Some Oregonians are using medical marijuana as currency to buy and sell items on sites like Craigslist.com, opening the door to barter transactions.
The development is adding a new wrinkle to the state’s cannabis market, with some growers reportedly using their crop in trades.
Justin Gottlieb, an activist with the High Desert Cannabis Community, told the Bend Bulletin that dispensaries tend to rely on a few cultivators for their product, while smaller growers and those without dispensary connections are often left with excess cannabis.
Barter is just another way to unload that excess product.
“(N)o one wants to see their crop or their hard work go to waste; if they can’t get it in the shops, they’d like to go to someone who will appreciate it, just like any other business,” Gottlieb said.
A PlayStation 3, a 2006 Volvo, a doghouse and a Jet Ski are among the items that have been offered for sale in recent months for medical marijuana or money, according to the Bulletin.
The paper noted that it’s illegal for anybody other than licensed marijuana businesses to accept payment for cannabis, either in the form of cash or an item of value such as a car.
