It has been a busy week here at Pure Green, so busy that we are just getting to this blog post. We are growers and purveyors of medical cannabis, but we have a larger mission as well. We work hard to make certain that all patients have safe, affordable access to their medicine, even as we implement the recreational system. Our goal is to build a functioning industry that works for everyone–patients, rec customers, growers, processors, retailers and the communities in which we live and work.

On Tuesday, Pure Green’s Matt Walstatter published his first article for Cannabis Business Executive, a news site serving the cannabis industry.  The article discusses the challenges that cannabusinesses face in securing banking services. It also offers some tips to make the process a bit smoother. Click the link below to read more about what it takes to bank a cannabis business.

http://www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com/2014/12/views-banking-pure-green-pdx/

On Wednesday, we received our copies of the December issue of Dope Magazine, featuring articles by Matt Walstatter and Pure Green Social Media Coordinator Lauren Terry.  Matt wrote about the passage of Measure 91 and the road forward for implementing this landmark ballot initiative. Lauren’s article addresses the path to legalization more broadly. In addition to our victory in Oregon, November’s election saw voters legalize recreational cannabis in Alaska and Washington DC. Guam also voted to legalize medical cannabis and while medical cannabis lost in Florida, we still managed to secure more than 57% of the vote there. (Florida’s vote was on a constitutional amendment which required 60% to pass.) Lauren puts all of this in perspective as she looks forward to 2016. Dope offers an online version with both Matt and Lauren’s articles.

http://dopemagazineonline.com/issues/oregon-issues/

The popular OPB program Think Out Loud held a town hall on marijuana-related issues last Thursday. The show addressed questions like whether we should keep the medical system once we implement rec, whether cities and counties should be able to tax cannabis and how legalization will affect cannabis culture and our culture at large. Matt Walstatter was a featured panelist, primarily discussing the relationship between the medical and recreational systems. To listen to the broadcast or to read a summary, click the link below to visit Think Out Loud’s home page.

http://www.opb.org/radio/programs/thinkoutloud/segment/oregon-town-hall-pot-in-2015/

Building a functioning industry that works for everyone requires all members of our community and industry participate. This begins with growers, who produce the medical and recreational cannabis that patients and rec consumers use. Pure Green’s Matt and Meghan Walstatter are founding members of the Oregon Grower’s PAC, a group dedicated to protecting the rights of all Oregon Growers.

Last Friday, Pure Green’s Matt Walstatter joined several members of the Grower’s PAC for a field trip to Southern Oregon, where we attended an event hosted by a group of outdoor growers. The goal was to get everyone together and to discuss the myriad issues facing all growers moving forward. The event was a smashing success, with a strong emphasis on our common goals and challenges. Thank you to our hosts for their warm hospitality and for a productive, educational day. To learn more about the Oregon Grower’s PAC, visit Pure Green or click the link below.

http://www.oregongrowerspac.com/