Press) When Leah D'Ambrosio is asked to compare the two states' recreational marijuana systems, she says Oregon is behind the curve due to the more-relaxed nature of its implementation. Pictured: David Kosmecki, left, talks to Idaho State Police Trooper Justin Klitch in Fruitland, Idaho. Kosmecki was stopped and charged with possession of marijuana after leaving Oregon on June 20, 2012. (Nigel Duara, The Associated Press)

Industry perspective: Who legalized recreational marijuana better — Oregon or Colorado?

When it comes to recreational marijuana legalization, states have approached regulation quite differently. Colorado made a splash as the first in the nation to allow adults to purchase flower, edibles and concentrates, while Oregon took a more cautious approach. The state kept edibles and concentrates off the market when early recreational marijuana sales debuted last October; and it wasn’t until eight months later that recreational shoppers could purchase infused cookies, chocolates and other treats.

Leah D’Ambrosio is in the thick of the Oregon edibles market as the chief operating officer of Baked Smart, a firm that developed a safety label for cannabis-infused products.

When asked to compare the two states’ systems, D’Ambrosio says Oregon is behind the curve due to the more-relaxed nature of its implementation.

Colorado edibles companies are “doing the best they can,” given the regulations, she says while stopping by The Cannabist Show to talk with editor-in-chief Ricardo Baca.

Alternatively, Oregon’s recreational implementation — which includes limiting edibles to no more than 15 milligrams of THC per serving and the whole package to 50mg total — could shine a light on what D’Ambrosio views as a bigger problem within the legal marijuana landscape.

“And as you know, who is going to be hurt by this, it’s the medical patients,” she says. “And that, to me, for all the states, I feel like the one thing they’re not doing right … is they’re pushing the medical patients to the side and it’s all about the recreational and about money.”

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