Cannabis
in Oregon

Oregon regulates cannabis under Chapter 475C of the Oregon Revised Statutes. Adults 21 and older can buy up to two ounces of usable cannabis per day from a licensed retailer, and the same trip may also include up to 16 ounces of solid edibles, 72 fluid ounces of liquid products, 10 grams of extracts or concentrates, four immature plants and 10 seeds. Under the state's penalty scheme, carrying up to two ounces in public carries no penalty, and up to eight ounces is allowed at home. Amounts beyond those limits escalate from a civil violation to misdemeanors and felonies. Registered medical patients may possess up to 24 ounces of usable cannabis. Some older guides still cite a one-ounce public limit.

Under ORS chapter 475C, the minimum age to buy, attempt to buy or possess adult-use cannabis in Oregon is 21, and licensed retailers must check ID before every sale. People under 21 caught with cannabis face fines, and a minor-in-possession conviction can lead to a driver's license suspension of up to a year, with first-time offenders able to regain driving privileges earlier by paying fines and completing an education class. The medical program has a lower age: patients 18 and older registered with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program can buy from licensed retailers. Younger patients may participate with a parent or legal guardian's consent and a parent or guardian acting as caregiver.

Adults 21 and older in Oregon may grow up to four cannabis plants per household, kept on private property and out of public view. Growing more than four up to eight plants is a Class B misdemeanor, and more than 12 is a felony. The plant allowance covers growing flower, not everything that can be made from it: ORS chapter 475C restricts home production of certain cannabinoid products, so manufacturing concentrates at home is not automatically legal. Registered medical patients have a larger allowance of up to six mature and 12 immature plants at a registered grow site, and designated growers can cultivate on a patient's behalf. People with multiple Class A or B felony convictions are barred from growing.

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission is the state's cannabis regulator. It licenses and oversees producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and testing labs under ORS chapter 475C and the rules in Oregon Administrative Rules chapter 845, divisions 25 and 26, and it tracks product movement through the Cannabis Tracking System. Every employee of an OLCC licensee needs a marijuana worker permit, which costs $100 and lasts five years. The Oregon Health Authority runs the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, registers patients, caregivers and grow sites, and licenses medical businesses. The Oregon Department of Revenue handles tax compliance, and the Oregon Department of Agriculture has a role on the hemp side.

Adult-use cannabis in Oregon is taxed at the point of sale. Industry sources describe a 17 percent state excise tax, and ORS chapter 475C lets local governments add their own tax with voter approval, typically up to 3 percent, which is why the combined rate is often quoted as about 20 percent. Registered patients in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program do not pay the retail cannabis tax when they buy medical products. The Oregon Department of Revenue issues the certificates of tax compliance that licensees need. State cannabis tax revenue came to roughly $170 million in 2024 and is directed to schools, public safety and mental health services.

Oregon does not currently license consumption lounges, and ORS chapter 475C prohibits using cannabis in public places. Lawful use is limited to private property away from public view, and landlords, vehicle rules and local ordinances can restrict it further. Public consumption is a violation carrying a fine of up to $1,000. The Indoor Clean Air Act also bars smoking within 10 feet of workplace entrances, exits, windows and air vents. That may change: a ballot initiative that would authorize on-site consumption at licensed lounges qualified for the November 2026 ballot. Until voters decide, retailers cannot let customers consume on their premises.

Registration with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, run by the Oregon Health Authority, begins with a qualifying provider. The provider must review the patient's records, conduct a physical examination, commit to follow-up care, and sign an Attending Provider Statement. The patient then applies online or by mail, including the signed statement, proof of identity and Oregon residency, and the fee. For new applications, the documents must reach the program within 90 days of the provider's signature. Once the application is accepted, patients receive a receipt that works as a temporary card for 30 days while the physical card is produced, and they can then buy medical-grade products from licensed retailers.

The Oregon Health Authority limits recommendations to a list of debilitating conditions. These include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, degenerative or pervasive neurological conditions, and PTSD, along with any condition or treatment that produces cachexia, seizures, persistent muscle spasms, severe pain or severe nausea. Providers may not recommend cannabis for conditions outside this list. The list can grow through a petition process: a panel of experts meets publicly at least four times a year to review requests, and the State Public Health Officer must rule on a petition within 180 days of receiving it. Patients or clinicians can submit petitions to the Oregon Health Authority.

Oregon Medical Marijuana Program applicants must be Oregon residents and at least 18, or younger with a parent or guardian's consent and a parent or guardian as caregiver. The Attending Provider Statement must come from an MD, DO, physician associate, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or naturopathic physician who is responsible for the patient's care or has been referred as a consultant. The standard fee is $200. Reduced fees apply to SNAP recipients at $60, Oregon Health Plan members at $50, and SSI recipients and veterans at $20. Caregivers must be at least 18 and listed on the patient's application, while designated growers must be 21 or older.

Oregon medical registrations last one year and must be renewed annually. According to the Oregon Health Authority, renewal documentation has to be submitted within 90 days before the card expires, and the new Attending Provider Statement must be signed within that same window, so a statement signed too early will not count. The patient's provider must still meet the program's requirements, including an examination and ongoing responsibility for care. Renewal fees follow the same schedule as a first application: $200 standard, with reduced rates for SNAP, Oregon Health Plan and SSI recipients and for veterans. Patient registrations have fallen by about 81 percent since adult-use sales began.

The Oregon Health Authority's guidance for providers in the research for this page does not directly address telemedicine. It does require that a recommending provider review medical records, conduct a physical examination, and provide follow-up care, which is harder to satisfy remotely. Several private clinics and certification services nonetheless offer telemedicine consultations for Oregon patients and describe them as lawful. Because the official guidance is silent on remote visits and the examination requirement is explicit, patients choosing telemedicine should confirm with the provider how the examination requirement is being met before paying, since a rejected Attending Provider Statement means starting over.

Oregon's medical program is limited to Oregon residents, and the research for this page does not identify any process that lets out-of-state medical cardholders register or buy as patients. In practice, visitors 21 and older do not need one: they can buy from any OLCC-licensed retailer under the adult-use limits and pay the retail tax. Oregon patients travelling elsewhere may find limited recognition depending on the destination state. Carrying cannabis across state lines remains a federal crime, as does bringing it onto federal property in Oregon. Senate Bill 582 authorizes the governor to negotiate interstate cannabis agreements, but it cannot take effect unless federal law changes.