PORTLAND — Oregon residents looking to enter the recreational marijuana business can now apply for a license.
The license paperwork became available Monday morning at 6 a.m. At noon, 70 people had submitted the forms, the Oregonian reports. Of those, 36 applications are from producers, 18 for retail locations and eight for processors and eight for wholesalers.
Oregon has no limit to the number of grower or retailer licenses it will issue. A report by the liquor control commission estimates the state will issue 850 recreational marijuana licenses by the end of 2017.
Amy Margolis, a lawyer with Emerge Law Group, which represents cannabis businesses, said she expects her firm to file about 30 applications this week.
“My hope is that as we submit more of these, that familiarity will breed some contentment with this process,” she said.
The forms require everything from security plans to electrical and water use information. Margolis said they are time-intensive and somewhat inefficient, but overall the system seems to work.
Commission Executive Director Steve Marks said the agency will review applications for outdoor production facilities and laboratories first, so growers can have their crop ready for the retail market later this year.
Marks said regulators are not likely to approve any applications until after the Oregon Legislature meets next month. Lawmakers are expected to consider some marijuana-related issues that may impact the licensing process, such as requirements related to out-of-state investments.
