The Oregonian, the largest newspaper in Oregon, has endorsed Measure 91 to regulate, tax and legalize marijuana.
It’s the first time The Oregonian has supported a marijuana measure, and the endorsement is one of a growing number from organizations and individuals who have come out in support of Measure 91. Other endorsers include William Riggs, the retired Oregon Supreme Court Justice; Richard Harris, Oregon’s leading drug addiction expert; the ACLU of Oregon; the Oregon State Council of Retired Citizens, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555, conservationists; parents; teachers; nurses; and hundreds of others.
The Oregonian’s endorsement encourages voters to consider the important positive impacts of legalizing marijuana with Measure 91:
“Measure 91 would move Oregon from a hazy condition of almost-legalization to one of rational access guided by straightforward regulations and subject to sensible taxation. In other words, it would force Oregon’s 16-year-old marijuana experiment out of adolescence and into legal adulthood.”
“The tax burden imposed by Measure 91 would be more modest than that adopted in Washington. Taxes would be levied at the point of sale by producers and would range from $5 per immature plant to $35 per ounce for flowers. These rates might strike some as too low, but taxing legal pot too heavily would merely give people an incentive to keep buying on the black market.”
“Measure 91, far from revolutionary, would simply allow Oregon adults to obtain something they may obtain now, but without having to stroll through a “medical” loophole or drive over a bridge to a neighboring state. The measure would be worth supporting for reasons of honesty and convenience alone, but it also would raise millions of dollars per year for schools and other purposes. For that reason, it deserves support even from those who aren’t normally high on taxes.”
We welcome the support of the state’s largest newspaper. Thank you for understanding that it’s time for a more sensible approach to marijuana in Oregon!