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In this week's article, "Growing Pains," I explore some of the different factions of the marijuana-reform movement. Some people, like the backers of an upcoming ballot measure, want to sell medical pot in dispensaries across the state. Others, like Madeline Martinez and NORML, want across-the-board legalization.

Martinez had her own initiative that failed to make it onto the ballot. The initiative is called OCTA, or the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, and it was first introduced by Paul Stanford in the early 90s. Stanford founded The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation (THCF), which runs clinics in multiple states that support medical marijuana.

With all the criticism being lobbed at the OLCC (which has a monopoly over liquor sales), it's worth noting that OCTA proposes doing almost exactly the same thing with cannabis sales. The OLCC was set up by temperance advocates (and bootleggers with established supply channels looking to do business with the state), taking effect the day after prohibition was repealed. Now that marijuana "prohibition" could end in the near future, OCTA supporters are proposing something similar. Licensed growers would sell their inventory to a state "Cannabis Control Commission," which would distribute, mark up, tax and sell cannabis in state-run stores.

This gets Martinez labeled a state flack by people who would prefer dispensaries. Here's commenter "Duffgirl" on the Mercury site:

Why would the state be the only entity to be able to make money off of marijuana? One theory is that it is because Madeline is a retired prison guard for the state of California. I believe Madeline is working for the wrong side, the state of Oregon, that has been and currently is making money off of prohibition.

Nonsense, says Martinez. She says she believes that state control is the best way to keep a desire for profits out of the mix. "People ask me why we should make the state the monopoly," she says. "Well, why should we make YOU the monopoly?" Martinez has also proposed to have prisoners grow pot (the theory being that that's where some of the best growers are, and security is tight).

Earlier versions of OCTA proposed giving the OLCC oversight of cannabis sales, making it the OLCCC with combined liquor-and-pot stores. I'll give you a minute to imagine what strip-mall parking lot scenes that would cause.

People like Stanford, who run clinics as well as support OCTA, would effectively be shooting themselves in the foot business-wise if pot were sold by the state. Under a dispensary system, they'd have the option to sell the stuff themselves. Would you support state sales of marijuana?

Here's the full text of this year's OCTA.