Oregonian officials have updated cannabis industry regulations to expand consumer choices, streamline regulatory oversight of day-to-day operations and regulate THC-containing hemp.
Last month, the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) said it had been working during for a year-and-a-half on new rules, with some coming into effect in 2022 and others slated for the following year.
As of Jan. 1, purchase limits have been raised to two ounces, from one.
As of April 1, THC limits on edibles will be doubled to 100 milligrams from 50 milligrams per package, but single-serving portions of no more than 10 milligrams will need to be obvious for safe dosing.
Two parts of the rule changes, House Bill 3000 and Senate Bill 408, were approved by state legislature last year.
HB 3000 limited hemp products having 2–20 milligrams of THC from being sold in Oregon, while SB 408 provided an outline for re-structuring penalties for rule violations made by licensees.
“These rules try to balance a number of different concerns — consumer health and safety, interests of small and large operators in our industry, and public safety concerns around loopholes in the Federal Farm Bill of 2018, and the illicit farm production taking place in Oregon,” Liquor & Cannabis Commission executive director Steve Marks said in a statement.
Read more: Oregon fast tracking $20M in harm-reduction funds
Read more: California’s cannabis industry will collapse unless regulations change, industry group says
Home delivery can now happen across city and county lines, so long as there’s approval from authorities. Previously, delivery was limited to the city or county where the retailer was.
Other changes involved lowering the time and cost for licensees to report plant tagging and harvests into the Cannabis Tracking System, while improving licensees’ ability to self-distribute their products.
Cannabinoids such as CBN, CBC and CBG will now have to meet Food and Drug Administration standards, and be recognized as safe by the agency. Licensed brands will have 18 months to bring their products into compliance.
“It may not make everybody happy, but it’s a pathway, and I think it solves a lot of the issues,” OLCC Commissioner Matt Maletis said.
Follow Natalia Buendia Calvillo on Twitter
natalia@mugglehead.com
