Oregon Marijuana Cultivation License

Interested in starting a Cannabis business in Oregon?

Does Oregon Require Marijuana Growers to Obtain Cultivation License?

In Oregon, marijuana growers must comply with the grower requirements stipulated by the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) of the Oregon Health Authority. An OMMP patient is required to designate a grower during their registration. Oregon does not issue an official license to growers, but growers must comply with the grower requirements. A marijuana grower is not authorized to grow marijuana until a grower card and grow site registration card are received from the Oregon Health Authority. A grow site registration card is issued by the Oregon Health Authority. It specifies the location of a marijuana grow site and the Person Responsible for a Marijuana Grow site (PRMG).

Does Oregon Require Marijuana Producers to Obtain Producer License?

Per Measure 91 Section 19(2), a person interested in becoming a marijuana producer in Oregon must hold a producer license for the premises where marijuana items will be produced. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission regulates the production of recreational marijuana and issues licenses to marijuana producers who qualify in the state. According to Oregon Revised Statutes 475B.070, an applicant for a producer license must apply for a license from the OLCC. They must provide evidence that they are at least 21 years old. In addition, a marijuana producer must not be located in an area zoned exclusively for residential use and must meet the requirements of rules adopted by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

What Are the Different Types of Cultivation Licenses in Oregon?

Oregon classifies its marijuana cultivation licenses, also called producer licenses, according to certain criteria. It has different producer licenses for recreational marijuana and medical marijuana cultivators. It also categorizes recreational cultivation licenses according to site and canopy size. There are indoor and outdoor produce licenses as well as mixed production licenses for growers wishing to engage in both indoor and outdoor marijuana cultivation. Lastly, Oregon has different tiers of its indoor and outdoor producer licenses based on the maximum cultivation area allowed for marijuana production.

What Are the Different Types of Producer Licenses in Oregon?

Producer licenses in Oregon are classified based on the producer type. The producer types are indoor production, outdoor production, or mixed production.

• Indoor Production - This refers to the production of marijuana within a building or under cover where artificial lighting is used on mature marijuana plants. The maximum mature canopy size limits for indoor production include:
  • Micro tier I producers: Up to 625 square feet
  • Micro tier II producers: 626 to 1,250 square feet
  • Tier I producers: 1,251 to 5,000 square feet
  • Tier II producers: 5,001 to 10,000 square feet
  • Micro tier I producers: Up to 2,500 square feet
  • Micro tier II producers: 2,501 to 5000 square feet
  • Tier I producers: 5,001 to 20,000 square feet
  • Tier II producers: 20,001 to 40,000 square feet

  The maximum canopy size limits for immature canopy areas include:

  • Micro tier I producers - 625 square feet
  • Micro tier II producers - 1,250 square feet
  • Tier I producers - 5,000 square feet
  • Tier II producers - 10,000 square feet

  Who Can Grow Marijuana in Oregon?

  OMMP growers in Oregon must be 21 years of age or older according to Oregon Administrative Rules 333-008-0025. After completing a criminal history background check, a person applying to be a marijuana grower must meet the minimum requirements. This means they must not have been convicted of a Class A or Class B felony per Oregon Revised Statutes 475.752 to 475.920 for manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance in Schedule I or Schedule II more than once or within the last two years. Marijuana growers are not allowed to serve as growers for more than eight patients at a time. They cannot also grow more than six mature plants per patient.

  Persons aged 21 or older are allowed to grow marijuana for their consumption alone, provided they grow the marijuana at their residences where there are 12 or fewer mature plants. They must also not transfer the marijuana or marijuana products to an Oregon Health Authority processing site or dispensary. Such individuals will not be required to pay the grow site registration fee. However, they must obtain permission from their landlords if they stay in rented apartments. Also, the marijuana plants must be kept discreetly and out of the view of the public.

  How to Get a Marijuana Cultivation License in Oregon

  The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program created the Oregon Medical Marijuana Online System (OMMOS). The OMMOS helps manage and register OMMP growers and track their activities. After a person has been designated as a grower by a registered patient, they will be required to create an account with OMMOS or sign in to an existing account if they already have one and register their role as a grower. Only persons designated as growers by registered OMMP patients can act as growers. To designate a grower, a patient will need the grower’s:

  • Full name
  • Date of Birth
  • Gender
  • Government ID details (Driver's License, Passport, or Military ID)
  • Mailing Address
  • Grow site Address

  An email confirmation link will be sent to the applicant for a new account, but this link is only usable within 24 hours, after which it expires. Hence, the applicant must click the link found in the body of the email within 24 hours to confirm the email address they are using to log in to the OMMOS. Once the applicant gains access to their account, they may click the “Connect to Grower Information” button to begin the connection. To connect, the applicant will complete the required fields, including:

  • Grower’s full name (as it is on the grower card or Grow Site Registration Fee Letter)
  • Government-issued ID number (ID currently on file with the OMMP (typically your driver's license)
  • Grower’s card ID or registration number found on the letter you received from OMMP. (You may use the registration number if you have not received a grower card and need to pay the grow site registration fee).

  The grower may then validate their information and pay the required fee by clicking the green “unpaid” button to submit the grow site fee. Individuals may contact the OMMP by email at mmg.online@state.or.us or by calling (971) 673-1234 for inquiries and guidance.

  If a grower decides to register offline, they may download the application forms or get them by reaching out to the OMMP at PO Box 14450, Portland, OR 97293-0450 or by calling (971) 673-1234. After obtaining the forms, they are to complete them with the required information, sign them, and mail them with accompanying documentation and fees to:

  Portland, OR 97293-0450

  The application packet can also be hand-delivered to the OMMP dropbox at:

  Oregon Street, Portland

  Only the premises owner or the property owner’s legal representative for the grow site can sign the application. When inputting the address of a marijuana grow site, the application filed for a marijuana grow site registration card must include the physical address if it has a physical United States Postal Service (USPS) address. However, if the grow site does not have a physical United States Postal Service address, the application must include:

  • The city’s name or, if outside of a city, the name of the county where the grow site is located;
  • An assessor’s map number with a map that shows the exact location of the grow site;
  • The zip code for the location; and
  • One or more of the following for the location:
    • Longitude and latitude coordinates;
    • Township coordinates;
    • The tax lot number.

    Furthermore, a grower may be required to report the prior month’s onsite inventory and transfer activity by the 10th day of each month if they fall into any of these categories, the grower:

    • is growing at a site that is not a patient's residence
    • has been designated by another patient to grow
    • will be transferring cannabis to a medical dispensary or processing site
    • is at a grow site with more than 12 mature plants

    OMMP will notify growers at grow sites with over 12 plants when and how to start reporting to the Cannabis Tracking System (CTS) managed by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. However, before that time, they must report through the Oregon Medical Marijuana Online System.

    How to Get a Marijuana Producer License in Oregon

    The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is responsible for issuing producer licenses to marijuana producers for the premises where marijuana will be produced. The requirements for holding a producer license are:

    • The applicant must provide evidence that they are at least 21 years old;
    • If the applicant is not the owner of the proposed marijuana cultivation site, they will be required to provide the OLCC with a signed informed consent from the original owner of the cultivation site.
    • The marijuana producer must apply for a license in the manner described in Oregon Revised Statutes 475B.070; and
    • The marijuana producer must meet the requirements of any rule adopted by the commission.

    A grower registered with the Oregon Health Authority or a group of registered persons responsible for a marijuana grow site and located at the same address may each apply for a license to transition from being registered by the OHA to being licensed by the OLCC.

    To apply for a marijuana producer license from the OLCC, follow the steps listed below:

    1. Complete the Marijuana Producer Application online with the required information. The form has guidelines to help with completing the form on its first page.
    2. Provide the following documentation:
       1. One copy of a completed Land Use Compatibility Statement from the city or county that approves land use in the city or county where your proposed cultivation site is located. The Land Use Compatibility Statement must precisely identify the endorsements you propose to obtain.
       2. A map or sketch of the premises proposed for licensure. The map should include:

       Applicants may examine the Premises Map Instructions for comprehensive information about the information to include.

       3. Details on the structure of the business proposed to be licensed: 1. A [Marijuana Applicant Questionnaire](https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Documents/Licensing_Forms/mj_app_applicants.pdf), including a complete list of persons and legal entities who qualify as applicants for the license. 2. An [Individual History form](https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Documents/Licensing_Forms/mj_app_ih.pdf) for each person. 4. A [Producer Property Owner Informed Consent](https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Documents/Licensing_Forms/mj_pro_informed_consent.pdf) form. 5. Upload the completed, signed, and dated application packet as a supporting document online at the [Oregon Recreational Marijuana Licensing System](https://apps.oregon.gov/OLCC/Marijuana/elicense/) after signing in or creating an account. 

       Even if a person buys an existing licensed business, they will still need to submit all the information listed above. After the application has been submitted, the current licensee will need to submit a Change of Ownership request. However, the applicant cannot begin operating the business until their license application has been approved and issued by OLCC.

       Note that the Oregon Liquor Control Commission may require the fingerprints of any individual listed on an application submitted, including:

       • Each partner of a limited partnership if the applicant is a limited partnership;
       • Each member of the limited liability company, if the applicant is a limited liability company;
       • Each director and officer of the corporation, if the applicant is a corporation;
       • Any person who holds a financial interest of 10 percent or more in the individual applying for the license; and
       • Any person who is a partner, director, member, or officer of a legal entity with a financial interest in the person applying for the license.

       How Much Do Marijuana Cultivation Licenses Cost in Oregon?

       There is no marijuana cultivation license fee; however, the grow site registration fee is $200, subject to renewal annually. Applicants should make payment with credit or debit cards on the Oregon Medical Marijuana Online System. Applicants will not be issued the grower card until the grow site registration fee payment is received. The OMMP will mail the grower’s card after the grow site registration fee payment is received. However, if the applicant does not pay by the due date, the grower and grow site will be removed.

       How Much Do Marijuana Producer Licenses Cost in Oregon?

       The application fee of a marijuana producer license is $250, and this fee is non-refundable. The canopy size determines the cost of a producer license. The annual licensing fees for Oregon recreational marijuana producer licenses per canopy size are:

       • Micro Tier I - $1,000
       • Micro Tier II - $2,000
       • Tier I - $3,750
       • Tier II $5,750

       Can Licensed Marijuana Cultivators Hold Other Cannabis Licenses in Oregon?

       In Oregon, the same person may hold one or more licenses. Likewise, the OLCC allows a marijuana producer license holder to have multiple licenses and multiple license types.