Day of Action & Selling Weed

Day of Action & Selling Weed plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

A coalition of business and agriculture leaders launched a Day of Action on immigration reform yesterday with a media conference call.  On the teleconference they called on Congress to act to address immigration reform this year.  The teleconference was one of 40 events in congressional districts across 20 states calling on Congress to act on immigration reform this year. US Chamber of Commerce Northwest Regional Executive Director, Chris Eyler boiled it all down.

EYLER: From our point of view it's pretty simple. The current immigration system is broken and without a functioning immigration system, our economy suffers.

Now that Washington State has officially begun selling recreational marijuana in retail outlets other states are paying attention. Oregon hopes to create what they're calling the "new gold standard" when it comes to recreational marijuana. Washington set a standard for driving under the influence of marijuana and prohibits home cultivation. Oregon's initiative would not impose an intoxicated driving standard and would allow people to home-grow. The initiative would allow local governments to opt out, but such a move would be decided by a local ballot initiative every two years. Communities that opt out would not get tax revenue.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

Covert and strong arm tactics are things that major oil companies have been accused of by the Renewable Fuels Association. Think of the things you've heard about ethanol - using it will damage your car's engine, making ethanol raises gas prices, and how about that the ethanol industry is using up U.S. corn crops - causing food prices to increase. The RFA says major oil companies make it extremely and needlessly expensive for retailers to offer consumers more ethanol-blend choices at the pumps through subversive tactics such as "highly prescriptive fuel supply contracts and highly restrictive franchise and branding agreements"; thus successfully preventing or discouraging retailers from selling higher volumes of renewable fuels. It should come as no surprise to consumers that "big oil" would work hard to stop the growth of clean renewable fuels to protect their 'gravy train'. This battle revolves around the Renewable Fuel Standard, a law requiring refiners to buy alternative fuels made from corn, soybeans and other products to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil. A law that many oil companies want blocked or ended all together.

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.