I heard that Oregon cities and counties are passing commercial marijuana bans, and others are passing oppressive rules. Is Portland safe?

YES, IT LOOKS good. Oregon law allows cities and counties to ban commercial cannabis activity only in certain circumstances. For example, if a county opposed Measure 91 (the legalization initiative) by 55 percent or more, the county or any of its cities can prohibit most commercial marijuana activity. If less than 55 percent opposed the measure, any proposed ban would go to a local vote.

The company also has sizable debt but hopes for revenue from three marijuana cultivation projects as it woos the Maine tribe.

The company that hopes to land a contract with the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township to design and build a marijuana-growing operation on tribal lands is struggling to generate revenue and is carrying substantial debt, according to its latest financial filing.

Congressman Earl Blumenauer has been leading efforts to sensibly reform our marijuana laws for decades. As a young state legislator, he helped Oregon become the first state to decriminalize marijuana and he hasn’t slowed down one bit. Now in Washington, D.C., the Portland representative works across the political divide to convince more and more elected officials to support practical cannabis law reform.

With its rough-sawn cedar walls, burled maple counters and muted colors, William Simpson's upscale shop in downtown Dundee could easily be mistaken for a wine tasting room.

Thing is, Simpson's not selling Oregon pinot. He's selling pot.

The recent opening of Simpson's store in Oregon wine country signals the latest evolution in an industry going mainstream. The Portland market is saturated with marijuana dispensaries, prompting a handful of entrepreneurs to set their sights on a different crowd: tourists.

We parked the car at a train tracks. It had been a 25-minute drive from Portland, maybe more. My friend and I got out and stretched our legs. The train was going by and we couldn’t see anything.

“Is this the place?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. He was local but hadn’t been out this way before. “I think there’s water down there. Maybe it’s on a houseboat.”

Several other people joined us at the train tracks, approaching warily and steadily, like deer at dusk.

“Are you here for the pot party?” one of them said, as though they couldn’t believe it was possible that such a thing existed.

At this time last year, Oregonians were talking about the possibility of legalizing recreational pot. These days, they're looking at marijuana milestones.

The first time that I heard Oregon Representative Ann Lininger speak was at my first Women Grow Portland chapter event. She talked about her involvement with the Oregon Measure 91 campaign, her involvement at the Oregon Legislature regarding marijuana policy, and what she thought the future of Oregon’s marijuana industry and marijuana laws could look light. It was very refreshing to hear an elected Oregon official talk so candidly and accurately about Oregon’s marijuana scene.

Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference Just One Week Away!The timing of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (OMMBC), just two weeks ahead of recreational sales starting in Oregon, could not really be better. The Oregon Health Authority has released the rules that will allow existing medical cannabis dispensaries to sell up to 7 grams of marijuana flower to non-patients age 21 and over starting on October 1st.

More women are cultivating cannabis careers than ever before. As a matter of fact the emerging commercial cannabis industry isn’t just hurriedly accumulating women as it blossoms—it could actually be led by women. Newsweek recently ran a cover story about the trend. Women are moving into the pot business so quickly that they could make it the first billion-dollar industry that isn’t dominated by men, the mag predicts.

LIKE JOKES? I got one for you:

Q: What's green and white all over?

A: The cannabis industry in Oregon.

As we begin to see the rollout of canna businesses around the state, it's important we recognize that we here in Oregon are not a terribly diverse pool of ganjapreneurs. Part of that is due to the state's racial makeup; according to the US Census, as of 2013, Oregon had a population of 3,928,068, and of that, 88.1 percent is white. We are a state with a complicated and cringe-inducing history when it comes to how we have treated—and in many cases still treat—people of color.