Voters can opt out of magic mushroom businesses
By Terry Murry on Friday, July 8th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – Umatilla County voters overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to legalize the manufacture and sale of psilocybin in Oregon in 2020. The ballot measure passed. Now, county residents will be asked to vote again in November.
“We need to opt out as a county, even though back in 2020 our voters overwhelmingly said, ‘No, we don’t want any part of this,’” Board of Commissioners Chairman John Shafer said.
When marijuana was legalized in Oregon, areas that had voted no to the proposal had to vote again to opt into marijuana production or retail sales. With that ballot measure a no vote assumed the area wanted to opt out and was required to vote again to participate. That’s not the case with psilocybin. Since the measure passed, every county is viewed as having opted in to allowing the businesses to locate there.
The commissioners just voted to have a ballot measure in November this week. At last report the wording of the measure was not finalized. Shafer said once the wording is finished, he will announce exactly what a yes vote or a no vote will mean.
