Oregon agriculture officials have ordered a halt to sales of a pesticide popular with marijuana growers after a state lab confirmed that an active ingredient was not listed on the product's label.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture said the pesticide, Guardian, should be removed from store shelves and asked growers who bought the product not to use it. The manufacturer is All In Enterprises of Machesney Park, Illinois.

A statewide stop sale order is unusual and typically does not involve labeling problems, said Bruce Pokarney, a spokesman for the agency.

Tommy McCathron, listed as president of All in Enterprises in Illinois Secretary of State records, said Monday that he didn't want to discuss Guardian.

Today was one of those days that I had to pinch myself because I felt so lucky. I got to attend a brunch fundraiser for legendary United States Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), who has fought for the cannabis reform movement for a very long time, and continues that support as more states allow a thriving cannabis industry to exist by leading the charge in Congress. The fundraiser was hosted by the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA). Speaking at the fundraiser was another individual that led the charge for many, many years in Congress. That individual was former Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA).

Pardon the pun, but you could say expectations are high around the country that this could be the biggest year ever for marijuana legalization.

Consumers and legislators are seeing green
To recap, the past two decades haven't been too shabby for marijuana supporters. Some 23 states, as well as Washington, D.C., now allow for physicians to prescribe medical marijuana for specific ailments, and four states -- Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska -- plus D.C. now allow for the sale of recreational marijuana to adults ages 21 and up. Even a decade ago the thought of marijuana being legal anywhere would have been somewhat far-fetched, but it's a reality now in four states, and perhaps more by the end of the year.

Removing a two-year residency requirement to start a marijuana business is one of the proposed changes.

SALEM — Representatives from the marijuana industry came out in droves Tuesday to speak out on legislation to hone the state’s infant marijuana laws.

“This is going to be an ongoing process that probably goes on for several years, but I hope what you’re hearing is we are making a good faith effort to meet people’s needs,” said Rep. Ann Lininger, D-Lake Oswego, co-chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Marijuana Legalization.

The committee has moved a series of proposed changes to the law.

The founders of Kush Bottles Inc. developed packaging specifically for legal marijuana sales.

Plastic marijuana packaging has become, ah-hem, a growth industry.

With more than 40 percent of all states already allowing medical marijuana, and four of those also permitting recreational use, the packaging for Panama Red, Acapulco Gold and all those other colorfully named strains is heavily dependent on plastics.

Both flexible and rigid packaging helps keep the nation’s stash fresh for both the casual smoker in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska and medicinal users in 23 states.

And those packages aren’t just holding marijuana plants, as there are a whole host of edibles and concentrates for folks who don’t always, or ever, want to light up.

Dispensary Next, a two-day conference offices on the  next generation of technology, standards, products, and services for cannabis dispensaries, kicks off today at Red Lion Jantzen Beach.

Guests will be able to learn about best practices in dispensary marketing and operations across both recreation and medical markets. Attendees can also find out more about the latest profit and process improving technology from front-office to grow room and connect with peers from around the country.

Dispensary Next will feature 17 sessions exploring best practices in dispensary management and marketing. It will also include opportunities to network with passionate industry peers.

OK, that's one order of cannabis. Would you like fries with that?

Oregon's adventure into the world of legal retail marijuana is apparently about to get a quintessentially American convenience – a pot store with a drive-thru.

The Curry Coastal Pilot reported Saturday that Green Life Oregon in the coastal town of Gold Beach will soon open a dispensary with a drive-up window across the street from the hospital.

Cannabis, rather than Arby's, would pass hands at a marijuana drive-thru planned for Gold Beach. (The Oregonian)Joseph Rose | The Oregonian/OregonLive 

Oregon's medical marijuana advocates say the state's proposed rules for production impose expensive and unnecessary burdens on growers and will ultimately harm patients who rely on the drug to cope with a wide range of health problems.

The Oregon Health Authority's draft rules, set to take effect March 1, are part of a sweeping law passed last year that regulates Oregon's cannabis industry.

Hemp growers look to oil, rather than fiber, to make good money

The Oregon Department of Agriculture will resume issuing licenses for hemp growers in late February just as the industry is veering away from industrial uses and toward the more lucrative market of medical marijuana products.

Hemp is a hybrid cousin of marijuana but with low levels of THC, the chemical that produces the high. It has been used over the centuries for fiber, clothing, food, oil and other industrial purposes. But since the legalization of medical marijuana 18 years ago, growers have found that hemp's high levels of cannabidiol can provide patients with some of the same medical benefits as marijuana but without the psychotropic effects.

Remember Cliff Robinson? The sharpshooting power forward was ahead of his time in the NBA, making the 1994 All-Star game and enjoying a long, productive career. 

Here's a career update: The player once known as "Uncle Cliffy" now goes by "Uncle Spliffy" — he's a marijuana activist in Oregon. 

Robinson will be a featured speaker before 2,500 guests at the 2016 Cannabis Collaborative Conference in Portland on Feb. 3 and 4, according to the Portland Business Journal.