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Guest Opinion: What does Senate Bill 1057 really do? Sunday May 21, 2017 at 12:01 AM By Sen. Herman Baertschiger Senate Bill 1057 passed in the Oregon Senate last week. This bill was lauded as a fix and correction for the Oregon Medical Marijuana program to bring it in line after Oregonians narrowly passed Measure 91 in 2014. Southern Oregonians opposed Measure 91 with two of the three counties voting against it and in Josephine County it only passed in those counties by a hairline 0.0042 margin; that’s less than a rounding error. Southern Oregon, however, is at the epicenter of the marijuana production industry, so most of the enforcement of the production of marijuana has dramatic impacts here in our region. If the state wants legalized medical and recreational cannabis products, then the Legislature should support it with thoughtful legislation and provide the necessary funding to enforce the laws. Senate Bill 1057 fails to deliver on both fronts. But, most of the money raised from taxing recreational marijuana is being directed to the northern part of the state. I believe a larger share should be sent south for more enforcement. Senate Bill 1057 is 43 pages long and does nothing to ease burdens on Southern Oregon and this fledgling industry, which is hampered by poor state enforcement and no financial support for enforcement at the local level, as well as the opposition at the federal level. SB 1057 provides the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) with additional power to enforce state marijuana laws. But the bill provides no funding to do the work. Essentially it prohibits law enforcement from taking part in inspecting or monitoring the medical marijuana market. SB 1057 even prohibits a “regulatory specialist” from carrying a firearm. SBl 1057 requires medical marijuana licensees to be licensed exclusively for medical marijuana production and that they give away 75 percent of their product before they can sell the excess 25 percent to the retail markets. There does not seem to be a designated person to inspect these licensees or enforce these rules. With no funding and no ability to carry out enforcement, no money, no gun and no badge, I suppose the clever OLCC “regulatory specialist” could use Google Maps and their razor wit to inspect and find out if three-fourths of the crop was given away. SBl 1057 also provides that licensees may “transport marijuana items to and exhibit marijuana items at a trade show, Oregon State Fair or similar event.” I do not believe when Oregonians decided to legalize marijuana that they wanted to have their local fair or event promote the use of marijuana. This, unfortunately, is how most legislation in Oregon is now drafted and passed. The majority party produces a law that is not well vetted and rarely has input from Oregonians who stand to lose as a result of poorly drafted, deeply flawed legislation. You can pass all the laws you want but if there is no enforcement, what’s the point? — Senate Deputy Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger Jr. represents Senate District 2.