High Times magazine has given up trying to convince
the city of Milwaukie to approve permits for the nation's largest legal-weed
party, the Cannabis Cup.
Cannabis Cup organizers told The Oregonian today that they've withdrawn their application to hold the event, a marijuana trade show and festival.
Documents reviewed by WW this
week show High Times expected the Oregon Cannabis Cup to draw 10,000 people a
day. They had once again delayed the event—proposing last week to hold it in
Milwaukie parking lots Oct. 3-4.
High Times also enlisted Leland Berger, a
Portland lawyer who led marijuana-legalization efforts, to ask city officials Aug.
12 for "some assurance" the city wouldn't try to shut the Cup down.
For months, High Times has struggled to find a site in Portland where it could host the Cannabis Cup. That hunt was stymied by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which ruled High Times couldn't hold the cup in any venue with a liquor license.
Last month, WW reported that High Times asked Milwaukie city officials for permission to use parking lots and warehouses
on the northern industrial side of town, along the new TriMet Orange
Line and Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard—and, ironically, across the
street from OLCC headquarters.
UPDATE, 2:30 pm: High Times has issued a press release saying it will try again next year.
Event coordinator Amanda Younger says Milwaukie officials made getting a permit impossible.
"We jumped through hoops of fire," Younger said. "Bringing the High Times Cannabis Cup to Oregon has proven to be a Herculean task."
WWeek 2015