Oregon

Leader of Multi-Million Dollar Drug Distribution Ring Sentenced--Yim Also Forfeits Empire of Millions in Cash, Real Estate—

May 7, 2012 – (Seattle, WA) - The leader of a ring that distributed a variety of illegal drugs from Mexico to Canada and east across the United States was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy and money laundering charges. Drew Yim, 38, of Burien, Washington, is forfeiting to the government millions of dollars in cash and real estate that constituted some of the proceeds of his drug distribution operation. >> Full Story

dea seattle

Excise tax per pack $1,18 in Oregon

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — If both California Proposition 19 and OregonMeasure 74 pass, what then?

Speculation runs the gamut: Theprice of marijuana will drop. Oregonians will flock to California to get high. Growers will ship product to the East Coast to get a better price. Police will have a more difficult time determining who's legally allowed to possess or distribute marijuana.No one knows for sure what the impacts will be if California legalizes small amounts of marijuana and Oregon establishes state-run medical marijuana dispensaries, or what'll happen if one measure passes and the other doesn't.

"I suspect that locally the price will go down, and we will quickly become the source for the illegal marijuana trade throughout the country," said Sgt. Erik Fisher of the Oregon State Police Drug Enforcement Section. "It certainly puts the OSP in a pickle. I think it's going to be a mess."

Fisher, who said the State Police agency is careful not to take a position on Measure 74, predicts that law enforcement will struggle with conflicting marijuana laws if either or both measures pass. Fisher said the trooper agency has no problems with people legally growing or consuming pot under existing medical marijuana laws.

California's initiative would allow a person 21 or older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and to grow it in a space of up to 25 square feet at home. In Oregon, Measure 74 would set up state-regulated marijuana dispensaries funded by charging growers and dispensaries an annual licensing fee and 10 percent of their income.salem news august 31 2010

• Statewide smoking ban: Effective January 1, 2009, after being signed into law on June 26, 2007, the 1981 Oregon Indoor Clean Air Act (as previously amended in 2001) was amended to ban smoking statewide in all enclosed workplaces in Oregon, including bars and restaurants, as well as within 10 feet (3.0 m) of the entrances, exits, or windows of such places. 

• The Act exempts (1) private residences except when serving as a childcare or adult care facility, (2) designated hotel/motel smoking rooms, (3) spaces 

designated for traditional Native American religious and cultural ceremonies, (4) retail tobacco shops, and (5)

 cigar bars. Local governments may regulate smoking more stringently than the Act; and the Oregon Court of Appeals reiterated this in 2000.Corvallis, August 1997, banned in all enclosed workplaces, including bars and restaurants, including within 10 feet (3.0 m) of entrances to such places.

• Eugene, July 2001, banned in all enclosed workplaces, including bars and restaurants
• Philomath, banned in all enclosed workplaces, including bars and restaurants Wiki Smoking Ban Oregon

Some Salem bars are struggling to comply with the Smokefree Workplace Law that went into effect January 1st.

“We want to make it comfortable for smokers, who make up 90% of our customers, but we’ve faced difficulties from the 
city. It’s been a challenge, and a lot of check writing,” said Big Shots owner Don Boorman, who would’ve voted against the measure had it been up to business owners. 

The legislature installed the ban based on the rationale of protecting workers’ health.

“If the government was looking out for people’s health, they’d give you a free juicer,” complained customer Michael Edwards.

Gustav Anderson, a smoker at Kelli’s bar, expressed anger: “I feel like a dirty animal pushed outside! We lost a right, and they did it in the middle of the winter, 

and in the middle of the economic crisis!”

Before the ban “It didn’t smell bad because we invested $2000 on air purification systems every month.” Boorman said.