2019 Election Coverage: City Votes On Adding CBD To Drinking Water

Another off-year election is upon us, and once again Portlanders are being asked to vote on the fate of their beloved H2O. Ballot initiative 17-420 proposes an infusion of cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana, into the city’s water supply.
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Oregon Public Health Director Lillian Shirley didn’t mince words in her support for the initiative. “It’s unacceptable that Portland still hasn’t taken steps to add cannabidiol to its drinking water. The benefits of CBD are proven and endless. Relieving chronic pain, reducing depression and anxiety, alleviating symptoms of cancer, cleaner skin, larger erections, effortless communication with birds, Benjamin Button-esque anti-aging…the list goes on. Vote YES on 17-420!”
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Detractors are no less vocal. “Here we go again,” moaned local advocate Justin Bridge. “We shoot down water fluoridation time and time again, and now they’re picking another fight they can’t win. The medical benefits of CBD are unsubstantiated at best, and they just want to put it in our water supply? What’s next, breweries selling MDMA IPA? Salt & Straw releasing psilocybin sorbet?
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While this is undoubtedly Portland’s trendiest off-year election vote in decades, there are other measures on the ballot which are equally, if not more important. This includes measures renewing a levy benefiting Portland Public Schools, redirecting property taxes towards public land conservation, and enforcing protections of the Bull Run Watershed. Happy Election Day, and VOTE if you haven’t already!