An Oregon Senate bill that would eventually allow the state to conduct interstate cannabis commerce has passed the full legislature 43-16 and is headed to Governor Kate Brown’s desk for a signature.
The bill, SB582, passed the Senate with a 19-2 vote on May 19.
Sponsored by Senator Floyd Prozaznski [D], SB582 would authorize the governor to enter into agreements with other states for the delivery of cannabis items outside of Oregon as well as the import of products.
Products coming from outside of Oregon would be subject to state testing, packaging, and labeling standards.
“This is a very strong statement by the Oregon legislature, and one that will reverberate across the country,” says Senator Prozanski. “The future of this industry is that cannabis will primarily be grown where it grows best, and most sustainably. That’s what functioning legal markets do.”
But even if SB582 is signed into law, it would not go into effect immediately as transporting cannabis across state lines is a violation of federal law.
The bill states that it will become operative once federal law is amended or the U.S. Department of Justice issues an opinion or memorandum that allows or tolerates the interstate transfer of cannabis between authorized businesses.
