On Monday, March 3, 2014 at 8:30 a.m., the Oregon Health Authority will begin accepting applications from individuals who wish to register and operate a medical marijuana dispensary in Oregon. Please check this page regularly for updates or sign up to receive updates by e-mail

Update: Final temporary rules posted

The final temporary rules governing medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon have now been posted. These are the rules that will be in place when the program begins accepting applications at 8:30 a.m. on March 3, 2014. If you are planning to file an application, you should read the rules to get an understanding of what will be required to register and operate a dispensary. >> Download the final draft of the rules (.PDF)

See below for older drafts of the rules and information about the rulemaking process. Also -

Preview the application

Download a sample copy of the registry application - DO NOT submit this sample application. Applications will only be accepted through the online system that will be live at > mmj.oregon.gov < beginning at 8:30 a.m. on March 3, 2014.

Background check information

View instructions and required forms for background.

Medical Marijuana Dispensary Rules

The rules implementing Oregon's medical marijuana dispensary law are intended to ensure safe access to medical marijuana for patients registered through the > Oregon Medical Marijuana Program < while keeping our communities safe. The rules were developed through a public process that included more than 17 hours of public meetings and testimony before a rules advisory committee that included members representing law enforcement, medical marijuana advocacy and legislators. There will be additional opportunities to comment on the final draft of the temporary rules before they are made permanent. Check this page or sign up for e-mail updates below for more information.

Key provisions in the rules -

No person convicted of the manufacture or delivery of a Schedule I or II substance in the past five years will be allowed to register a dispensary.

Persons with more than one conviction are permanently banned from operating dispensaries

No dispensary may open or operate within 1,000 feet of a primary or secondary school

No dispensary may open or operate within 1,000 feet of another dispensary. Applications for competing locations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis

Dispensaries must be located only in areas zoned commercial, industrial or agriculture. See note below regarding other restrictions from local government entities

All medical marijuana distributed through dispensaries must be tested for pesticides, mold and mildew, and may not be distributed if contaminants are found

There must be a strong security system in place

All product brought into and dispensed from the facility must be accounted for

The Oregon Health Authority will visit and inspect each dispensary and audit its financial records at least once a year

Oregon School Locator Map

The Oregon Health Authority is developing a GIS-based map that sites primary and secondary schools across the state and shows the 1,000 foot boundary from the edge of the school property that dispensaries must avoid in order to comply with Oregon law. >> Visit the Oregon School Locator Map

Please note: The map is intended to assist people who wish to site locations for dispensaries; however, it is only a general guide that offers the best information available to the agency. Oregon Health Authority staff will make the final determination of whether a proposed location meets the requirements of the law.

A note about local government issues

Oregon law (HB 3460) requires the Oregon Health Authority to develop and implement a process to register medical marijuana facilities, which must be located on property zoned for commercial, industrial or agriculture uses only. The issue of whether a local government believes a certain type of business should operate within one of these zones is a local government decision.

Whether a local government can legally prohibit the operation of a medical marijuana facility within its jurisdiction is a legal matter that may be resolved by the Legislature or the courts. The Oregon Health Authority does not have the authority or the capability to tell local governments what businesses they must allow within their jurisdictions.

What is the legal status of medical marijuana dispensaries operating in Oregon today?

The sections of the law that created medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon (HB 3460) that authorize the Oregon Health Authority to register medical marijuana facilities do not go into effect until March 3, 2014. A person responsible for a registered marijuana facility is not excepted from the criminal laws governing possession, delivery or production of marijuana as specified in ORS 475.309 until March 3, 2014, and then only if the facility has been registered by OHA.

Nothing in Oregon law protects dispensaries, growers, caregivers or patients from federal prosecution.

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Other questions?

Please send your questions to >> karynn.fish@state.or.us

History of the medical marijuana dispensary law

On August 14, 2013, Governor Kitzhaber signed House Bill 3460 into law, authorizing the Oregon Health Authority to establish procedures to license and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries. Read > House Bill 3460

> Read Governor Kitzhaber's statement upon signing HB 3460

Rules advisory committee

In the fall of 2013, the Oregon Health Authority appointed a rules advisory committee to advise the agency as the rules for medical marijuana dispensaries were drafted. The committee represented a broad engagement of stakeholders and was chosen based on recommendations submitted by the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program’s advisory committee, Oregon law enforcement agencies, advocates representing patients and dispensaries, legislators and others. See below for the schedule of meetings and related materials< See the HB 3460 rules advisory committee roster

Visit the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP)

SOURCE = Orergon Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program web page