By
Oregonians who worry about a federal crackdown on legal
marijuana use now have an extra layer of protection: Gov. Kate Brown on
Monday signed a bill that prohibits the state's marijuana retailers from
sharing or keeping information about their customers' identities or
purchases.
Senate Bill 863, which drew broad bipartisan support, flew through the Legislature and is one of the first bills to be signed by the governor this session.
"I think it's appropriate under the circumstances," Brown said after signing it.
She fears the Trump administration could make good on its threat of a "higher level of federal engagement" when it comes to legalized pot, she said.
The bill's signing comes after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in January that he couldn't promise to continue to ignore federal laws prohibiting marijuana use, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested in February that states will be subject to "greater enforcement" of those laws.
In March, Brown said she was willing to "go to bat" for Oregon's burgeoning pot industry and that she would "respond appropriately" should the White House take any action.
Earlier this month, Brown, along with the governors of
Alaska, Colorado and Washington wrote a letter to Sessions and Treasury
Secretary Steve Mnuchin asking for clarity on the administration's
marijuana policy.
In response, Sessions said the Department of Justice will look at marijuana as part of a broader crime-reduction policy review.
For now, the newly signed bill protects pot users by prohibiting shops from keeping or transferring customers' personal information, including names, birth dates and addresses.
This data, typically used for marketing and customer service, is often collected from customers' IDs, often without their knowledge. Shoppers may still sign up for emails from shops to get coupons or discounts.
Now that the law is in effect, Oregon marijuana retailers have 30 days to destroy their customers' data from their databases. The law does not apply to medical marijuana patients.
Senate Bill 863, which drew broad bipartisan support, flew through the Legislature and is one of the first bills to be signed by the governor this session.
"I think it's appropriate under the circumstances," Brown said after signing it.
She fears the Trump administration could make good on its threat of a "higher level of federal engagement" when it comes to legalized pot, she said.
The bill's signing comes after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in January that he couldn't promise to continue to ignore federal laws prohibiting marijuana use, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested in February that states will be subject to "greater enforcement" of those laws.
In March, Brown said she was willing to "go to bat" for Oregon's burgeoning pot industry and that she would "respond appropriately" should the White House take any action.
White
House officials have warned of "greater enforcement" of recreational
marijuana programs, but Oregon's pot industry has more protections than
you might think.
In response, Sessions said the Department of Justice will look at marijuana as part of a broader crime-reduction policy review.
For now, the newly signed bill protects pot users by prohibiting shops from keeping or transferring customers' personal information, including names, birth dates and addresses.
This data, typically used for marketing and customer service, is often collected from customers' IDs, often without their knowledge. Shoppers may still sign up for emails from shops to get coupons or discounts.
Now that the law is in effect, Oregon marijuana retailers have 30 days to destroy their customers' data from their databases. The law does not apply to medical marijuana patients.
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