“I’m hoping that the cannabis industry will take the lead, and they’ll decide they don’t want to be like the tobacco industry.”

By Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Karma Clarke, a Douglas County mother, thought marijuana was harmless in 2014 when she voted in favor of the ballot measure legalizing recreational cannabis in Oregon.

She believed that until six years later, when her then-20-year-old son began smoking marijuana regularly.

He had played sports and maintained good grades in college, but when he returned home after completing his associate degree, Clarke said her son began acting strangely. He stopped leaving his room, and he lost the ability to perform everyday tasks such as reading a tape measure or answering questions.

After several doctor visits, her son was admitted in two different psychiatric hospitalizations. Although his drug tests came back clean, something had switched in his brain, she said.

Clarke shared her story of witnessing her son develop a psychotic disorder at a virtual meeting Wednesday, where state Sen. Lisa Reynolds, D-Portland, invited her and public health experts to speak about policy proposals aimed at preventing youth access to cannabis.

“I’m hoping that the cannabis industry will take the lead, and they’ll decide they don’t want to be like the tobacco industry and they don’t want to keep denying that there’s a link between their products and people’s lives being ruined,” Clarke said.

Reynolds looks to THC caps again, and more warning labels

Recreational cannabis has been legal in Oregon for adults 21 and older for more than a decade, but it remains illegal for minors. Still, an estimated 13,000 youth between ages 12 and 18 use cannabis in Oregon, according to Dr. Julia Dilley, a Multnomah County epidemiologist who led a 10-year study looking at cannabis legalization and public health impact in Oregon and Washington.

Reynolds, a pediatrician who has served in the Legislature for five years, is seeking to improve cannabis prevention education in schools, cap individual edibles at 10 milligrams of THC and require manufacturers provide more warning labels on their products.

Reynolds’s efforts are inspired by her work as a pediatrician, and because she believes her brother’s habitual marijuana use in the ’70s contributed to his severe mental health problems as an adult.

Teens using cannabis are at 11 times higher risk of developing a psychotic disorder compared to teens not using cannabis, studies show.

“When we talk about the risk of psychosis, this isn’t just what we would call a bad experience while you are actually intoxicated by cannabis,” Reynolds said. “This is a long-term disability.”

Additionally, more children are turning up in hospitals after consuming edibles resembling desserts such as brownies or cookies.

She spearheaded legislation earlier this year to cap individual edibles at 10 milligrams of THC. Her bill made it past the Oregon Senate, but it died in the committee process on the House side as members received intense pushback from marijuana industry groups. Reynolds said she’ll propose the legislation again, but this time with the help of a lobbyist.

The Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon did not immediately respond to the Capital Chronicle’s request for comment.

Oregon is one of the most loosely regulated marijuana states

More than 800 calls since 2025 to the Oregon Poison Center were related to cannabis, said Dilley, the Multnomah County epidemiologist. One-third of those calls were for children younger than 5.

Cannabis use among youth is higher in Oregon than it is in Washington because it doesn’t have the same protective measures, she said.

Unlike Washington which requires that cannabis manufacturers individually wrap all edibles with a 10 milligram THC cap, Oregon cannabis manufacturers can sell individual edibles with more than 10 milligrams of THC, such as sodas or cookies containing 100 milligrams of THC that are meant to be split into several portions. Both states require an edible package contain no more than 100 milligrams of THC.

Unlike Oregon, it’s illegal to grow nonmedical marijuana at home in Washington. Washington also caps the number of retail cannabis outlets and applies a 37 percent sales tax. Oregon’s cannabis sales tax ranges from 17 percent to 20 percent, depending on where it’s bought.

Both states require cannabis businesses to be located at least 1,000 feet away from public schools. Washington requires this buffer also apply to private schools, playgrounds, childcare facilities, libraries and other locations, though Oregon localities can establish additional buffers under state law.

Oregon does require warning labels on cannabis products related to pregnancy. These labels are working and preventing people from using cannabis during pregnancy, Dilley said, adding that Oregon could go a step further at providing more warning labels about cannabis use contributing to worse mental health outcomes.

“These products should not be designed or marketed to appeal to children,” pediatrician Dr. Jill Pearson said. “Yet, time and time again, we are just rep

This story was first published by Oregon Capital Chronicle.

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A Michigan Republican representative has filed legislation that would reverse a recently enacted tax increase on marijuana businesses.

The new bill, from Rep. James DeSana (R) would repeal the 24 percent wholesale cannabis tax that was enacted as part of legislation negotiated by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and House and Senate leaders last year.

The tax was projected by state officials to raise $420 million, with the revenue aimed at funding road repairs and construction.

The levy has been challenged in court through lawsuits filed by the cannabis industry.

“It’s time to repeal this failed tax and stop forcing taxpayers and businesses to pay for a policy that simply isn’t working,” DeSana told WNEM-TV

The GOP lawmaker said the tax is generating in less than half of what its supporters anticipated—falling roughly $70 million less in the first four months of the fiscal year, which could rise to a $210 million shortfall from projections, he told the local news outlet.

Removing the new wholesale tax would ease the fiscal burden on legal cannabis businesses and help them compete with the unregulated market, he argues.

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To that point, the company Higher Love Cannabis Co. on Monday announced it will be suspending operations at five of its nine dispensaries, citing the “mounting tax burden” on marijuana businesses in the state and specifically calling out the new wholesale tax, which it said “introduced another substantial cost in a market already subject to a 10% retail excise tax and 6% sales tax.”

“This decision comes amid broader pressure across Michigan’s cannabis industry, where oversupply, price compression and declining revenue have already forced numerous businesses to consolidate, suspend operations facilities and eliminate jobs,” Higher Love said in a press release. “The added tax burden has further strained the supply chain and made it increasingly difficult for responsible operators to remain viable.

“Higher Love joins industry leaders in calling for balanced policies that protect consumers while allowing businesses to retain employees, serve their communities and build a sustainable future,” it said.

DeSana’s new bill, HB 6224, is only a sentence long, simply reading, “The comprehensive road funding tax act, 2025 PA 23, MCL 205.901 to 205.913, is repealed.”

It has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced it is distributing nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue to over 300 local governments and tribes across the state. The money is intended to support various local infrastructure, education and other programs and services in 313 municipalities, counties and tribal areas.

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