What Oregonians need to know about the Wash. pot law
PORTLAND, Ore. – Even though having up to an ounce of marijuana will be legal in Washington starting on Thursday, Portland police officers are reminding Oregonians that it’s still a violation to have pot in the Beaver State.
On Wednesday afternoon, a police bureau spokesman sent out a news release reminding people that Oregon law states that possessing less than an ounce of pot is a violation. While officers in the city don’t consider enforcing the law a priority, it’s still technically illegal.
Pot possession is not, however, a serious offense and people can’t be arrested or jailed for it.
While stopping people who have pot is a low priority for the Portland Police Bureau, stopping impaired drivers is still a high priority.
“Much like the existing fireworks laws, what is legal in Washington is not legal in Oregon,” police said in a news release. “If it goes high in the air or gets you high, you should probably use it in the Evergreen State.”
The police bureau also put out the following Q and A:
Question: I have an Oregon Medical Marijuana Program card. Can I bring marijuana into Oregon from Washington?
Answer: Yes. The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program allows for card holders to possess certain amounts of marijuana. It does not dictate where card-holders can get it and there are no changes to the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program because of Washington I-502.
Q: I live in Washington but drove to Portland to visit friends. Can I carry my marijuana with me?
A: No. Possession of Less than One Ounce of Marijuana in Oregon is a violation and you may be subject to a citation, similar to a traffic ticket.
Q: Does this mean I can smoke pot in parks or at cafes if I go to Washington?
A: No. While Portland Police do not prioritize enforcing the citations of less than an ounce of marijuana, smoking pot in public spaces is strictly enforced. Don't do it. Even under the new law in Washington, you are not allowed to smoke marijuana in public. Washington is developing rules and a licensing system for the production and sale of marijuana, which may eventually lead to the existence of cafes or businesses where smoking pot is allowed. Until then, if you must consume pot, then do so in the privacy of a residence.
Q: Can I get a violation for being stoned?
A: Unless you are operating a vehicle (bicycles included), you cannot be cited for consumption of Marijuana.
Q: What happens if I get pulled over and an officer thinks I've been smoking pot?
A: If an officer believes you're driving under the influence of a controlled substance, they will conduct a field sobriety test and may consult with a drug recognition expert. If officers establish probable cause, they will bring you to a precinct and ask your permission to draw your blood for testing. If officers have reason to believe you're under the influence of a controlled substance, they can get a search warrant for a blood draw from a judge.
In a serious injury crash, if law enforcement suspects that the driver is impaired by drugs or alcohol, officers will apply for a search warrant to draw and test the driver's blood.
It's important to know that Driving Under the Influence IS a criminal offense in Oregon and those driving under the influence of marijuana or other drugs can be arrested and jailed for DUII-Drugs.
While DUII-Alcohol is generally when a driver's Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is .08 or more, there is not the same threshold for marijuana or other drugs.
The threshold for DUII-Drugs is "impaired to a perceptible degree."
Q: I really want to go to Washington and get high. What's the safest way to do it?
A: Get a designated driver, take public transit, or plan to stay the night in Washington.
Q: Can I ride my bike to Washington to smoke some weed?
A: Yes, but you can still get a DUII-Drugs while riding a bicycle.
Q: Will the Feds arrest me in Washington if I buy some weed?
A: Marijuana is still a "Schedule I Drug" under federal law and marijuana possession and sale remains illegal under federal law. The Portland Police Bureau cannot predict or control the enforcement activities of federal authorities.
All Oregonians need to now is that 420 is legal to use
just a short drive or bus ride away.
be responsible dont smoke or drink while driveing if u do ur an idiot doesnt matter if you think it dosent affect you it does weither you like it or not..... is killing a child or someone els really worth it
i will smoke weither its legal or not why not put that money to good use rather then giving money to criminals. i think if they outlaw hard booze and legilize weed the world would be much more happy with less hate there will always be hate but there would be less im sure
 @Justin Bourbonnie I don't smoke pot, and I'm right there with you. I don't want your money going to criminals either.
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/effects.-Lya.htm
Q: If my water pipe is in Washington and I have an extra long hose on it that reaches across the river into Oregon
and my friend in Washington is lighting it for me, will I still be breaking the law?
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 @franksbeans You're wrong...New Jersey/upper east coast is the butt crack,.....I've been in many conversations about this.
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Why are you so hateful dude....lighten up.
The United States Of America: Once considered the greatest nation on earth, is now truly going to pot. The few wanniers always seem to get their way and the rest of the country suffers for it.
@None when it was considered the greatest nation on earth, people drank cocaine in their soda, smoked cigarettes wherever they wanted, drank and drove without seatbelts, (ashtrays were standard equipment before seatbelts), and before at they loaded themselves up on laudanum, opiates, morphine, snuff... In the '50s women were all skinny, happy housewives on prescription amphetamines...remember "Midol Makes me Gay!" Yay for happy pills, right? Back to Ulysses Grant being a drug addict for smoking all that tobacco.
 @PlayanekesFaux News has all their viewers convinced that everything was just peachy before BHO and the Liberals "destroyed everything".
 @None Total BS, if the "war on drugs" has taught us anything (including futility) it's caused much larger disregard for laws and allowed cartels and crime to flourish while greatly increasing the jail population (which btw is the largest drain on the state budget).
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WA has just reduced the budget drain AND will eventually create a new revenue stream, while possibly going into competition with organized crime (which hopefully will put them out of business). This could (and should) drop the price making pot much less desirable for the cartels since they won't make any money.
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It's a completely sound business decision (you know, saving money while creating a revenue stream).
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Oh yeah, and not everyone smokes pot.
@deejm2112 @None not everyone but for everyone that does they stink up an entire block
 @franksbeans  @deejm2112   I have a friend that I had no idea smoked pot until I saw her bong one day.  I go over to her house all the time and I never smelled it.  :)  So I doubt it stinks up the whole block. Â
 @franksbeans Here's my guess there Franky....nothing will change. People didn't hide it before.
Wonder how many are going to try and duck those taxes?
@Tina Baker 100% tax duckers
@Tina Baker
Oregon: Washington Mexico.
what is there to need to know?
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 STUPID has always been STUPID.!
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8 yr old  pothead logic thinking has never changed,    STUPID STUPID STUPID.
 @Zechariah Speaking of 8 yr olds....
@deejm2112 @Zechariah LOL! You noticed that too.
Police are just plain no fun.
Been smoking pot for 40 years almost every day. It has never affected my driving in anyway. Booze, which is legal kills thousands a day.
@stinger139 that you know of, but I'm sure there's been plenty of other people on the road shouting at the stoned driver who doesn't reallize it because portions of his brain have been shut off, that is how it works!
and one of those parts of the brain is the cerebellum which controls coordination, and yes driving requires some coordination
 @stinger139  In my law enforcement years I arrested many potheads who daily users, were driving erratically, had crashed into trees, ditches, other people, etc., and without exception all of them told me smoking pot has never affected their driving in any way. Selfish idiots, just like any other DUII drivers.
@StealthActivist @stinger139 right, and, also, non-pot smokers never drive erratically, crash into ditches or other cars. If there's an accident on the road, why, marijuana MUST have been involved. My dad has been smoking pot daily for so long I kinda wonder if he's one of the people posting here, and I can tell you that he worked responsibly for 23 years at the same company, has never been arrested and hasn't had any major tickets or accidents in my lifetime, and I'm 44. But if they're wasted to the point of not being able to drive, AND driving, I agree with you 100% that they're as stupid as any other DUII driver.
 @Playanekes  @StealthActivist  @stinger139  And like most DUII drivers, they get away with DUII driving the vast majority of the time. Studies of DUII drivers indicate they engage in this behavior 89 times before ever getting caught once. This is an average, so many DUII drivers never get caught at all. Anyway, the ones who do are typically really, REALLY messed up and impaired, and yes, most of the traffic crashes I investigated involved some sort of impairment-- Alcohol, weed, other street drugs, and sometimes prescription drugs.Â
 @StealthActivist I think you are full of it.
 @Pointblank  @StealthActivist Doubtful he is full of it I know it certainly affected my driving when I did it 35 years ago in college. Not as bad as drinking but it still makes it much easier to be distracted when high which is always bad when driving.
@stinger139 childish-Adult acting potheads are the new wave of Babysitting industry.
@Zechariah right, winner, 'cause I guess on whatever screwball parallel universe you're from, people haven't been smoking pot in Seattle already since before Jimmy Hendrix. It would help your argument if you sounded like English was your primary language.
I've seen how much weed medical patients are prescribed. It can be a mind boggling amount for a recreational user. Since it is illegal to sell (unless a medical provider), is it legal for a medical patient to "share" with a non-card holder?
LOL... thank you for the laugh. This whole situation is making for some entertaining articles, though I think my favorite still are the ones from the Seattle PD. What's even better is that this time around, I think there will be enough documentation of *real* history as it's happening (aka right now) thanks to the internet that it'll be pretty hard to whitewash de-prohibition for future generations.
Pot addiction will get a lot worse now.
@sortbait I have a feeling things will be the same; I mean its already pretty easy to purchase it...
 @sortbait No it won't. Prohibition isn't keeping those who want to smoke from getting it. In fact, ask any high schooler which is easier to get - pot or booze. Since liquor is controlled, it's more difficult for them to get it (they have to find an adult to obtain it). Pot is available through dealers who don't care about checking ids!
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More people may try it, but that doesn't mean they're going to get addicted. Sounds like you've been listening to propaganda that's kept marijuana illegal for years. Thanks to Washington State (and Colorado), most of the FUD will start to be disproven and sanity can return to our drug laws.
That's good . STUPIDITY of potheads has them rather bound into their little moronic 8-12 yr old  junk logic views or life . tee hee hee tee hee hee , like a 8 yr old they all sound alike.
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Now some of us have to be more of a parent for the mindless Adult-children who try to act like adults. but act like 8 yr olds in reality because pot has stupified their minds.
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Just wonderful.
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Baby sitting Adults by the masses.
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@Zechariah see now if I point out that you write like a dropout, some jack wagon like Rob C 503 is going to call me out for being insulting... Uh... " @Playanekes .......somebody thinks differently than you and your response is to insult and call people names. My how tolerant and accepting of you. What are 10, 11 years old?" YOU, on the other hand insult people but you can't even do it correctly in your native language and, well... Where's Rob C? See how is works? You're a bunch of marginally-literate, dubiously-educated hypocrites and half wits who are perfectly willing to dish it out as long as you don't have to take it.
@Zechariah I think people who drink alcohol are pretty dumb; do you link to drink alcohol? What about fluoride water?
 @Zechariah Funny, you call others moronic 8 year olds, then follow it up with "tee hee hee"...and your literacy level is about the same as your average 6th grader. Actually, I take that back, my 4th grader has better grammar than you do.
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I'm not big on smoking weed myself, but in your case I sincerely feel it could give your intelligence level a much-needed boost.
 @Zechariah how old are you? you sound like a young kid no offense. your talking about mindless people as you show your lack wisdom in all things life.
@Chloë Zika @Zechariah yeah, check it out. Where's his bodyguard Rob C to come bail him out? " @Playanekes .......somebody thinks differently than you and your response is to insult and call people names. My how tolerant and accepting of you. What are 10, 11 years old?" -Rob C 503
 @sortbait Let us know how that pans out in your alternate reality.
 @sortbait Nice weather for trolling, ain't it?  Shame you're nothing but a one-trick-pony, though.
@Gravity Works! STUPID STUPID STUPID
@Zechariah ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH.
Wow, can't believe that during your 5 pm broadcast, KATU just told all of us where we can get pot in Washington for the next year... from drug dealers... Brilliant! Oh, and in a related issue... You had a story about Burger King Whopper being on sale for .55 cents from Thursday - Sunday... but you forgot ONE THING... You have to buy one Whopper at regular price and then you can get .55cent Whopper...
Changing channel...
 @AnnK hey....Go Outside...take a walk it's good for the body and soul.../disappointed in humanity.
Its too bad it wasn't decriminalized here in Oregon; we could be sending a ton less people to jail. Â Since our state, cities, and counties budgets are not close to being balanced, this could really help our state. Â I don't think more people would smoke and it'd be more safe as well.
 @portlandborn83 Did you bother to read the article we don't send people to jail for small amounts of pot it is just a ticket. So if you are not a dealer or drug runner you don't have to worry. Anyway just say you back hurts and get your medical MJ card if you are really worried about it.
 @portlandborn83 Story says that in Oregon if you have less than an ounce you get a traffic ticket- you cannot be arrested for it.
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So it pretty much IS decriminalized, it isn't even a misdemeanor. I bet they would make a lot more in taxes, though, than they do with fines if they were to legalize it.