Oregon
Federal cannabis reclassification could bring pharmaceutical companies to Oregon’s marijuana industry
The Biden administration is moving to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug, which would remove the plant from the “most dangerous” list and recognize that it has medical uses.
The Biden administration is working towards reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III drug. If this is successful, cannabis will no longer be considered as one of the “most dangerous” drugs, and its medical benefits will be recognized.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Portland attorney Amy Margolis sees the move as a way to get much-needed research on cannabis, but it could also pave the way for big pharmaceutical companies to get involved in the established industry in Oregon.
Amy Margolis is a Portland attorney specializing in cannabis law and policy.
Courtesy Amy Margolis
“They’re the ones who will be legally operating if they follow the final rules produced by the FDA and the standard FDA approval and sales process for pharmaceuticals,” Margolis says. “It certainly injects a concern that now we have real big pharmaceutical interests involved in the cannabis market.”
Margolis runs Margolis Legal, a Portland law firm that works with clients in the cannabis industry. She says this proposal doesn’t do what many in the industry have been advocating for; removal of cannabis from the schedule of illegal drugs entirely.
“I think it’s a remnant of the drug war, ” she says. “I think it’s kind of outdated perspectives on cannabis being a hard drug.”
Margolis spoke with OPB “All Things Considered” host Geoff Norcross:
Geoff Norcross: Basically speaking, the Biden administration is saying they want to officially recognize that cannabis is not as dangerous as the most dangerous drugs. Isn’t that a good thing?
Amy Margolis: Theoretically, that’s a good thing. We’ve long known that cannabis is not dangerous, should be treated like alcohol, which this does not do. But in theory, yes, that’s a good thing. How it impacts the market? We’re not so sure.
Norcross: Okay, what could happen?
Margolis: So what this did is it sent over the reclassification recommendation to the FDA to essentially rule make around it. And from my perspective, and I think the perspective of many of my peers, this simply opened up a pathway for pharmaceutical companies to get involved in the cannabis industry, whether through the development and sales of pharmaceutical cannabis or through the research component.
Norcross: And what would that mean for the local market, which doesn’t have a lot of big players like the pharmaceutical industry in it?
Margolis: Other than the DOJ, there was not too much outside interests who might care if prosecutions were happening, who might care if statewide industry is developing. I think the risk for Oregon — and this is sort of a worst-case scenario — is that pharmaceutical companies can now get involved. They’re the ones who will be legally operating if they follow the final rules produced by the FDA and the standard FDA approval and sales process for pharmaceuticals. Now you have a player beyond just the Department of Justice who could have some interest in owning that market. It certainly injects a concern that now we have real big pharmaceutical interests involved in the cannabis market. And they’re the only ones who can lawfully operate.
Norcross: One of the big problems for the cannabis industry here has been the lack of banking services or tax breaks that other businesses get. Would this move by the federal government this week change any of that?
Margolis: I think it remains to be seen. You know, the banking industry will look at this, federal regulators will look at this, and try and decide if this clears up the legality around the state licensed recreational and medical markets. And I do not believe this move by the Biden administration does that. I don’t believe it legalizes on a federal level what is currently happening in this state. And that is, aside from federal legislation, the path forward to safe banking.
Norcross: You touched on this a little bit earlier, that what the federal government could have done was to treat cannabis like it’s alcohol, and let an entirely different federal agency, the ATF, oversee its use and the regulations around it. I’m wondering if the Biden administration may have missed an opportunity to go all the way and just take it off the schedule of drugs entirely.
Margolis: I think “missed an opportunity” is how the industry will view it. I mean, the industry in Oregon and across the country has been advocating for cannabis to be declassified and not reclassified. And I think the Biden administration knows that and instead chose to go this direction. I think it’s a remnant of the drug war and I think it’s kind of outdated perspectives on cannabis being a hard drug. We’ll see if this is maybe the first step, but I’m concerned that, for the federal government, first steps can last a long time.
Norcross: Do you see any upside for the industry here in Oregon, if cannabis is reclassified in this way?
Margolis: I do think the upside is, you know, we have in the industry been talking about research and cannabis for a long time. And this does open the door to that, which I think will be a positive, even if it’s only a financial benefit to those in the pharmaceutical industry.
Click on the audio player above to hear the whole conversation.
The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
A 73-year-old man was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for the 1983 killing of his then-girlfriend. It was a case that went unsolved for more than 40 years.
The sentence was announced by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
In July 1983, Teresa Peroni, 27, was reported missing after attending a party in the Selma area of Josephine County southwest of Grants Pass. She was last seen walking in the woods with her boyfriend Marcus Sanfratello.
Authorities deemed Peroni’s disappearance suspicious, but they lacked evidence to bring charges against anyone.
In 1997, a human skull was found on private property near where Peroni disappeared. In 2024, authorities in Josephine County reopened the case. In addition to re-interviewing witnesses, they collected new DNA evidence to build a case against Sanfratello.
With the DNA, experts at the University of North Texas confirmed the skull was Peroni’s.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arraigned on murder charge in Oregon for death of then-girlfriend in 1980s cold case
A grand jury indicted Sanfratello of second-degree murder, on June 27, 2025.
Police arrested Sanfratello in Chico, California the next day. He was then extradited to Oregon to face the charge of murder.
Under a plea agreement, Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
He will serve at least 10 years in prison, Oregon’s attorney general’s office said.
“For Teresa Peroni’s family, this has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for,” Rayfield said in a news release. “Cases like this remind us of why we don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed — if someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
-
News10 minutes agoWho is John Phelan, the US Navy Secretary fired by Pete Hegseth?
-
New York2 hours agoMamdani Considers Delaying Pension-Fund Payments to Ease Budget Gap
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoThings to do in Metro Detroit, April 24 and beyond
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoCA to open 3 new state parks and expand others, including in Bay Area: Here’s where
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoWild vs. Stars Game 3: Key takeaways as Dallas takes series lead on Wyatt Johnston’s 2OT winner
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoMiami-Dade deputies detain elderly father who they say shot and killed his son after a domestic dispute
-
Boston, MA3 hours agoBoston has one of the best public markets in the country, says USA TODAY
-
Denver, CO3 hours agoRed flag fatigue? Colorado sees near-record number of critical fire days