Bill to replace the term 'marijuana' with 'cannabis' draws technical questions over botanical definitions

Senate Bill 1111, which would replace the word "marijuana" with "cannabis" in statutes, drew testimony March 19 before the Senate Committee on Judiciary about terminology, botanical accuracy and the practical implications for state regulation.

Anthony Taylor, testifying for Compassionate Oregon, told the committee the change is intended to reduce stigma and align policy with medical and scientific terminology. "The shift from the term marijuana to use of the term cannabis represents more than just a language preference," Taylor said, arguing the change supports a health-oriented policy framework.

Horticultural scientist Tata Delgado advised the committee to align statutory language with botanical nomenclature and warned that some current draft provisions could suggest industrial hemp is not cannabis. Delgado recommended using more specific terms in certain statutory places, such as "adult-use cannabis," "medicinal cannabis," and "illicit cannabis," and suggested work-session collaboration between botanical and legal experts to harmonize definitions.

Rosie Shatkin, government-relations director for the OLCC, said the agency would welcome additional conversations with sponsors. Shatkin noted state regulation separates hemp and marijuana (adult-use cannabis) across different agencies and cautioned that implementing a broad terminology change could create interagency complexity and potential cost concerns.

Committee members closed the public hearing on SB 1111 and moved on to work sessions during the March 19 meeting.