ONTARIO, Oregon — Ontario, Oregon right across the Snake River from Idaho is home to over a dozen Marijuana dispensaries. It's been five years since the city started collecting revenue from legal marijuana, so I wanted to know from the city manager and the city's new police chief how things are going.
- Ontario, Oregon marijuana dispensaries see a lot of Idaho customers.
- The Eastern Oregon community benefits from tax dollars.
- Legal marijuana can be bought and consumed in Ontario, but you are subject to Idaho and Federal law if you cross the border.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
"Without exaggeration, I'm going to say easy 80 percent of the sales in Ontario are from Idaho," said Ontario City Manager Dan Cummings.
Cummings knows where the biggest chunk of marijuana sales comes from. Since July of 2019, municipalities that have approved legal marijuana and the state of Oregon have a formula to receive three percent of sales that come back to those communities. "From that date until now, Ontario has received 14.8 million dollars."
According to Cummings, that is no small chunk of change, and that goes right into city coffers. Ironically the smaller percentage of total Oregon sales must go to law enforcement, and that brings us to the newly appointed Interim Ontario Police Chief Jason Cooper, who is down four officers right now.
"The staffing shortage combined with the increase in calls has created some issues with our response time and how we prioritize our calls," Cooper said.
Even though you can purchase marijuana legally here in Ontario, and recreate with that product here in Ontario, Chief Cooper wants everyone to know once you leave Oregon, you are subject to Idaho law.
To be clear, according to Oregon.Gov taking legally purchased marijuana over any state line is a federal offense.
Chief Cooper elaborates, "They're here, they can legally purchase it and use it in Oregon. There can be a concern of impaired driving that the police department has to deal with it has in the past. The law is the same — it can be alcohol or narcotics, any time you operate a vehicle under the influence there are penalties to that."
Cummings admits things could change dramatically for his small town if Idaho ever passes legal marijuana sales.
