As of January 1, 2017, Oregon’s medical marijuana dispensaries will no longer be able to sell to adults 21 or older without a valid medical marijuana card as the state’s early recreational marijuana sales end.
Adults 21 or older wishing to purchase marijuana for recreational use will only be able to do so from retail marijuana shops licensed by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Currently, there are about 100 recreational pot shops licensed statewide.
Limited recreational marijuana sales at medical marijuana dispensaries began in October 2015. When Oregon voters approved Measure 91 in 2014, legalizing recreational marijuana for adults, the state had until this year to licence and open recreational marijuana stores.
But the state legislature took the unusual step of allowing existing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell marijuana to recreational users in an effort to curb black market sales while the Oregon Liquor Control Commission worked to develop the recreational marijuana industry.
Starting January 1, medical marijuana dispensaries who are not licensed for recreational sales face fines of $500 per violation for selling to people who are not registered patients with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program.
A full list of retailers licensed to sell marijuana for recreational use can be found here.
Tags: legalization, Measure 91, medical marijuana dispensaries, OR SB 460, Oregon, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Liquor Control Commission, Oregon marijuana legalization, Oregon Measure 91, Oregon medical marijuana, Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, possession, Recreational, retail marijuana, retail marijuana sales