Oregon was one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in 2014, and the first state to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes in 1998. While some barriers to licensing still exist, Oregon has taken steps to establish more user-friendly processes and applications to obtain a cannabis license. This article provides information to help navigate through those processes, but it is not a substitute for legal advice. The cannabis industry is highly regulated, with laws that are constantly evolving. For this reason, it is best to speak to an experienced cannabis law attorney prior to entering this emerging market.
Some states have implemented caps on the total number of licenses. Though Oregon does not have a formal cap on the number of licenses issued, on June 15, 2018, the OLCC formally paused all new producer licensing. The pause is intended to allow the OLCC to work through a backlog of pending licenses, though no end date for the pause has been provided as of the date of this post. However, new producers may enter the Oregon market by “purchasing” an existing license from a current license holder. In order to do so, the “seller,” (original licensee) must submit a change of ownership application simultaneously with the “buyer” (future licensee) submitting a new license application. Often times the change of ownership is also processed with a change of location, to allow the license to transfer entirely to the new owner.
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