Yesterday saw the opening of Portland’s first medical marijuana cafe. Located at 700 NE Dekum St, Rumpspankers will serve the medical user of Portland and provide a public venue for them to congregate and medicate. Unfortunately for visitors to the state you must be a part of the Oregon Medical Marijuana plan to be allowed in the café. The initial entry fee was $25, which got you access to the café for one month as well as an all day pass for the grand opening.
The café will be run and owned by Oregon NORML who intend to make an establishment centered around community and socialization. The opening of this café could be seen a highly visible symbol of the Obama administration’s stance on the medicinal usage of cannabis. Combined with the AMA's recent change in policy on marijuana's classification as a Schedule I narcotic and we begin to see a change in the long held public belief that marijuana is a cultural poison. To quote Obama “If the high didn't solve whatever it was that was getting you down, it could at least help you laugh at the world's ongoing folly and see through all the hypocrisy and bullshit and cheap moralism.”
This is a sign of positive change in a long standing policy. I look forward to watching Oregon NORML as they develop this cafe and take it into the future and the future of marijuana policy in the states.
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