The Power Couple of Oregon Cannabis Bankrolled Top Democrats Even as Their Companies’ Taxes and Bills Went Unpaid

A WW investigation finds trouble at La Mota, the second-largest cannabis dispensary chain in Oregon.

On a crisp evening last May, Rosa Cazares threw a party.

It was a fundraiser for Oregon gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek, hosted in an 7,048-square-foot home in Portland’s Northwest hills. Gathered around a glass and oak stairway that spiraled to the second floor, guests sipped from champagne flutes and sampled charcuterie.

The gathering was thanks to La Mota, the second-largest cannabis dispensary chain in Oregon.

Cazares, 34, and her longtime partner Aaron Mitchell, 45, have a high profile in the cannabis industry. La Mota, the chain they founded, grows weed on Oregon farms, makes extracts and vapes, and sells products at 32 La Mota-branded dispensaries across the state.

Between them, Cazares and Mitchell are listed in business filings as manager, registrant or member of 72 limited liability companies, or LLCs, many bearing the La Mota name. Each dispensary operates under its own LLC.

An industry expert estimates companies under the La Mota brand have sales of more than $40 million a year. Cazares regularly adorns the covers of weed magazines in an industry dominated by men.

Her involvement in politics is equally noticeable: She serves as vice chair of Emerge Oregon, a training academy for women seeking elected office—and has told people she has an eye on high office herself.

[Read More @ Willamette Week]

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