In a historic move today, the Oregon Senate voted in favor of a bill that would create a framework to allow Oregon to export cannabis to other states or countries that have also adopted legalization.

After passing with a 19-9 vote, the bill will now advance to the House, where it has already received support from lawmakers in both parties. The Governor’s office has also indicated support for the bill, meaning that today’s Senate vote is likely the largest hurdle the bill will face on its way to becoming law.

Before it would allow exports to occur, the bill requires an indication from the federal government that interstate commercial cannabis transactions won’t be prosecuted under federal law.

Let’s hear it for Oregon, where recreational cannabis is providing an ongoing lesson in elementary economics and the role of government in the marketplace.

Also, let’s hear it for Oregon, where the state’s cannabis producers have grown and processed so much product — a six or a seven-year supply, depending on who you ask, and that’s if every single plant currently under the lights or the sun were ripped out root-and-stem and never seen again. In Oregon, consumers are enjoying record-low prices.

The cannabis plant that we consume is a female plant, writes Diana-Ashley Krach. In cannabis breeding, the "mother plant" is what's used for clippings that turn into clones, which are identical plants that can be grown anywhere. But cannabis is maternal beyond simply bearing offspring; some use the analogy of a mother to describe the plant: she nurtures and heals, and can bring solace to those who need it. When used socially, cannabis brings people together, creates connections, and builds bonds. When used medically, cannabis improves quality of life.

Oregon lawmakers are weighing the benefits of shipping the state’s famed cannabis products out of state.

The production of recreational marijuana in Oregon far outweighs demand, resulting in plummeting prices that hurt current producers and potential cannabis entrepreneurs. A report by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission published earlier this year found that there is already enough cannabis inventory to supply the state for six and a half years if current consumption trends holds steady.

A bill aimed at limiting Oregon’s supply of cannabis advanced out of the state Senate and will now go before the House for consideration. On Monday, Senate lawmakers voted 18-10 in favor of a temporary freeze on cannabis production. The freeze would hold marijuana production at its current level for the next two years. The bill would also suspend the issuance of any new cultivation licenses. Currently licensed growers, however, will be able to renew their licenses during the temporary freeze period.

In a fit of overenthusiasm, the state of Oregon has produced more weed than it knows what to do with – 1 million pounds more, to be exact.

The state is overflowing with unsold herb. Although the practical solution is seemingly to just grow less weed, the reality isn’t quite so simple, as farmers who currently produce the plant could lose what for many is their only source of income.

Federal legalization of hemp arrived in the U.S. late last year and expanded an industry already booming because of the skyrocketing popularity of CBDs, a compound in hemp that many see as a health aid.

But now, just a few months after Congress placed the marijuana look-alike squarely in safe legal territory, the hemp industry has been unsettled by an unexpected development.

Hemp is in the midst of another record growth year in Oregon, according to Gary McAninch, the program manager for industrial hemp at the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

During a presentation to the monthly meeting of the Douglas County Livestock Association on March 19, McAninch noted that as of that day, 751 growers, 254 handlers (processors) and 22,435 acres had been registered with the state’s industrial hemp program. He added that many more registrations are expected.

In 2015, there were only 13 growers, 13 handlers and 105 acres registered.

“Hemp’s growth in Oregon has exploded,” McAninch said. “It’s nice to see a farm commodity take off.”