Oregon Officials Rejects Thanksgiving Donation from Cannabis Group
The Women Leaders in Cannabis had food donations to the Oregon Department of Human Services rejected.
The Oregon Department of Human Services has rejected food donations made by the Women Leaders in Cannabis, a Eugene-based trade organization, according to the group’s Executive Director Lindsey Jacobsen.
According to Jacobsen, the Department initially accepted the donations from the group (which is a registered nonprofit), only to reverse the decision several days later due to fears that it would come off as an endorsement of the cannabis group.
“It’s disheartening,” says Jacobsen. “We have lives just like everybody else, families, jobs. We’re just happy to be able to give back now that we have the opportunity to.”
According to Gene Evans, a spokesman for the Department, the decision to reject the donations isn’t a statewide policy, but a decision made by one particular office.
“Their decision not to accept the donations was based on discomfort with the connection of a marijuana organization to DHS human services”, Evans says. “The Eugene office felt that baskets sponsored by this organization could create the impression that we endorsed cannabis.”
“I don’t see how being involved in a positive way could do any harm.” says Jacobsen. “We’ll keep finding people that want to work with us and I think in the future people will be reaching out to us, hopefully.”
Jacobsen says the group has decided to send the food donations to a group called Autism Rocks.
– TheJointBlog
Scott Rellim
Thanks but no thanks. We don’t endorse plants. Wow. Autism Rocks should hold a benefit and invite every toker in the state and raise tens of thousands of dollars for that organization.