Oregon is the third state in the US to legalize human composting
Life and death are part of the circle of life, but in modern times we have taken on environmentally unfriendly burial practices that interfere with nature’s cycle. For instance, embalming a body before it gets buried takes about three gallons of embalming chemicals such as formaldehyde, Read More...
Study: psilocybin therapy 4 times more effective than antidepressants
In 2020, Oregon voted to become the first state to legalize access to psilocybin for all adults. A study reinforces the idea that voters made a sensible decision. The preliminary human trials investigated the effect of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat the major depressive disorder Read More...
Oregon closes state’s last coal plant in favor of green energy
On October 15, General Electric closed the last coal plant in Oregon in favor of investments in renewable sources. It took a long time, but energy companies are finally coming around to the idea that renewable energy is not only better for the planet, but can also be more affordable and create more Read More...
Oregon will officially vote on legalizing psychedelic psilocybin therapy
Back in August 2019, we published a small story about activists in Oregon working to decriminalize the use of magic mushrooms (psilocybin). Today, we’re here to tell you that these activists have taken a big step towards achieving their legalization goal. After more than a year of work and Read More...
Decriminalizing Magic Mushrooms for Therapy in Oregon
Following the legalization of cannabis, activists in Oregon are working toward the chance to vote on the decriminalization of magic mushrooms. Already legal in several cities in the United States, an initiative in Oregon is working to decriminalize psilocybin across the state. Psychedelics may Read More...
Oregon passes law that will allow school kids to take mental health absence days
When Oregon students go back to school this year, they'll be able to take mental health days without risking an unexcused absence as the result of a new law that was proposed by a group of high schoolers. The students behind the measure say it’s meant to change the stigma around mental health Read More...
Oregon is now leading the nation when it comes to affordable housing
When it comes to affordable housing, no state is tackling the issue as aggressively as Oregon. This past week, the Beaver State passed a law that will effectively enact a state-wide ban on single-family zoning, which has come under scrutiny as housing costs have soared and housing shortages have Read More...
Oregon may soon join California’s carbon trading market under new bill
Drawing inspiration from its southernly neighbor, Oregon may soon pass a landmark bill that will mandate not just greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector, but also economy-wide emission reductions. The only state to have done that is…you guessed it, California. Across every sector Read More...
90 percent of bottles collected by Oregon’s bottle deposit system get recycled
If we want to make recycling an effective way of dealing with used beverage containers, then we must look to Oregon for inspiration. Currently, the state recycles 90 percent of the beverage containers covered by its bottle deposit system, despite major disruptions in the global recycling markets. Read More...
Federal judge upholds GMO ban in Oregon to protect organic farms
A legal decision which goes against the powerful agribusiness lobby is enough of a rare occurrence to be worth mentioning—celebrating even. The Monsanto-backed plaintiffs were non-organic farms who sought to overturn a 2014 ordinance passed by Jackson County voters, banning the use of genetically Read More...