Oregon's doomed marijuana prohibitionists: Editorial Agenda 2015

At this time last year, Oregonians were talking about the possibility of legalizing recreational pot. These days, they're looking at marijuana milestones.

In less than a month, adults will be able to buy small amounts of recreational weed at medical dispensaries, a stopgap measure that will help meet demand until the retail system is fully up and running. In November, legalization supporters will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the passage of Measure 91. And while the implementation of the measure has had its rough patches, a third milestone validates the 847,865 Oregonians who voted "yes" last year.

http://media.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/photo/agenda-2013jpg-da8a3522a991b9c6.jpg

Editorial Agenda 2015


Make Portland a city that works
Get pot right
Smart choices for education
Help rural Oregon
Keep people and goods moving
Foster small business growth
Track health reforms
_______________________________

That milestone actually belongs to Washington, where voters backed legalization in 2012. Still, it's a useful reminder of what Oregonians would be doing in coming years if Measure 91 hadn't passed: They'd be buying a lot of recreational marijuana at retailers on the Washington side of the Columbia River and driving it home. This phenomenon is no surprise and was, in fact, a compelling argument for supporting Measure 91. Still, the numbers are both instructive and reassuring.

The milestone is the release of the inaugural report on the implementation of I-502. In addition to legalizing pot, the initiative directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a progress report every two years, beginning in 2015. The first report, released this month, is more than 50 pages long, but one particular section is likely to be of significant interest to Oregonians. It details recreational marijuana sales by county from July 2014 through June 2015. And if we didn't know better, we'd conclude that people in Klickitat County spend most of their time stoned.

At $65.80, per-capita marijuana sales were higher in Klickitat County during this period than in any other county, and by a large margin. We suppose it's possible that Klickitat residents smoke a whole lot of pot, but it's more likely that much of it was bought by people from Cascade Locks, Hood River, The Dalles and those passing through Goldendale on their way back to Oregon on Highway 97. Klickitat County is conveniently located on the northern bank of the Columbia River.

Oregonian editorials

reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom.

are Mark Hester, Helen Jung, Erik Lukens, Steve Moss and Len Reed.

To respond to this editorial:

Post your comment below, submit a

,

or write a

.

If you have questions about

the opinion section, contact Erik Lukens, editorial and commentary editor,

at

or 503-221-8142.

Location, surely, is also responsible for the gaudy numbers posted by retailers in Clark County, where per-capita sales, at $56.93, were second only those in Klickitat County. Clark County's seven retailers also serve the Portland market, which seems to be quite healthy. The average Clark County retailer posted sales of $3.5 million during this period, which is 24 percent higher than the average retailer tally in runner-up Benton County. Only King County, dominated by Seattle, generated total sales in excess of Clark County's $24.6 million.

Washington's sales statistics point to strong demand for recreational marijuana in Oregon and underscore how easy it is for Oregonians to buy it at legally sanctioned retailers ... in Washington. In retrospect, legalization in Oregon was inevitable. The alternative merely created hassles for Oregonians and prohibited them from spending their marijuana money in Oregon - at least without registering for a medical marijuana card or buying from a dealer. Arguments for maintaining a ban in Oregon would have weakened as the state of Washington failed, year after year, to slip into a drug-induced stupor.

For similar reasons, the mini-rebellion staged by a number of Oregon cities and counties, mostly rural, is likely to be relatively short-lived. In order to pass legislation implementing Measure 91, lawmakers this year approved a compromise that grants officials in certain counties greater leeway to ban marijuana businesses, though all such bans can be overturned by local voters. A relative handful of cities and counties have exercised their ban prerogative. Eventually, however, residents of no-pot areas are bound to recognize that local prohibitions create hassles and displace spending without preventing access. When this happens, local bans imposed in a panic will end, one milestone at a time.

In the meantime, pot businesses near "dry" cities and counties should prepare to enjoy their good fortune. Their ban is your boon.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.