First came the grapes, then came the pot. Southern Oregon agriculture switched many properties from pears to wine grapes in recent years.
Now the hot cash crop is cannabis. And there's already evidence of disgruntlement about marijuana's possible effect on nearby vineyards, concerns about flavors and odors of cannabis creeping into the wine grapes.
Maureen Battistella built the "Wine of Southern Oregon" collection at Southern Oregon University; Mark Wisnovsky runs Valley View Winery and grows hemp for CBD; Katherine Bryan runs Deer Creek Vineyards and grows cannabis as Bryan Family Farm. They give us an overview of the grape-growers' concerns.
