Oregon voters legalized recreational marijuana last month allowing home cultivation starting next summer. Master Gardener volunteers with Oregon State University have been reminded that they are not allowed to provide marijuana growing advice.
Master Gardeners with the OSU Extension offer home horticultural advice in Linn, Lane and Benton counties. Assistant professor of community horticulture Brooke Edmunds says volunteers are required to follow the university’s policies.
Edmunds: “The marijuana policy is just along with that. That it’s just something that Master Gardeners aren’t trained, they don’t have any education and they aren’t trained to provide that advice.”
Vice President of University Relations Steve Clark says because the school receives federal funding, they’re required to abide by federal policies.
Clark: “And so if we’re perpetuating not only its existence, but its propagation, its expansion, its cultivation or production then our interpretation is we would be in violation of our contracts with the federal government and federal law.”
Clark says the passage of Measure 91 has created community interest and brought attention to OSU Extension policies.