Oregon Preparing Bill To Allow Cannabis Export To Other States

Americans may soon be consuming cannabis products from Oregon, if a new bill gets passed in the state. A new bill is reportedly being introduced in the state’s legislature that will allow wholesalers to export the substance to other states in the U.S. where cannabis is legal.

According to a report by Marijuana Moment, Oregon is set to introduce a new bill in 2019 that will allow the state to export dried cannabis to other states where the substance has already been declared legal. If passed and signed into law, the new bill will help wholesalers in the state sell cannabis to other marijuana-friendly places like Washington State and California. However, it will be illegal to transport the substance though states where it is currently illegal.

Craft Cannabis Alliance, under the leadership of executive director Adam Smith, is behind the campaign to get this new bill passed. Democratic State Senator Floyd Prozanski has reportedly suggested that he is ready to positively look at the bill. The target is to get the bill passed in 2019, which will help in exports start by 2021.

Readers should note that an earlier attempt to allow exports from Oregon failed. Prozanski’s bill on the same subject did not get the adequate support in 2017. Based on this, there will also be hurdles this time around.

The bill will attract federal attention, as the provision of allowing the export of cannabis is prohibited under the current federal law. Cannabis is still under the Schedule I substance, which means that at the federal level, it is not recognized as having any medical benefits.

However, allowing for exports may be an inevitable step that Oregon will have to take. According to The Motley Fool, the state will not limit the number of licenses it issues. This will lead to a situation of oversupply, and consequently, the price of cannabis will come down. Allowing the export to other states should help reduce the supply in the state and improve the prices.

While the strategy of export seems good on paper, there are challenges here too. There is already an oversupply problem in Colorado, California and Washington. The only way for Oregon to compete is to offer its cannabis at a cheaper price than the prevailing market rates in the other states.

Despite the supply side problems, there is a huge market for cannabis-based products. According to My NBC 15, a soda made from cannabis will soon be available in stores in Michigan. Marijuana companies are currently conducting research to bring new cannabis products in the coming months and years.