PortlandWiki Calendar 2011 3 29

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Tuesday | March 29, 2011

Oregon push to legalize selling marijuana to adults over 21 begins
Yesterday, state approval was given to begin collecting signatures to put "OCTA 2012" ("Oregon Cannabis Tax Act 2012") on the ballot, which would regulate the legal sale of marijuana to adults through state-licensed stores, allow adults to grow their own, license Oregon farmers to grow marijuana for state-licensed stores, and allow unlicensed Oregon farmers to grow cannabis hemp for fuel, fiber and food." Organizers of the campaign started work immediately, canvassing for the 90,000 signatures they will need to put OCTA 2012 on the ballot. According to the organizers, OCTA 2012 would raise $140 million for Oregon a year in taxes from commercial cannabis sales, and save an estimated $61.5 million from law enforcement, corrections, and the justice system. Campaigners hope that Oregon's looming massive budget cuts and economic woes will provide the impetus for Oregon to become the first state to legalize cannabis outside of a medical marijuana context.