Weedist Destinations: Potland, Oregon

“It’s not a typo; it’s a way of life.”

Anonymous

Disclaimer:  I live in Portland by choice.  I moved here in 2001, and I love it here.  So, this is a very biased view of a place that I call “home.”

Portland, Oregon provides a green vacation spot on every level and has over two hundred parks within the city limits.  Portland has a zoo, a huge Japanese garden, and a Chinese garden right downtown.  All of these places are easily accessible by Portland’s public transit system.

According to www.travelportland.com:

 “Residents’ recycling and bike commuting rates are among the highest in the nation, while city planners are committed to preventing sprawl and preserving the working farms and natural wonders that ring the metropolitan area.”

Our cuisine scene is gaining acclaim world wide for incorporating sustainability and local farmers as part of their appeal.  And we all know how delicious food can be , if you get my drift…If you are not into all that freshness, Portland can still accommodate with the likes of Voodoo Doughnuts and some of the best pub food and beer around!

Music and comedy venues  have generated American Idol finalists and comedians on Last Comic Standing.  On any given night of the week, there is something going on to fit a wide variety of tastes.  Portland is the home of the Waterfront Blues Festival every year over the 4th of July weekend.  We are also close to the Gorge Amphitheatre, a kickass outdoor theater with camping and the Northwest World Reggae Festival is only a couple of hours away.  We’re all funnier and the music sounds better…you know.

We have art, too!  Local artists’ works, like my personal favorite, Tamara Adams,  can be found downtown, at the Saturday Market and in the Alberta Arts District.  The Portland Art Museum  is the seventh oldest museum in the United States and the oldest in the Pacific Northwest.

An interesting tidbit that you may not know is that one does not have to be a resident of Oregon to be an Oregon medical marijuana patient.  According to the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program website:

“Oregon residency is not required to participate in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program; however, an Oregon Medical Marijuana card only protects cardholders within the State of Oregon. Oregon cardholders are only protected in another state if that state legally recognizes Oregon’s medical marijuana cards. At this time, the OMMP is not aware of any “reciprocity” agreements with any other states to honor the Oregon law. Because medical marijuana programs vary by state, you may want to contact the state to which you are traveling for information on their laws. An Oregon cardholder acts at his or her own risk when possessing, producing or delivering medical marijuana in another state without a medical marijuana card from that state.”

With a little planning, you can do this when as soon as you arrive and enjoy even more of what Portland has to offer.  You can find out more about this process and what you need to make it happen here.

In Oregon, safe access points for medical marijuana fall into a gray area of the Oregon Medical Cannabis Act (OMMA).  Many are underground and exist by word-of- mouth.  If you visit Weedmaps and check out Portland, Oregon, it is easy to see that times are definitely changing.  Punch in my favorite zip code in Portland, 97216, and you will find almost thirty listings for  safe access points in the Portland area alone.

I have to be honest, I only go to one of these places, the World Famous Cannabis Cafe.  The word on the street is that, like everything else in Portland, there is something for everybody out there.  Some are more clinic-like, some are more lounge-like, and some are like hanging out in your living room. Some charge an entry fee; some don’t.  Some allow you to use your own cannabis while you are there, but do not provide any. Some places do not allow consumption on the premises. Some, like the cafe, give you free medicine throughout your visit.

The World Famous Cannabis Cafe is my favorite not only because I played a small part in its beginning, but because it has become a resource for the cannabis community as a whole.  Through fund raisers,  the cafe has helped members of its own family of volunteers in time of need.  For friends like Mack and Dub, who lost their business to an arsonist and Brave Mykayla, who has enormous medical bills from her cancer treatments, the cafe has had a positive impact that makes me proud to be a part of it.

The World Famous Cannabis Cafe offers a unique opportunity to get together in a way that is strictly social and familiar.  Like any other club or lounge, they have something going on just about every day.  On Tuesdays, veterans get in for free; Wednesday afternoon they have BINGO, and Thursdays through Saturdays you can find some great music and local comedy.

The cafe has also been a great launching pad for new canna-businesses and entertainment.  Their Hemp and Cannabis Expo, held on the first Sunday of each month from noon until 7:00pm allows growers and patients a chance to get up close and personal.  The increasing number of vendors who provide their handmade crafts and goods makes the Expo seem like a little Portland Saturday Market, another one of our main attractions.

Changing attitudes are making it possible for the cafe to hold events that are open to the public.  If you are not an OMMP registrant, you still may be able to come and visit.  Call the cafe at 503-208-3395 before you head out to see if they can accommodate you.  You could get lucky!  You can also keep up with them on facebook.

If you don’t like the rain, the best time to visit is late May through mid-September.  If you don’t mind it, the visiting season extends a little longer at each end.  If you are coming from a place with harsh winters, any time is a great time to visit!

 

Check out other posts from our Weedist Destinations series!