Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
In just over a month, Creswell residents will vote again on whether marijuana retailers should be allowed in the south Lane County town.
The "vote no" camp demonstrated its opposition to Measure 20-280 by staging a protest during Monday evening rush hour at the Creswell exit off Interstate 5. About 80 protesters held signs and waved to passing motorists, earning supportive hoots and honks from some and thumbs-down from others.
Measure 20-280, if approved, would reverse a prohibition on marijuana retailers that Creswell voters backed in the November election.
"Nobody thought we'd be out here and have to vote again," said Kevin Prociw, a protest organizer who has lived in Creswell for about a year and a half.
But the location of the protest wasn't just about catching traffic. It was along Oregon Avenue outside of One Gro Investment Group's coffee shop and office. The company leads the "Vote yes on 20-280" contingent, and high-profile Eugene defense attorney Mike Arnold is a co-founder of One Gro.
If the measure passes, the company plans to add a marijuana shop to its offerings on Oregon Avenue, said One Gro Chief Executive Dan Isaacson. A modern two-story building would replace the dated one-story structure, he added.
"We (think) it would be a nice way to showcase what we do," Isaacson said.
One Gro already has two marijuana farms in Lane County, he said, and intends to have its headquarters in Creswell.
Creswell voters approved a prohibition on marijuana retailers 1,298-1,169, passing by 129 votes out of the 2,467 cast.
One Gro partners have said the vote was close enough to warrant a second polling, and the company gathered signatures to put 20-280 on the ballot.
Opposition to One Gro's plans for another vote began on a bus. Prociw said he commutes daily by bus to Eugene from Creswell and started talking with a couple of fellow commuters around 10 weeks ago about the retail marijuana issue.
"I said if we don't want this happening in Creswell, we'll have to do something," he said.
He now serves as campaign manager for a pair of political action committees – "Keep It Creswell" and "No to One Gro." Both oppose 20-280, with Keep It Creswell focused on stopping marijuana retailers in general and No to One Gro targeting the specific company.
One Gro has its own political action committee, called "Jobs and Freedom."
State records detail how much money political action committees raise and spend. With a little more than a month until the Nov. 7 vote, Jobs and Freedom has raised $33,764.44 and spent $28,747.80, according to the Oregon Office of the Secretary of State. In contrast, Keep It Creswell has raised $2,102.54 and spent $495.04, and No to One Gro raised $2,51.34 and spent $471.84 – $4,616.88 raised combined and $966.88 spent.
Isaacson said the bulk of the money spent by One Gro went to staff and signature gathering. He and other One Gro workers delivered bottles of water to protesters near the end of the 80-minute protest.
The company supports conversation about the possibilities of marijuana sales in Creswell, he said.
"Anytime more people get out, the better," Issacson said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Rush-hour protest tells voters to keep Creswell from going to pot | Local | Eugene, Oregon
Author: Dylan Darling
Contact: Contact us
| Eugene, Oregon
Photo Credit: Chris Pietsch
Website: Breaking local news, news updates, sports, business and weather | Eugene, Oregon
The "vote no" camp demonstrated its opposition to Measure 20-280 by staging a protest during Monday evening rush hour at the Creswell exit off Interstate 5. About 80 protesters held signs and waved to passing motorists, earning supportive hoots and honks from some and thumbs-down from others.
Measure 20-280, if approved, would reverse a prohibition on marijuana retailers that Creswell voters backed in the November election.
"Nobody thought we'd be out here and have to vote again," said Kevin Prociw, a protest organizer who has lived in Creswell for about a year and a half.
But the location of the protest wasn't just about catching traffic. It was along Oregon Avenue outside of One Gro Investment Group's coffee shop and office. The company leads the "Vote yes on 20-280" contingent, and high-profile Eugene defense attorney Mike Arnold is a co-founder of One Gro.
If the measure passes, the company plans to add a marijuana shop to its offerings on Oregon Avenue, said One Gro Chief Executive Dan Isaacson. A modern two-story building would replace the dated one-story structure, he added.
"We (think) it would be a nice way to showcase what we do," Isaacson said.
One Gro already has two marijuana farms in Lane County, he said, and intends to have its headquarters in Creswell.
Creswell voters approved a prohibition on marijuana retailers 1,298-1,169, passing by 129 votes out of the 2,467 cast.
One Gro partners have said the vote was close enough to warrant a second polling, and the company gathered signatures to put 20-280 on the ballot.
Opposition to One Gro's plans for another vote began on a bus. Prociw said he commutes daily by bus to Eugene from Creswell and started talking with a couple of fellow commuters around 10 weeks ago about the retail marijuana issue.
"I said if we don't want this happening in Creswell, we'll have to do something," he said.
He now serves as campaign manager for a pair of political action committees – "Keep It Creswell" and "No to One Gro." Both oppose 20-280, with Keep It Creswell focused on stopping marijuana retailers in general and No to One Gro targeting the specific company.
One Gro has its own political action committee, called "Jobs and Freedom."
State records detail how much money political action committees raise and spend. With a little more than a month until the Nov. 7 vote, Jobs and Freedom has raised $33,764.44 and spent $28,747.80, according to the Oregon Office of the Secretary of State. In contrast, Keep It Creswell has raised $2,102.54 and spent $495.04, and No to One Gro raised $2,51.34 and spent $471.84 – $4,616.88 raised combined and $966.88 spent.
Isaacson said the bulk of the money spent by One Gro went to staff and signature gathering. He and other One Gro workers delivered bottles of water to protesters near the end of the 80-minute protest.
The company supports conversation about the possibilities of marijuana sales in Creswell, he said.
"Anytime more people get out, the better," Issacson said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Rush-hour protest tells voters to keep Creswell from going to pot | Local | Eugene, Oregon
Author: Dylan Darling
Contact: Contact us
| Eugene, Oregon
Photo Credit: Chris Pietsch
Website: Breaking local news, news updates, sports, business and weather | Eugene, Oregon
