“ORCA {Now CIAO} has been vital to the success of our business and the industry. Whether it’s stopping another tax increase, passing ‘ Early Sales,’ or fighting for tax reform they have lead the charge.” 
Chelsea & Joe Hopkins ~ Owners, The Greener Side

CIAO Legislative and Policy Accomplishments

  • Participated in OLCC Rules Advisory Committee, and led the industry-wide push to roll back onerous regulations, reduce the punishments for several violations, and create the Fix-it Ticket program [2020, 2021]
  • Halted efforts to remove cannabis vape products from store shelves when regulators began discussions to ban these items without a scientific basis [2019, 2020]
  • Stopped efforts to increase recreational sales tax by 5% and led the charge to keep retail sales taxes on cannabis as low as possible [HB 2204, 2017]
  • Added new OLCC commissioners from the cannabis industry to increase regulatory accountability, experience, and knowledge [SB 1057, 2017]
  • Early Recreational Sales, which allowed medical marijuana dispensaries to sell limited amounts of flower to all adult-use consumers 21+ [SB 460, 2015]
  • Pass Bill to allow for Early Recreational Sales, which allowed medical marijuana dispensaries to sell limited amounts of flower to all adult-use consumers 21+ [SB 460, 2015]
  • Expanded Early Sales, allowing the sale of edibles, extracts, and topical products to adult-use consumers beginning in June of 2016 [SB 1511, 2016]
  • Grandfathering of licensed dispensaries when schools move within 1000 ft of the location at which they are already licensed [HB 3400, 2015]
  • Won state-level tax deductions for business expenses that would normally be allowed if not for Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code [HB 4014, 2016]
  • Exempted medical marijuana patients from having to pay sales taxes for purchases of marijuana for medicinal use through OLCC stores [SB 1601, 2016]
  • Fought for lower taxes for consumers, lower fees for OLCC applicants, and to remove the unworkable tonnage taxes at the wholesale level [HB 2041, 2015]
  • Fought to increase access to basic banking services for marijuana related businesses by exempting financial institutions from penalties [HB 4094, 2016]

 

  • Tackled local regulatory issues including local ordinances, lackluster police responses to theft, unfairly restrictive time, place, and manner rules, and needless red tape [2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and on-going]