Grants Pass, Oregon, voices within the cannabis industry are urging the state to implement permanent restrictions on the influx of new marijuana businesses. Oregon has greenlit over 3,000 licenses for marijuana farming, processing, and sales, a number industry advocates argue surpasses the actual demand, especially considering the inability to export to other states.
Mike Getlin, the board chair of the Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon, emphasized the impracticality of numerous businesses vying for the same market share. Despite a series of moratoriums since June 2018, the current licensing pause is set to expire in April. The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission warned that without an extension, they would be compelled to resume processing applications, citing legal constraints against initiating their own pause.
Seeking intervention, Getlin urges state lawmakers to act swiftly. His proposal calls for a halt on new licensure until there is substantial population growth. The suggested criterion involves issuing new licenses only when there is less than one license for every 7,500 smoking-age adults in Oregon, with more stringent requirements for processing and wholesale licenses—below one in 12,500.
Acknowledging the existing overcrowding, Getlin clarifies that the proposed change won’t immediately alleviate the situation but aims to prevent further exacerbation. The objective, as stated by Getlin, is not to overhaul the Oregon system but to avoid unintentionally causing irreparable harm.
The proposed bill, initially part of HB 2515, faced committee rejection last year. However, Getlin remains optimistic, hoping that a similar bill with comparable language will successfully navigate the legislative process in the current session. The bill would still allow marijuana businesses to sell and acquire existing licenses, offering a potential compromise in managing the industry’s growth.
