The Oregon Liquor Control Commission admits it is not doing a good job of keeping track of legalized marijuana from seeds to retail sales. Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson says experts say the state is producing more than its citizens can use and that worries him.
“That’s one thing the federal government is very much aware of: The extreme over-production of marijuana, producing far more than can be consumed or is consumed in Oregon,” he said. “So, where is it going.”
Nelson says that as the tracking system exists currently, if growers report that plants have died and been destroyed, the producer is taken at his or her word. Federal authorities worry that the numbers are inflated and some of the pot crop is therefore more likely to enter the black market.
“The OLCC’s not going to look for that weight, because those are considered destroyed when, in fact, they are still right there in the field,” he said. “That production is going to the black market. How do they keep track of this? I don’t think we’re doing a good job right now.”
Nelson said that state officials from Idaho, where both retail and medical marijuana remain illegal, are concerned about the extra product showing up there. Other states are concerned with Oregon’s over-production as well. At a recent marijuana summit, hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland, federal lawyers from California, Washington state, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Alaska, Montana, Massachusetts, and Hawaii attended.
credit:myeasternoregon.com
