State looks for guidance from citizens on the business of pot
VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Washington State Liquor Control Board turned to the community Thursday night, asking them for their input on what the board should consider when crafting new rules for marijuana.
The auditorium at Clark College was packed and people brought their concerns and their dreams. A business owner was worried whether her employees can come to work high, entrepreneurs looked to cash in and others just wanted to hear how the board is going to handle the state's historic initiative, which makes it legal for adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of pot.
"I look at it as I'm one of the veterans of the war we won," said Donald Mueller during an interview. He has been fighting to legalize pot for years.
When he suffered a broken back and neck "I was told from the beginning to smoke a little marijuana, and I resisted."
But eventually it led him to his green thumb.
"I've been licensed through the medical community for a long time," he said.
A bit of a bud connoisseur, he grows pot in his own backyard. So when it comes to the new law and how the liquor control board will set up a system of state-licensed marijuana growers, processers and retail stores, he has some input.
"I would like them not to cut out the ones already licensed," he said. "We're the experienced ones. At least give us a chance to have those positions."
He said because of his disability, this is something that could get him back to work.
"I was a welder. I can't do that kind of work anymore. I'm a dyslexic on top of it. I can't sit behind a desk, but I can grow pot," he said.
Mueller said he does have a marijuana-related charge on his record from about 20 years ago. So one of his big questions at the forum was with a charge, could he even get a state license to grow?
The state liquor board has until Dec. 1 to put the rules in place.
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In the state of Oregon Thursday:
SALEM, Ore. - Veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder want to be able to smoke pot legally in the state of Oregon.
They spoke Thursday at the state Capitol in favor of Senate Bill 281.
The bill would add PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions allowed by the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.
Critics have argued the list should not be expanded.
Jose Garza, a Navy veteran with PTSD, says marijuana helps ease his anxiety.
Watch his committee testimony below:
Leave them alone and they'll come home, waging their tails behind them.
Leave this to those who are experienced, the Medical Patients who have already navigated the maze of Legalization. They have the Experience growing, setting up a grading system and distriubtion system that conformed to state laws. There is no reason why they can not do it large scale as well and it would put thousands to work who are unable to find work.
Donald Mueller. I need to go see this guy.I don't smoke the stuff, but I am definately one of the people that would like to cash in on this, except I don't know how to grow it.
 @myopinion240 I think you watched too many episodes of Green Acres! Growing is a science mixed with art, you may be able to grow a plant but will anyone smoke it? If you do not smoke it yourself then how will you know it is fit for sale to the public?
Organizers estimated that even more would have shown up, had they not forgotten where they were going.
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Security also found a couple dozen wondering the halls, asking where the consession stand was.Â
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(sorry, just couldn't resist)
I hope the federal government realizes that "We the People" will not rest until they lift the ban. Hopefully someone will be able to pull the wool away from their eyes. We all know that D.C. is slow to react and arent as free thinking as us. I am a wishful thinker and I hope someday the feds will get over themselves and see how many problems the ban is actually causing. Look at Spain and Portugal. They legalized all drugs and violent crimes have plummeted. It's all common sense really, but what lawmaker in D.C. has ever made any sense? Get the thugs out of congress and maybe we can all move forward for once.
@PDXBEAR They de-criminalized drugs, not legalize. There's a big difference. You still get in trouble for posession, you just don't go to jail or prison.
What do you mean you're worried whether your employees can come to work high? Can they come to work drunk? How on earth can someone so dumb be a business owner. And Donald, you sure do have a lot of excuses why you can't work. So the only thing you can do is grow pot? That's the only job your disability will allow? Grow weed? Your back hurts, but you can bend over, pick up potting material, rotate your crops, dry out the weed, cultivate, blah blah blah, but you can't sit behind a desk? There is no other job in the world that you can do other than grow weed?
It would be nice if they would turn this new industry over to the Medical Patients that allready know what they are doing. It would put many who can not work now back into the workforce and tax roles.
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@Dr. Rawdog You gotta break a few eggs to make an omlett.
 @swede760 Especially when you've got the munchies
 @Justanother1 I don't get the munchies, in fact I have lost almost 130 lbs since I got off the Rx Morphine and supporting drugs and switched to Medical Mj a year ago. I am almost to what I weighed when I got out of Basic Training 31 years ago.
 @Dr. Rawdog You sure have a lot of free time for a "Doctor? " I think you probably wanted to be a Doctor but the closest you ever got was doing practice proctology exams on your Brother. LOL .You have made reference to being a Doctor on some of your posts, but as we all know, real Doctors don't have all day to post on comment sites. Well, my injuries are healed and I am flying out today so I am done reading and posting on this site. Do yourself a favor, move out of Moms house and get a life away from your keyboard. Well, gotta go.
@Pointblank @Dr. Rawdog So you're 'healed' now?  I didn't realize Bachmann & Associates had a clinic in Portland.  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20079857-503544.html
 @Dr. Rawdog you would not have the freedom you have if someone down the line didnt break the laws and sand up to the government and created this :"free nation".