Marijuana goes to the dogs, while business lobby merger hits a snag.
OREGON NEWS
— The marijuana industry has expanded into new territory: pets. Manufacturers have been producing edibles marketed for pets with names like “Canna Butter Bones” and “Man’s Best Friend.” But as the Statesman Journal reports, these may not be legal. The products were sold to dispensaries across the state, despite Oregon’s law prohibiting such a product. OLCC labs have certified these products as meeting compliance, but as marijuana products have not been approved by the FDA for pet consumption, there are no guidelines to regulate the products.
— The proposed merger between the Oregon Business Association and Associated Oregon Industries has hit a snag. A group of 14 former OBA chairs who oppose the merger issued a report detailing their concerns. The unified business lobby was supposed to be more effective than lobbying groups like Our Oregon across the aisle. Willamette Week has more.
— Oregon State University-Cascades is considering an old landfill site in Bend for its campus expansion. The 72-acre site is adjacent to the current campus properties. The landfill was decommissioned in 1996, and was used to dispose of construction-related debris. The university has hired an investigator to determine if the project could move forward on the site. Read more from the Bend Bulletin.
— In other education news, the University of Oregon has raised $1 billion of its $2 billion goal to fund scholarships, faculty positions, programs and construction on campus. Fundraising started six years ago, and The Oregonian reports UO hopes to complete its efforts within the next few years.
.@BIKETOWNpdx has arrived! pic.twitter.com/YGWbmXNOCt
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) July 19, 2016
— Springfield will ask voters to double its local gas tax. Currently at 3-cent-per-gallon, the City Council will include a 3 cent increase on the November ballot. If approved, Springfield would have the largest permanent rate in Oregon. Eugene has the highest at the moment, with 5-cents-per-gallon. Read more from the Register Guard.
— July is National Ice Cream Month. To celebrate, I spoke with Umpqua Dairy and Tillamook about staying competitive in a boutique ice cream world.
NATIONAL NEWS
— Jaguar’s Land Rover is looking into self-driving vehicles, for any terrain. Business Insider reports the British automaker, which has an incubator in Portland’s Pearl District, is considering cameras, radar and ultrasonic could to assist vehicles driving on any type of road. This concept, however, has a long way to go before hitting the road.
— A paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine argues there’s a disconnect between U.S. farm subsidies and the nations’ nutritional recommendations. The U.S. subsidizes corn, soybean, wheat, rice, dairy and livestock, but at the same time, we’re told diets should consist of 50% fruits and vegetables. NPR has more on the study’s results.
