Cannabis Culture Highlighted at TechFestNW
By Becky Garrison
TechFestNW, a self-described “Global Tech Conference on the Upper Left Coast,” converged at the Portland Art Museum on March 23rd for two days of talks, pitches, and tech exhibits. As a sign of the growing acceptance of legalized cannabis, three representatives from the cannabis industry were featured at this conference.
Jeremy Plumb, CEO and founder of Newcleus Nurseries, co-founder of Farma, and co-founder of the Cultivation Classic was among the 15 speakers slated to speak on the main stage. His easygoing Bill Nye style coupled, with easy to read graphics, enabled the audience to grasp with clarity the recent research touting the medical benefits of cannabis for treating chronic pain.
According to Chasity Roesler, Marketing Director, Pruf Cultivar, they chose to exhibit at TechFestNW so they could showcase their high-tech grow facility creating premium cannabis, and introduce their brand to those who value quality, design, and innovation. In addition, Phylos Bioscience was selected as one of the 75 startups chosen from among 300 entries to pitch to a panel of investors during this event.
For more information about TechFestNW, log on to their website at techfestnw.com.
OLCC Bump-Up Meeting Recap
By David Niccum and Aubrey Belisle
On March 20th, the OLCC held a special commissioner’s meeting regarding their much-discussed “Bump-Up” program, which would amend the existing OAR rules and regulations. The Bump-Up was created by the OLCC to allow OLCC-licensed producers to designate some of their cultivation specifically for patients registered with the state’s medical marijuana program. Previously to the Bump-Up, there was no way for an OLCC-licensed producer to accommodate a registered patient. The time-frame for final approval and implementation of this program is still being determined.
Printed copies of the Bump-Up’s proposed amendments were passed out to everyone present. There was a sign-up sheet for those who wanted to voice their views about the Bump-Up during the meeting.
How does the Bump-Up affect Oregon’s producers? How will this adjustment affect canopy size? How is a patient registered under this new system?
OLCC-licensed producers will need to obtain a new LUCS if their proposed canopy exceeds 5,000 sq. ft for outdoor cultivation, or 1250 sq. ft for indoor. Each patient that is registered at a cultivation site will be allowed 240 sq ft of outdoor canopy (3300 sq ft maximum) or 60 sq ft indoor (840 sq ft max). In most cases, producers will be allowed to grow 3 pounds per patient. Anything in excess of those 3 pounds may be sold to other OLCC licensees, with more details to emerge.
A control plan must be written that illustrates how the producer will achieve complete separation of medical and recreational marijuana, from start to finish. All the current OLCC rules regarding seed-to-sale tracking (CTS), testing, packaging, and labeling will apply.
Medical marijuana patients can only be registered to one cultivation facility at a time. Producers will have to provide a patient agreement with each patient to the OLCC. A producer can maintain up to 24 patients at any given time. The proposed fee schedule mandates $100 for the patient canopy registry and $250 for the initial/annual application fee.
Knowing how to price marijuana should be a key consideration for a producer, especially when considering incorporating the Bump-Up. Producers should know how much it is costing them to grow each gram at their facility.
The proposed amendments in chapter 845 of the OAR regarding the Bump-Up are presently being finalized by the OLCC. There is still some vagueness regarding how these changes will be enacted, but, Pure Cannabis Consulting is keeping track of every development and we aim to write more about this issue in an upcoming article.
