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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Thursday night lightning sparks 10 new fires across region ... Bear Creek Greenway to link to Highway 62 ... Medford pot ban may not last ... Thursday night lightning sparks 10 new fires across region ... Bear Creek Greenway to link to Highway 62 ... Medford pot ban may not last ... MARIJUANA REGULATION Ante for rulemaking on Oregon pot: nearly $600,000 Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 4, 2014 at 4:57 PM By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 4, 2014 at 4:57 PM » Social News SALEM — Oregon lawmakers will consider a request next week for nearly $600,000 to get started making rules for legal marijuana. It's a down payment on a regulatory apparatus that a state fiscal analyst estimates could have up to 30 workers and a two-year budget of $6.4 million. A month ago, Oregon voters approved legal recreational marijuana, effective July 1. The measure gives the state Liquor Control Commission the chore of making rules and overseeing the trade. Its request said time is short to get rules in place. It seeks salary and expense money for four initial positions: a program manager, two policy analysts and a public affairs staffer. The request will be considered on Monday by the Joint Subcommittee on Education and on Wednesday by the Emergency Board. The board is made up of legislative leaders who can allocate money from a contingency fund when the Legislature isn't in session. The state fiscal analyst, who prepared the request, Michelle Deister, provided the estimate of up to 30 workers and a two-year budget of more than $6 million. "That said, ultimately the number of employees and therefore personal services expenditures will be dependent on the number of licensees," she wrote. Deister's analysis spelled out issues the new staff has to address. Among them: Where marijuana production, processing, and retail facilities will be located. How licensed businesses may advertise. Whether medical and recreational marijuana may be sold from the same retail outlet. How to track marijuana as it moves through the system so the state can determine taxes and prevent leakage into the illicit market. Determining civil penalties for violations. Determining the extent to which testing will be regulated. Deister said the marijuana staff will also be responsible for choosing a computer system to track financial reports and data from licensees; processing license applications and investigating the backgrounds of applicants; inspecting licensed premises; auditing and reconciling tax and sales reports and accounting for fees, taxes, and revenue distribution. Commission Chairman Rob Patridge said it plans public meetings next year on the new marijuana program. They haven't been scheduled. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 4, 2014 at 4:57 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501