They say good fences make good neighbors. Then there are the fences that enclose the growing number of Oregon marijuana grow sites in Josephine County.

There are a lot of them. And they are often ugly, especially when topped by a couple feet of plastic.

Among those who are unhappy with the proliferation of Visqueen view blockers is Chris Locke, a Murphy landscape nursery owner who endures the sight of a neighbor’s fenced marijuana grow.

Locke, co-owner of Murphy Country Nursery, says the fences are ruining Josephine County’s rural landscape. They’re tall and typically made of wood, or wood topped with plastic. Many are easy to spot.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) of Oregon, crowned “Congress’s top legal pot advocate,” by Rolling Stone, found an unlikely ally for his latest marijuana-related bill: Rep. Andy Harris (R) of Maryland. The conservative Republican introduced a provision that effectively blocked D.C. from loosening its pot laws, launching him to the center of the controversy about marijuana legalization as pot’s most vocal opponent.

They say good fences make good neighbors. Then there's the fences that enclose the growing number of Josephine County's marijuana grow sites.

There are a lot of them. And they are often ugly, especially when topped by a couple feet of plastic.

Among those who are unhappy with the proliferation of Visqueen view blockers is Chris Locke, a Murphy landscape nursery owner who endures the sight of a neighbor's fenced marijuana grow.

Locke, co-owner of Murphy Country Nursery, says the fences are ruining Josephine County's rural landscape. They're tall and typically made of wood, or wood topped with plastic. Many are easy to spot.

Cliff Thomason left the real estate business last year to become something of a pioneer: a hemp farmer.

The Grants Pass, Oregon, man was the first in the state to legally grow hemp, after Oregon began licensing growers in 2014, joining 17 other states nationwide that have differentiated hemp from marijuana and set up separate regulatory systems for growing it. But Thomason is one of only 43 farmers in the state targeting their efforts at producing seed and fiber, as opposed to the cannabidiol oil extracted from hemp stalk and used both as a balancer of the psychoactive properties of marijuana and a purely medicinal product, easing symptoms from back pain to anxiety. In the booming cannabis industry, hemp has become a neglected stepchild.

Cliff Thomason left the real estate business last year to become something of a pioneer: a hemp farmer.

The Grants Pass, Oregon, man was the first in the state to legally grow hemp, after Oregon began licensing growers in 2014, joining 17 other states nationwide that have differentiated hemp from marijuana and set up separate regulatory systems for growing it. But Thomason is one of only 43 farmers in the state targeting their efforts at producing seed and fiber, as opposed to the cannabidiol oil extracted from hemp stalk and used both as a balancer of the psychoactive properties of marijuana and a purely medicinal product, easing symptoms from back pain to anxiety. In the booming cannabis industry, hemp has become a neglected stepchild.

Oregon’s Joint Committee on Marijuana Legalization may be dissolving before the next legislative session in 2017. The committee, which has been dealing with implementation of Measure 91 and the rewriting of Oregon’s medical marijuana program, was handed a complicated task to be sure. They have been attempting to understand the implications and problems surrounding the legalization of marijuana for adult use, and how to continue the current Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP).

There is yet any official word on its dissolution, but Rep. Carl Wilson, a member of the Joint Committee, told OCC in an email said he understands that the joint committee is being dissolved, but said, “No official word to me yet.”

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has approved four software companies for tracking retail marijuana sales, a requirement of the state's recreational marijuana licensees. The companies include a startup from one of Portland's best-known and most controversial tech entrepreneurs.

Oregon's rules for recreational marijuana retailers require that they record their activity, and software systems approved Monday track sales, packages, transfers, plants and harvests, among other functions.

The companies approved Monday are OMMPOS of Astoria; Flowhub, from Denver; Greenbits, from Portland; and Portland-based Odava.

Odava, a Portland, Oregon based startup that provides software tools for the cannabis industry, has raised $170,000, according to a recent SEC filing. Odava is seeking an additional $130,000 as part of this seed round.

Odava’s enterprise platform includes a point-of-sale system and other tools to help marijuana dispensaries track their business and comply with local laws. The company was approved as a certified Cannabis Tracking System by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission on Monday. The state requires recreational cannabis retailers to record their activity and software, like Odava’s, enables them to do so.

The police department in Portland, Oregon, is now offering people advice on where to buy marijuana. Seriously:

An interesting and funny choice of editorial layout! Was this intentional? 

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