Rick Steves Offers Portland Wine, Cheese and Legal Weed

By AARON MESH

Public broadcasting travel host Rick Steves is launching a 10-city Oregon tour to promote marijuana legalization with an Oct. 7 wine-and-cheese reception at Portland's First Congregational Church.

Yes on 91, the campaign backing marijuana legalization Ballot Measure 91, announced Steves' trip to Oregon this morning. The Oregonian first reported Steves' visit.

Steves is best known for his travel guides and PBS specials on touring Europe, but he's also a longtime advocate of legal weed. He co-sponsored the 2012 ballot initiative to legalize pot in Washington and donated $350,000 to the campaign.

Yes on 91 has not yet reported any donations from him.

The Portland event will feature a lecture from Steves titled, "Travel As A Political Act: Ending Marijuana Prohibition in Oregon." It kicks off a six-day tour that includes Ashland, Medford and Bend, finishing Oct. 12 in Gresham.

As WW reported in July, Steves is one of seven millionaires and billionaires whose pocketbooks could decide the fight over Measure 91. He first tried marijuana at age 18, while backpacking across Europe.

"I'd get high and eat apple pie hot out of a medieval oven while listening to the Stones or something like that, surrounded by travelers from all over the world," Steves told High Times in May 2013. "And I'd just think, 'Life is good.'"

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