BOISE, (Idaho) — Oregon is one of several states on the border of Idaho that have legalized marijuana in the last few years. Now some officials want to crack down and make sure the pot doesn’t leave their state and onto our highways.
A black market pot summit in Oregon just wrapped up. State leaders, law enforcement and pot shop owners got together to talk about a potential budding black market problem.
Williams says the growth of the marijuana industry in Oregon is fueling illegal trafficking out of state. Marijuana growths have exploded leading to too much supply.
Sellers and growers take issue with Williams argument. They say every bud is tracked.
“So it’s like oh ten grams are arriving today, cool, perfect, ten grams arrive, I count ten grams it goes in to the system so I actually really like it and it just makes thing easier,” says Sara Kemple, employee of Vessel in Northwest.
Whether it’s our neighbors to the west or not, Idaho State Police is confiscating a lot more weed on the highways. In 2017 alone, troopers seized more pot than they did in the previous three years combined.
Just last month, troopers pulled over a vehicle with 120 pounds of marijuana in Cassia County.
In 2016 alone, we seized 507.8 pounds of marijuana and between 16 and 17 we’ve seized 1,375 pounds of marijuana.
U-S Attorney Williams argues too much of Oregon’s marijuana is being funneled into the black market and being sold in state where it’s illegal. But pot businesses say is an overstated issue.
“I personally don’t think it’s going far out and if it is people are just paying extra attention to it but I think it’s always been happening, even before legalization,” says Kempler.
Idaho State Police says it’s no coincidence at all. In most possession cases, citizens of Idaho are going out of the state and bringing marijuana back.
Pot businesses in Oregon say, as more states legalize marijuana, the issue of pot being sent out of the state would be less of an issue.
credit:idahonews.com
