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The nation's biggest legal-weed party is looking to land in Clackamas County. For months, High Times magazine has struggled to find a site in Portland where it could host the Cannabis Cup, a marijuana trade show and festival. That hunt was stymied by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which ruled High Times couldn't hold the cup in any venue with a liquor license. Now documents show High Times is seeking permits to host the event Sept. 19-20 in Milwaukie. It asked city officials Aug. 5 for permission to use parking lots and warehouses on the northern industrial side of town, along the new TriMet Orange Line and Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard—and, ironically, across the street from OLCC headquarters. High Times says it plans an announcement soon, and did not respond to WW's further questions. Previous Cannabis Cups in Denver have featured vendors offering free samples of pot. Steve Wagner, who oversees medical dispensaries for the Oregon Health Authority, says the agency would consider penalties against any dispensary that tried to give away large amounts of weed at outside events. "This can't be dispensaries handing out marijuana," Wagner says.
Prominent Portland real-estate investor and gay-rights pioneer Terry Bean goes on trial next month in Lane County on felony charges of having sex with a then-15-year-old boy. Yet the Democratic Party of Multnomah County is embracing Bean. On Aug. 13, the party accepted a $5,000 donation from him. The Multnomah County Dems are also holding a golf tournament to honor "Hero of the Year" Bill Dickey, owner of Morel Ink and a longtime party stalwart. "The MultDems and Basic Rights Oregon have joined forces to honor a man who truly personifies all that is good," reads the invitation to the event. And the official VIP party? It's Sept. 10 at Bean's house—nine days after his sex-crimes trial is scheduled to begin. Multnomah County Dems spokeswoman Sue Hagmeier says the party is comfortable accepting Bean's hospitality. "He's a friend of the party," Hagmeier says. "He's been accused of something that is a lurid crime, but he's only been accused, not convicted. If he were convicted, we'd take another look."
A Port of Portland firefighter has been indicted on a charge that he sexually assaulted a colleague on a 2014 training trip to Texas. Jason McCann was indicted on one count of sexual assault Aug. 12 by a Tarrant County, Texas, grand jury, according to reporting by InvestigateWest. The port has also fired McCann for a violation of workplace policies and port ordinances the agency says is unrelated to the alleged sexual assault. InvestigateWest and WW reported last month that the port had paid a $325,000 settlement to the female firefighter who alleged McCann assaulted her.
This morning's print edition of WW incorrectly stated the proposed dates for the event. They are Sept. 19-20, not Sept. 20-21.
WWeek 2015