis industry’s impact on the Oregon economy. “And those funds go to education, they go to law enforcement and they go to health and rehabilitation.”
…the lion’s share of cannabis tax dollars since 2020 go toward Measure 110 grants for drug treatment and related programs… Roy Hudson and Marissa Rodriguez. They’re the co-founders of Nimble, an Oregon-based wholesale cannabis distribution company. Hudson is a board member for the Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon and Rodriguez serves on the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and the Oregon Health Authority’s rules advisory committees and workgroups. “If and when we are to be a Schedule III drug, 280E immediately goes away and it creates a lot more cash flow for Oregon businesses. Everybody is operating at razor-thin margins or just losing and waiting for this change and to be able to have cash flow.” Hudson and Rodriguez are still skeptical about this potential schedule change at HHS because very little specific information has come out as yet. But if it were to happen, it would a game-changer for the cannabis industry. What they are optimistic about is the SAFER Banking Act, which would lift restrictions at the federal level that have prevented state-licensed cannabis businesses from accessing many banking and financial services. Sponsored by Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, the idea behind the bill has been kicking around for a long time. But the most recent iteration of the bill has bipartisan support and is making some headway, it seems.
Original Article (KGW):
The cannabis gold rush may be over in Oregon, but the industry still sees a bright future
Artwork Fair Use: elsaolofsson
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