The Independent Student Voice of Mt. Hood Community College
April 17, 2015
Volume 50, Issue 24
the
advocate 420 ISSUE
UNLEASHING THE GREEN TSUNAMI Regulations under scrutiny PAGE 3
A glance at headshops PAGE 7
Saints smoke Storm PAGE 12
f
You Tube
the advocate
OPINION
April 17, 2015
Editorial The question of legalization of marijuana in Oregon is a redundant topic at this point. The real talk now revolves around the aspects of regulation. We believe the regulations are – for the most part – reasonable and beneficial. However, we beg to differ on them being authentic. Although tailored to the many forms of marijuana intake, the state has put constraints on the plant that are similar to that of alcohol consumption: • You must be age 21 or over • You must have at least one of the four licenses: Producer, Processor, Wholesaler, or Retail • You may only possess up to eight ounces of marijuana, and four live plants per residence. • You may carry only up to one ounce in public. • You may not smoke in public. • You may not take marijuana across state lines.
Regulating marijuana will change its culture
Most of these regulations have good merit, but state lawmakers must keep in mind that the laws should not be so overbearing that there remains a need for the black-market. Lawmakers have done a fair job at balancing the rights of marijuana users and the health concerns of other people – although, it seems all too obvious, even to a lay person, that most of the regulations are bent towards generating a handsome amount of revenue. Indeed, Oregon stands to charge the grower an excise tax of $35 per ounce for each flower, $10/oz. for leaves, and $5 per immature plant. According to Oregon.gov, Measure 91 provides distribution of tax revenue, after program costs, to the following: • 40 percent to Oregon’s Common School Fund • 20 percent to Mental Health, Alcoholism and Drug Services • 15 percent to Oregon State Police • 10 percent to cities for enforcement of the
measure • 10 percent to counties for enforcement of the measure • 5 percent to the Oregon Health Authority for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention On the surface, it looks as though regulating pot can be both reasonable and beneficial. Is it authentic? It depends on one’s view of the free market. Taxing and regulating this plant could erode the culture within it. Soon, toking will become a classy thing that the crème de la crème enjoy on their evenings out. It will be less about the care-free vagabonds relaxing and having a chill time. Marijuana will slowly but surely become a commodity, and not a lifestyle. Even though decriminalizing marijuana is a step forward, regulations might end up a detriment to the herb’s rich, poetic legacy in rising from the bowels of suppression, where it has had its meaning for so long. What a sad day that would be.
Rational people instead of repressive rules David Ahlson the advocate
Yes, we have the right to smoke marijuana for no reason other than we feel like it! But the resounding message Oregon voters sent during the most recent voting cycle is again in danger of being blunted by bureaucracy intent on regulating our rights. Businesses will find more and more difficulty in obtaining premises to conduct their no-longer-illicit activities. The matter of permits and licensure will not be the issue, but the locations available and properly zoned promise to be very scarce. There are many issues with the implementation of new laws, but perhaps the most heinous is the curtailing of
the advocate
rights in the name of reasonableness. We the voters decided that we have a specific right, but for some reason the government insists that they need to limit how free we can be about whatever issue is at hand – in this case, marijuana. Although voters approved a statewide measure, local municipalities are permitted to pass their own ordinances regarding time, place, and manner of use. Such restrictions are honestly rather ridiculous. People who are grown up enough to pass laws are, by the same virtue, capable of governing themselves. Shouldn’t the appropriateness of time, place, and manner be left up to individual judgment, or should they instead be lumped in with existing laws? Does a business owner really need to be told not to set up shop next to a school? What kind of business would he be expecting to get? You can’t buy anything when you’re under 21 anyway, right?
The point that I am trying to make is that we don’t need more laws and restrictions on the rights that we have expressed that we possess. Smoking marijuana recreationally is going to happen, it has happened, and it is happening right now. Those freedoms come, naturally, with built-in consequences. If you don’t behave responsibly, then negative things will happen. Don’t be a fool, and you won’t have any problems. Why is it that the government always feels the need to express “reasonable restrictions” on the scope of our rights? The right to restrict ourselves can and must be derived from ourselves, for the same reason that our beliefs must also originate from within ourselves. No one can tell you what to believe and cause you to understand and embrace it as your own. You must question yourself and must find that answer, just as you must control yourself, because
Editor-in-Chief Greg Leonov
Sports Editor Brandon Raleigh
Reporters
Sam Krause Omar Morante
Ad Manager David Ahlson
Copy Editor Hayden Hunter
Photo Editor Beka Haugen
Aurora Angeles
Nicky NicholsonKlingerman
News Editor Hayden Hunter
Video Editors Aurora Angeles Thomas Stewart
Advisers Howard Buck, Dan Ernst Bob Watkins
Opinion Editor Emily Wintringham Lifestyle Editor Adam Elwell
2
Graphic Designers Heather Golan Shawnie Fortune
David Ahlson Gustavo Bulderas Will Darkins Ivy Davis Isaiah Ishman
Steve Olson Alex Seymour Antonio Pineda
E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 www.advocate-online.net #mhccadvocate
Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030
Chat with Barney
What are the strangest munchies you’ve ever eaten?
“Ruffle Lays with Hershey’s chocolate syrup.” Micah Fletcher Music Degree “With Nutella:Rule. blueberry “The Golden Treat bagels, vanilla ice cream, others how you want peanut butter banana to be and treated. Takebread, out everything.” all the messages that Do youpeople know? prejudiced say Bud Bigler and you Degree get love.” Business “Raw hot dogs with Fruit Loops.” Corey Houston Science Lab Coordinator For more on munchies, visit our video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fIjr_55Miw nothing else can control you as effectively. It is always in your best interest to control yourself and act responsibly. One of the many beauties of natural law is that the absoluteness of this law is unquestionable, while the intensity is variable. If you make a little mistake, but learn from it, then you can move on and grow. If you make a large mistake, it could have large repercussions. Just use what was once called “common” sense. If it seems like a bad idea, then it probably is a bad idea. You don’t need Big Brother to tell you that; your mother should already have told you. If you didn’t listen to her then, you will not listen to anyone else now. Be responsible and toke up smartly and chatwithbarney@gmail.com safely! Remember the sage words of Dwight Schrute: “Whenever I am about to do something, I think, ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if he would, I do not do that thing.”
The Advocate encourages readers to share their opinion by letters to the editor and guest columns for publication. All submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name and contact information. Contact information will not be printed unless requested. Original copies will not be returned to the author. The Advocate will not print any unsigned submission. Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 600. The decision to publish is at the discretion of the editorial board. The Advocate reserves the right to edit for style, punctuation, grammar and length. Please bring submissions to The Advocate in Room 1369, or e-mail them to advocatt@mhcc.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday the week of publication to be considered for print. Opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Advocate or MHCC. Cover graphic by Heather Golan - the advocate
the advocate
NEWS
April 17, 2015
Panel foresees complex reefer regulations Greg Leonov the advocate
On Tuesday, MHCC’s Troublesome Movement (TM) and Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) held a discussion in the Town and Gown room about the expectations of marijuana legalization in Oregon. The consensus? Bud is about to blow up, even as local and state officials struggle to set new ground rules. Five panelists talked about their experience with cannabis and its coming impact on Oregon’s economy. Sam Krause, a Mt. Hood political science major, founding member of MHCC’s chapter of the SSDP, and staff writer for The Advocate, organized the event with Stephen Graves, political science instructor and Troublesome Movement adviser. Besides Krause, the panel included Matthew Goldberg, a cannabis business lawyer from Lake Oswego; Mike Mullins, director of services for Portlandsterdam University and Stoney Girl Gardens; Jennifer Valley, founder of Stoney Girl Gardens; and Josh Jardine, a columnist who writes for the Portland Mercury newspaper’s Cannabuzz section. The event started with the roughly 20 attendees invited to sample the desserts and coffee on hand, including the “non-medicated” treats, as one TM member said. The evening’s focus was clarification of Oregon’s Measure 91, its effect on the upand-coming cannabis industry, and on federal versus state laws. “July 1 is when we’ll definitely have the ability to smoke, when we’ll have the ability to possess and grow,” Krause explained. Then comes a lull, “a bit of a gray area between July 1 and January when shops open” for recreational pot sales, he said. While marijuana may be legal in Oregon, as in a few other states, it is still federally illegal and is listed as a Schedule I drug, according to dea.gov. Schedule I drugs are “substances, or chemicals defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for
Photo by Greg Leonov - the advocate
SSDP founder Sam Krause (far right) organized a discussion at MHCC about specifics of Measure 91 and expected effects on businesses and citizens. Pictured from left: Portland Mercury Canabuzz columnist Joshua Jardine, Stoney Girl Gardens founder Jennifer Valley, Services Director for both Stoney Girl Gardens and Portlandsterdam University Mike Mullins, and cannabis business lawyer Matt Goldberg.
abuse,” the federal Drug Enforcement Agency says. “Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.” Goldberg explained that despite marijuana’s illegal status on a federal level, the United States Department of Justice has released guidelines on how states should regulate marijuana if they decide to legalize or decriminalize it. The most significant of these is called the “Cole Memorandum,” he said. “The federal government basically said that, ‘Here’s where you can’t cross the line. Here’s where if you do this, we’re still gonna come after you no matter what your state says,’ ” Goldberg said. Some limits include having marijuana grown or sold too near to schools, or to children. “One of the biggest fears is that it gets to kids, and that’s why you always hear all these references to 1,000 feet from a school,” he said. Marijuana cannot be on federally owned land, and it cannot be taken to states which have yet to legalize. Though marijuana legalization was passed through a ballot initiative, Oregon’s state
legislature has the ability to change the law in ways that might not be agreeable to all. “There’s a common misunderstanding: I would say that the law is the law that we all voted on,” said Goldberg. However, “it’s only the law until the time that it gets changed,” he said. The Legislature is working on implementing and revising the law, and will continue to do so during its next session in 2016. “The state of the law is very much in flux, and it is really important to be aware of it and to get engaged in some fashion,” Goldberg said. Jardine listed specifics of Measure 91, to date: On July 1, anyone may possess up to one ounce of marijuana outside of his or her home, and eight ounces is permitted inside. Any adult age 21 and over may grow up to four plants per household, but they must be at least 1,000 feet away from a school. Jardine said growing marijuana indoors yields about five onces of smokable bud per plant; growing outdoors yields about five pounds. With regulations still in flux, Measure 91 has something called “the gifting clause.” The clause exists as an attempt to keep
Graphic by Shawnie Fortune - the advocate
marijuana off the black market and from being carried over state or national borders. “My best advice is to make friends with someone that grows really good pot, so you can get free pot from them, or get a medical card, or start growing yourself,” Jardine suggested. With April 20 fast approaching, many news publications (The Advocate included) have been rushing to release a 4/20 issue. The Mercury this week saw the number of cannabis-related advertisers triple from last year’s 4/20 issue, and the boom in revenue is unmistakable. “There’s quite a bit of money coming into the region,” said Jardine. Mullins, the Portlandsterdam and Stoney Girls Gardens leader, tells business operators to pay close attention. “We want to make sure we never break the law, and by that I mean the state law,” he said. “Don’t skirt it, don’t take chances, don’t go to the edge and see if you can ride the wave, because it’s real easy to go down that way and you just don’t go very far.” Goldberg noted the industry’s difficulty in opening bank accounts. “It’s totally legal in the state, and you can’t get a bank account for your business,” he said. Dispensaries are generally stuck being “almost exclusively allcash businesses,” he said. Despite the obstacles, Mullins is fully optimistic. “We’ve even had USDA scientists visit our (Stoney Girl) garden on an unofficial basis to start learning about this new wonderful plant because it is quite different,” he said. He’s also had Harvard University-trained professionals come to look at the business side of the organization, and suggest creative taxing and accounting solutions. “They expect this to be much larger than the dotcom, or the cell business,” he said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for everybody to go out and make your own business. I don’t think this is something to be afraid of.”
3
the advocate
LIFESTYLE
Weakly Horoscopes* SAGITTARIUS- I was totally gonna write this, like, I really meant to this time, man. But, just full disclosure, right now I’m pretty high. VIRGO - You don’t need that Taco Bell. You are welcome. TAURUS - Neptune’s alignment indicates it’s time to change your car freshener. Maybe consider getting a Baby on Board window sign to indicate why you’re going so slowly. LEO - I feel like you would appreciate this right now: In a Station of the Metro Ezra Pound, 1885 - 1972 The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. CANCER - There are certain people who didn’t want you to know this information, but you need to know: After you smoke four bowls your midi-chlorians level becomes high enough for you to use the force. GEMINI - The best thing you could possibly do is watch “The Big Lebowski,” ASAP.
AQUARIUS - I know you think you need Visine, but sticking your head in the water fountain is just going to draw more attention. No, your eyes aren’t going to dry out so much they stick to the inside of your head and cause you to go blind. Well, who am I to say that? It’s technically possible. SCORPIO - You may not have known this about yourself, but you could really use a dab right now. Or not. If you believe hard enough, you could get yourself high through willpower alone. LIBRA- I’m not saying you live in the matrix. But let’s be real, you’ve always known you were special somehow. I would recommend starting slow, and working your way up to dodging bullets, but make sure they’re rubber bullets, or air soft BBs, or paintballs. CAPRICORN - You’ll meet a unicorn tonight, and you will realize that your spirit animal is an earthworm. It’s time to start loving this earth like it loves you. Just don’t smoke any weed this week, it will transform you into a Digimon. ARIES - The universe is now in your best friends’ ears. Sing it for them, and sing it loud! PISCES - Best to keep calm and take it easy this week. Avoid all contact with Aquarius because they have much going on and your vibrations just aren’t compatible.
* Just for fun and not to be taken seriously, seriously.
4
April 17, 2015
Dank head shops near you Adam Elwell, Hayden Hunter & Greg Leonov the advocate
When you walk in the door you’re greeted with a room that is usually poorly lit and puts off sometimesmore-than-slightly sketchy vibes. There’s reggae playing in the background, but no one is wearing anything close to the type of bubbly smile than would someone on the cover of a reggae album. If there weren’t display cases everywhere, you might think you had stumbled into some sort of Hot Topic that grew up and became really jaded in his late 20s and is just now thinking about mellowing out. But for all its squalor, the place has a certain charm. The brightly colored wall of miscellaneous plastic bags containing a list of chemicals that just as easily could be used in some ant traps is borderline comfortable to be around, for whatever strange reason. The pipes are arranged with TLC occupying the space in between them, and the THC soon to be occupying that very same space is just as tangible. Welcome to your friendly neighborhood head shop: For those of you not adventurous enough to sift through the mud to find your own chunk of glass gold, here’s The Advocate’s “do’s ands don’t’s” for some of the metro area’s head shops. All-Stop Discount Pipes and Tobacco. (1458 N.E. Burnside Road, Gresham. Open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to midnight on weekends.) The name says it all – they’re open until midnight and they have basically everything you could need to smoke like a champ. Forget your papers and it’s 10 p.m. on a Tuesday? Look no farther. Also, there’s a pretty sizable array of ten-dollar pipes for you potheads on a budget. Watch out for the curb on the way in, though. Rip City Glass (39080 Pioneer Blvd., Sandy. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily.) It’s the type of smoke shop you would expect to find in Sandy (yeah, I don’t know why they named it that, either). The people are much friendlier than you would
find in Gresham, and slower, too. It’s the ideal place at which to stop and stock up before a trip up to the mountain. Third Eye Shoppe (3950 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., Portland. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends.) If you want the whole experience, this is the place to go. Heading into the shop, one cannot help but be overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Pipes, bongs, and bubblers are littered all through the glass cases, proudly displaying the artists’ designs. That’s right, artists. I’d like to see any one of you turn a glass skeleton into a water pipe. The best design has got to be the Star Wars Storm Trooper E-11 blaster rifle pipe. Besides the paraphernalia, the shop offers many odds and ends for the sober civilian. They have a fairly wide assortment of sweaters, hoodies, T-shirts, and other clothes. Besides the duds, Third Eye sells hilarious coffee table and on-the-pooper books. I picked up a 300-page sticker book filled with London artists’ designs for myself. Not only is this a good shop to buy a jaw-dropping piece that will leave your friends speechless, it’s the onestop shopping center for any ganja-related items. Nomad Crossing (3959 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., Portland. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.) If you’re on Hawthorne and you’ve just visited Third Eye Shoppe, you might as well stop by at Nomad’s. It’s just across the street and also has a great selection of artistic pieces. This shop is well lit, and far from intimidating. Upon entering the store, you’ll immediately find yourself surrounded by glass cases full of glass and other paraphernalia. The shop has a great selection of pipes of all types, as well as electronic inhaling devices. There are also plenty of stickers, and the walls are decorated with various clever graphic T-shirts available for purchase. If you’re looking for glass devices, this is a great place to go, but not if you want electronic devices.
the advocate
April 17, 2015
To grow, or to grow like a pro Ivy Davis
the advocate This is the story of the Pro and the Nave: The Pro makes sure his product grows as healthy as possible. He treats his plants with care, spending extra money on necessary supplies. The Nave enjoys his product himself. He doesn’t spend the extra money, rather buying cheap supplies and more often than not losing products. How do they do it, though? How does one build a grow room? First, space is needed. With space, one can determine the amount of plants they’ll be able to grow. Space isn’t cheap and neither are walls. Most Pro growers will build separate rooms – one room for flower, the product, and the second room for vege, smaller plants that will be cycled through as they grow larger. Each room will need electrical hookups, then one has to cover and seal the walls, then paint
or put panda film over them. By this point a grower has spent roughly $7,500. Next comes appliances. Every plant needs three things to grow: water, sun, and nutrients. By growing inside, one can simulate plant growth and control it. To control water, plumbing and water lines need to be installed (costing $3,500). Trays and drain systems also need to be installed. Sitting water can create mold and mites, ruining the product. In order to simulate sunlight, LED or fluorescent lighting is hung with timers. Both trays and lighting need to be adjustable as plants grow over time. With “sunlight” comes heat. Fans necessary for air flow, along with AC to keep rooms at a controlled temperature, can cost up to $9,800. A CO2 line also needs to be installed, as it is beneficial to the plants. Along with CO2, soil and nutrients are important. Good soil is important to plants’ health because mites and
mold can stunt plant growth. Nutrients can be expensive – $900 a gallon – but are vital to the growth of plants. Most nutrients are measured out and mixed with water to be given to the plants. At the end of this process, all that’s left is the actual plants. Plants can be purchased as clones or seeds. Clones are small stems cut from previous growth that have been potted. Growers have a series of plants at different stages in their growth. Licensed growers are only able to have four plants per household. Whether or not growers really only have four plants is not for us to determine, but legally, adults age 21 and older are allowed four plants per household, and they must be at least 1,000 feet away from a school. What we can determine is that wallets will be down $35,500 – not including the cost of your space… or the electric bill.
Try baking your bacon to get baked Sam Krause the advocate
There are so many edibles out there these days. It wasn’t that long ago that ganja brownies had actual chunks of weed in them. They were always awful and rarely had any psychoactive effects. The best way to make any marijuana infused edible is to remember two things: The first is use your own infused butter or oil; more on that in a moment. The second is to use a recipe that you are comfortable with using.
I personally prefer anything Martha Stewart does, and I can vouch for those recipes’ effectiveness with ganja oil. On the other hand, if you have a recipe that’s been passed down from one generation to another, you might appreciate your treat a little more. Once you have a recipe, you can start thinking about the butter or oil you are going to use. Since THC is fat-soluble I like to use coconut oil. I’ve also used Tillamook unsalted butter, vegetable oil and canola oil. Each have their strengths and weaknesses. Now the fun begins. Infusing weed into the fat isn’t difficult at all. The better the quality
bud, the better the quality of the baked good. First, I grind up about an ounce of kind bud (that would be “great” bud), then put it into equal parts 16 ounces of oil and 16 ounces of water. That mix goes on the stove for two to three hours on low. Now strain out the ground up buds, and put the oil and water mix into the refrigerator to separate. Soon you’ll have your own stash of ganja oil or butter to use in any recipe that you want to kick up a notch. Here are three recipes to try for any degree of pot-smoker, arranged in difficulty.
Easy: Firecrackers
Medium: Bacon
Hard: Lollipops
What You’ll Need: Graham crackers Peanut butter (Nutella works too, try to get natural peanut butter since it works better, but the artificial kind works also) Weed- just good old bud, no oils or tinctures needed, you’ll need about 1 gram to get properly baked.
What You’ll Need: 1 tbsp cannabis flour 12 strips thick-sliced Canadian bacon
What You’ll Need: 1/4 cup canna butter 1/2 cup light corn syrup 3/4 cup sugar And a few drops of food coloring Lollipop sticks Lightly greased cookie sheet 1 quart pan and candy thermometer
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Grind up your weed, the finer it is ground the better it will work. Mix it in with your peanut butter, spread it on the crackers and stick into the oven for twenty minutes. You might want to set these on some tin foil, because the peanut butter tends to ooze out while it’s cooking.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F and place the bacon well spaced on a cookie sheet. Take your flour and shake it over the bacon. You can be as stingy or as generous as you want but for stronger effects, add a good amount of flour to each strip. Place the strips in the oven on the sheet and cook them until the bacon starts to crisp on top. Take the sheet out halfway through and flip the strips over and finish cooking. If you’re planning on storing the bacon, just stick it in the fridge for a short while. Then, you’re ready to enjoy your medicated canna-bacon!
Source: The Advocate staff
Source: THCFinder.com
LIFESTYLE
TOP 5 S NGS Each week the advocate supplies you with our top five songs for your playlist. We were going to this week too, but we got high. Since Monday is 4/20, here are our top 5 chronic strains of cannabis instead.
1
2
SKUNK
3
ANYTHING WITH BLUEBERRY IN THE NAME
4
Add butter, syrup and sugar together in 1 quart sauce pan. Boil ingredients to 270 degrees F. Check temp with candy thermometer. At 270, add food coloring and turn down heat. Lay out lollipop sticks on greased cookie sheet, leaving room to pour suckers onto them. Make the suckers as big or small as you want. Be careful about the mix that is boiling - it hardens fast. Source: thestonerscookbook.com
SOUR LEMON DIESEL
GIRL SCOUT
5
WHITE WIDOW
5
the advocate
NEWS
April 17, 2015
Prepare: earthquake drill looming Duck, cover, and hold on! Mt. Hood will run a campuswide earthquake drill on Thursday, set to occur about 9:40 a.m. “Remain calm. Do not run outside; falling debris may cause injury,” said instructions provided by Karen Reynolds, MHCC environmental health and safety manager. Students, employees or community members unable to find cover are advised to stay out of doorways. “Move away from the windows, crouch next to a supporting wall or substantial piece of furniture (table, or desk), and cover your
head with your arms, backpack or purse,” Reynold said in a recent campus email. Those on campus who don’t feel ready to react in case of major event are invited to a special Earthquake Prep Workshop, hosted the day before in the Student Union. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, anyone interested may learn how to construct their own persona/family disaster kit and learn from Todd Felix, City of Gresham’s Emergency Management coordinator.
-Hayden Hunter
Clean up MHCC for Earth Day Grab your tree-planting shovel and English Ivy pickin’ gloves: Earth Day is coming. On Wednesday, Earth Day will be upon us and Mt. Hood’s Associated Student Government (ASG) could think of no netter way to support it than to hosting a campus cleanup day, from 1 to 2 p.m. “Please join MHCC students, community members, your fellow staff members and myself in teaming up to beautify our campus,” said Melinda Bullen, Diversity Resource Center coordinator. Bullen noted, “We all do use this campus” and should take pride in spending time at a college with such “beautifully maintained
grounds.” She said the ASG will be attending to the neediest areas on the Gresham campus such as the “Back 40” woodsy area, and along Troutdale Road. “Let’s keep it up and rally together to rid our campus of litter until there is never again the need for a campus cleanup of any sort!” Bullen added. On Wednesday, students unable to meet promptly at 1 p.m. may stop by the picnic tables outside the Student Union to be directed where to help out.
-Hayden Hunter
City of Gresham contemplating marijuana regulations
A sign depicting a green cross that indicates a shop that sells medical marijuana.
Sam Krause the advocate
Legalized recreational marijuana use is inevitably coming to Oregon. But, first, the immediate question the City of Gresham is tasked with answering now is how to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries. A secondary issue the city is considering is whether to allow commercial marijuana grow operations in industrial areas. Gresham enacted a law in 2010 that prohibited businesses that break federal law from its core area. If the city council does decide to
6
allow marijuana-related businesses, city staff have recommended using a “registration with regulation” approach. “Tell us who you are and then also comply with the regulations we set forth,” Eric Schmidt, Gresham’s community development director, explained at the council’s most recent meeting, on April 7. This approach is similar to Gresham’s regulation of businesses that collect construction debris and recyclables, he said. A key challenge for the council is tackling what to do for patients who can’t grow their own medical marijuana.
Photo by Beka Haugen - the advocate
The city’s current definition of a personal medical marijuana garden is a person growing their own medical marijuana where they live. The definition could be seen as restrictive. The intent is to avoid card stacking, which is where multiple gardeners utilize one address to grow medical marijuana for what can end up being dozens of patients and hundreds of plants. Schmidt said that redefining what personal medical marijuana is could provide patients, caregivers and growers the opportunity to grow marijuana while not impacting a neighborhood. “The public input at the medical marijuana public forum last month [reviewed]
whether this definition is too narrow, as it could exclude patients that are too ill to grow their own medical marijuana,” he said. Non-personal use, or commercial growers, won’t be able to exclusively grow medical marijuana in commercial/industrial districts. That’s because Gresham’s development code doesn’t allow for agricultural use, though there have been exceptions made by the city in the past. “Based on past land use decisions by (the city), we have allowed agricultural growing in industrial areas if that grow operation - in this case it happened to be bean sprouts – if that took place in conjunction with processing of the product,” said David Ris, Gresham City Attorney. Under debate are the distances that marijuana businesses will have to be from locations such as schools, churches, and parks. The state has set the (marijuana grow) exclusion zone around a school at 1,000 feet, but local governments have the ability to impose even tighter restrictions. “I think that 1,000 feet probably isn’t enough, because a thousand feet isn’t very far. It’s less than a quarter mile,” said City Councilor Michael McCormick. “Maybe we need a discussion to decide what is an appropriate distance. This is imperative and there needs to be more discretion,” he said. While the council agreed to provide direction to city staff workers so they can move forward with draft regulations, the panel wasn’t able to agree on specifics. One point they were able to agree on is that the clear will of the voters is to allow marijuana in Oregon communities. The next Gresham City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and will be streamed live at http://www.greshamoregon.gov/videos/. Citizens may provide testimony in person at the Gresham City Hall Council Chambers, at 1331 N.W. Eastman Parkway.
the advocate
SPORTS
April 17, 2015
111 &
IN
LEAGUE PLAY
(Top) Saints freshman Mitchell Rose heads for home Wednesday in victory over Concordia JV. ( Right) Evan Jones pitches in victory over Concordia JV.
Photos by Beka Haugen - the advocate
Mt. Hood surges past Storm, widens South lead Steve Olson the advocate
The Saints baseball team has run its NWAC record to 11-1, taking three of four games played last weekend against South Region rival Chemeketa Community College. Mt. Hood, now 20-8 overall, hopes to build on its lead in the South today and Saturday, playing four home games against Southwestern Oregon Community College on Oslund Field. Against Chemeketa on April 10, Mt. Hood started with a solid, 4-2 home win. The Saints started out strong, scoring one run in each of the first two innings for a 2-0 lead. Mt. Hood’s Seth Rayburn held the Storm scoreless for the first four innings. Chemeketa cut the Saints’ lead to one, off a Gerhett Moser single to score Connor Gilham in the top of the fifth. But Mt. Hood scored two in the bottom of the eighth. Isaac Benard scored off a balk (generally, when an umpire calls a deceptive move by a pitcher, allowing base runners to advance by one base). Then
Taylor Travess singled to drive in Andrew Haley to extend the score 4-1 The Storm had one more chance to take the lead, but they could only mange one run in the ninth, giving the Saints the win. Seth Rayburn pitched the whole game, improving to 3-1 on the season. He gave up seven hits, two runs, and recorded six strikeouts and has a 2.39 ERA. The Saints batters had 10 hits, with Travess and Nick Gawley each getting an RBI. Game 2 saw the Saints dominate wire-towire in a shortened, seven-inning game. The Saints batters had no trouble driving in runs, starting off with Louis Wolf scoring off of a flyout. Gawley scored off of a Tommy Lane sacrifice bunt, driving the score to 2-0. The second inning would be no different as Mt. Hood again drove in two runs. Kody Matthews doubled to score Joe Balfour and Travess to extend the lead to 4-0. Another two-score inning pushed the lead to 6-0, the final score. Mt. Hood pitcher Nathan Hunter improved to 3-0 with a complete game, giving up only
two hits and getting five strikeouts. Hunter’s ERA now stands at 1.72 on the season. The series moved on Sunday to Salem for Game 3, which saw Mt. Hood get a close win after coming from behind. The Storm scored first in the bottom of the first, before both MHCC and Chemeketa scored two runs in the six inning. Trailing 3-2, the Saints had one last shot to win the game in the ninth, and their batters delivered, knocking in two runs for a 4-3 victory. In Game 4, Mt. Hood looked for the sweep, and tried to remain perfect in league play. But they would fall to the Storm, 3-1, for their first loss in the division. On Wednesday, the Saints played the Concordia University junior varsity in a rain-postponed game, winning 8-7. Concordia went on a three-run surge in the top of the ninth to scare the Saints, but Mt. Hood survived. Now the Saints host SWOCC for four important games, starting today at 4 p.m.
MHCC BASEBALL UPCOMING GAMES 4/17
HOME
SWOCC
4PM
4/17
HOME
SWOCC
7PM
4/18
HOME
SWOCC
12PM
4/18
HOME
SWOCC
3PM
5/1
HOME
LBCC
4PM
5/1
HOME
LBCC
7PM
5/2
AWAY
LBCC
1PM
5/2
AWAY
LBCC
4PM
5/8
HOME
Lane
4PM
5/8
HOME
Lane
7PM
5/9
AWAY
LBCC
4PM
5/9
AWAY
LBCC
5PM
7
the advocate
SPORTS
April 17, 2015
Saints finish first and second at Southwestern CC Alex Seymour the advocate
The Saints traveled to Coos Bay last Saturday for the Prefontaine Masters and Open meet, held by Southwestern Oregon Community College. The event was held essentially as a dual meet for the Saints, as SWOCC was the only other college represented, and the men’s and women’s squads earned a split result. The Saints women took second to the Lakers, scoring 158 points to SWOCC’s 177. On the men’s side, Mt. Hood took care of business, winning 185 points to 160. Despite the small amount of competition, it was a hard-fought day. “The team did great,” said team captain Josh Visan. The women’s sprints were dominated by Saints Margaret Paul and Shanice Lakes. Between the two of them, they had three firstplace finishes, and two second places. Paul won the 100 meters in 12.79, the 200 in 26.90, and took second in the 400 in 1:03.56. Lakes won the 400 in 1:00.62, and took second in the 200 in 27.43. Visan said, “Everyone proved how hard they have been training, and represented Mt. Hood exceptionally well.” Kayla Watkins won the 800 meters with a time of 2:40.51 and also grabbed a third-place finish in the javelin, at 31.3 meters. Courtney
Andre jumped 5.25 meters in the long jump for second, while she took first in the 400 meter hurdles in 1:07.85. Madison Greenleaf competed in the hurdles as well, taking second in 1:08.06. Emily Trosino and Haley McDonald dominated the 3,000-meter steeplechase, taking first and second with times of 12:14.5 and 12:33.3, respectively. Rachel Woodcock won the high jump, clearing 1.42 meters, and took second in the javelin with a throw of 36.51 meters. For the men, Dennis Carline had a strong win in the 100 meters, at 11.34. Ngai Li also ran the 200 meters, taking third in 25.19. Brandon Raleigh had a pair of wins in the 1500- and 800-meter races, with fellow Saint Jonathan Zacarius taking second in both events. “Whenever I looked around, it seemed like we were always in the lead,” said Visan. Joshua Turner took second in the 110 hurdles, running 15.94 seconds, and also won the triple jump with a mark of 13.53 meters. Bryce Evans took third in the triple jump in 12.29 meters, and tied for first in the long jump with Carline at 6.25 meters. Visan took second in the pole vault, clearing 3.66 meters. Tyler Jackson had two solid wins in the throws, taking the shot put and the discus, with 13.75 meters and 44.85 meters in the two events. Nick Ham took first in the hammer, with a throw of 43.92 meters.
Saints freshman Dennis Carline wins the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.34 last Saturday at the Prefontaine Masters and Open meet.
Visan was asked about the rest of the season. “We have a two-week break right now. We are increasing our fitness a little bit, working on the little things, and getting ready to peak right at NWACs (the season-closing NWAC league championship meet),” he said. The NWAC Multi-Championships are up
next for a few athletes, taking place at Lane CC in Eugene on April 27-28. This event will count towards the Southern Region Championships, as well as the NWACs. For the rest of the athletes, their next competition will be the Mt. Hood Track Festival on May 2. Events begin at 10 a.m.
Trail Blazers an underdog heading into the playoffs Brandon Raleigh the advocate
These last couple weeks have been wild in the Western Conference, as five teams had a shot at the No. 2 seed in the West in the NBA playoffs. The five teams: the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and Memphis Grizzlies. In the end, four of those five teams finished within a game of each other. The Rockets and Clippers both finished at 56-26, with the Grizzles and Spurs at 55-27. The Blazers, on the other hand, had already sealed a fourth-or-better seed in the West in late March with a Northwest Division title. This left the Blazers with two options: Fight for home-court advantage or rest players for an impending playoff battle. With a wave of injuries hitting the Blazers to end the year, coach Terry Stotts decided to let off the pedal and rest his beat-up players. It seemed like the right decision, as Stotts’s hands were tied. The result: a 51-31 record
8
and fourth seed. The Houston Rockets, who won the Southwest Division, finished with the second seed. The Clippers ended up with a third seed because the Golden State Warriors, the clearcut No. 1 seed, had won the Pacific Division title. The Grizzlies and Spurs both finished four games ahead of the Blazers, but only attained the fifth and sixth seeds, their tiebreaker decided by a season series victory by the Grizzlies. With the playoffs beginning Saturday, here’s a quick look at the West match-ups, with my picks to win: #1 Golden State Warriors (W) vs. #8 New Orleans Pelicans #2 Houston Rockets (W) vs. #7 Dallas Mavericks #3 Los Angeles Clippers vs. #6 San Antonio Spurs (W) #4 Portland Trail Blazers (W, to be explained…) vs. #5 Memphis Grizzlies
All the numbers are pointing toward an early exit for the Blazers this postseason. They are playing a team that swept them 4-0 this season and has given the Blazers and Stotts fits in recent history. The truth of the matter is that the Blazers are the underdog in this series. The Blazers are a perimeter team. The Grizzlies are a post team. Can the Blazers defeat the Grizzlies in a seven-game series? Yes, and here’s why: Size: The Blazers possess three seven-footers in Robin Lopez, Chris Kaman, and Meyers Leonard. This size will be vital in slowing the Grizzlies’ inside power duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Gasol and Randolph are rebounding monsters. Lopez, Kaman, and Leonard will need to leave it all on the court for every board and loose ball. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard, Baby: Portland’s star duo of Aldridge and Lillard are a challenge for any team to stop when they are rolling. A big series from the two can
help lift the Blazers past the Grizzlies. Batum-Shaka-Laka: I’d be lying if said Nicholas Batum has had a great year. Batum has struggled mightily most of the year. In fact, some of his worst nights came at the hands of the Grizzlies. Not many are expecting too great of a performance from Batum, but I see him as a difference maker against the Griz. Remember the Houston Rockets series last season? I don’t see much need in going too indepth into this one. The Blazers have proven the doubters wrong before, and I believe they will once again. My prediction: Blazers in six games. The Blazers and Grizzlies first face off Sunday afternoon at 5 o’clock, starting in Memphis. The game will be broadcast on KGWTV 8 and on TNT. Both teams will then have two days to prepare for Game 2, set for Wednesday at 5 p.m. , also in Memphis. That game also be televised on both KGW and TNT. The series heads to Portland for games 3 and 4, on Saturday, April 25, and Monday, April 27.