Oregon and Cannabis. What You Should Know

Need an Oregon medical marijuana card? You’ve come to the right place. We’ll tell you how to get your card and other important information you need to know about medical marijuana in Oregon.

Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Oregon?

Oregon became the second state to legalize medical marijuana when voters approved Measure 67, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, in 1998.

However, in 1973, the Beaver State was the first to decriminalize the plant. Also, Oregon has one of the most liberal medical marijuana laws, making it easy for residents to access medical marijuana.

Before you apply for an Oregon medical marijuana card, you must:

• Have a qualifying condition
• Have a physician’s recommendation
• Be an Oregon resident
• Be aged at least 18. Patients younger than 18 need a parent or legal guardian.
• Pay the application fee

Is Recreational Marijuana Legal in Oregon?

Yes, recreational marijuana has been legal in Oregon since 2014; adults aged 21 and older can grow, possess, and use marijuana.

Oregon recreational marijuanas became legal when voters approved Measure 91. However, it is essential to note that you can still break the law even though recreational marijuana is legal if you ignore the regulations. That’s why you should pay attention to the regulations listed below.

Possession Limit in Oregon

Adults aged 21 and older can possess a maximum of 1 ounce of marijuana on their person and 8 ounces in total, including at home, 16 ounces of solid cannabinoid products or concentrate, and 72 ounces of liquid cannabinoid products.

They can grow up to 4 plants per household for personal use regardless of the number of adults sharing the house. So, if you have three adults in a house, it’s not four plants per adult but four plants in the house.

Where Can You Consume Marijuana in Oregon?

Before you light up, here’s an essential rule you need to be aware of: you can’t consume marijuana in public in Oregon even though it’s legal. 

You can’t consume marijuana in a parked car, and it is illegal to drive while under the influence of marijuana. The best place to enjoy your weed is in the privacy of your home.

Who Can Prescribe Medical Marijuana in Oregon?

Before you can get medical marijuana in Oregon, you need a recommendation from an “attending provider. This person is primarily responsible for treating and caring for a person diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition.  If it sounds confusing, don’t worry, we’ll break it down.

An attending provider must be licensed to practice in Oregon. This could be a Doctor of Medicine, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and Naturopathic Physician.

What does “primary responsibility” mean? An attending provider with primary responsibility fulfills any of the following roles:

• Provides the patient with primary health care
• Provides the patient with medical specialty care and treatment
• Is a consultant tasked with examining and treating the patient by the patient’s primary care physician

Oregon Medical Marijuana Card Benefits

Marijuana is legal in Oregon. So, if you’re above 21, you don’t need an Oregon medical marijuana card to buy marijuana.

However, if you’re eligible for a card, you should get one because it comes with benefits like:

• Greater Possession limit: Recreational marijuana users can possess a maximum of 8 ounces, while MMJ cardholders can possess up to 24 ounces.

• Greater Growing Limit: MMJ cardholders can grow more marijuana than recreational users. While adults can grow only four plants, MMJ cardholders can grow up to 6 mature plants and ten seedlings per residence.

• Tax benefits: Every purchase of recreational marijuana attracts 17%, but MMJ cardholders don’t pay sales tax.

Qualifying Conditions for a Medical Card in Oregon

The qualifying conditions for an Oregon medical marijuana card are:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• A degenerative or pervasive neurological condition
• HIV/AIDS
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• A medical condition or treatment for a medical condition that produces one or more of the following:
  • Cachexia (a weight-loss disease that can be caused by HIV or cancer)
  • Severe pain
  • Severe nausea
  • Seizures, including but not limited to seizures caused by epilepsy
  • Persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to spasms caused by multiple sclerosis

Learn more about medical marijuana in Oregon by clicking here. 

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card 

Getting an Oregon medical marijuana card is easy. You just have to follow these steps.

Step 1 – Meet With a Physician

Visit a physician and get a recommendation. You can’t visit any physician you like; they must be a licensed practitioner with whom you have an existing relationship.

The physician will discuss your condition at the meeting and decide if you will benefit from medical marijuana treatment. Suppose the physician decides you need medical marijuana treatment.

In that case, they will give you an Attending Physician’s Statement. You need this statement for the application process, and the physician must sign it within 90 days of the application date.

Step 2 – Getting Registered

If you’re applying online, log on to https://ommpsystem.oregon.gov/ and create an account.

After creating an account, fill out the form and submit it along with your Attending Physician’s Statement, valid photo ID, and the applicable fee.

Step 3 – Now You Wait, But With a Temporary Card

After you submit a complete application, you’ll get a 30-day receipt which you can use to purchase marijuana while you wait for your card. The receipt allows you to purchase as much marijuana as the legal limit allows from a licensed dispensary.

However, if your application is incomplete, you’ll get an “Incomplete Letter” from the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) to let you know what you need to submit to complete the application.

You have 14 days from when you get the letter to attach the necessary documents and submit a complete application. The authority may reject your application if you don’t do so within 14 days.

Application Fees

There are different application fees ranging from basic to veterans’ fees.

• Patients who wish to grow their marijuana pay $200.
  • Those who grow marijuana and submit proof of being in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program pay $60
• People who grow their marijuana and submit proof of being in the Oregon Health Plan pay $50.
• Patients who grow their marijuana and submit proof of Supplemental Security Income pay $20.

The veteran fee is in two parts. Veterans who grow their marijuana and submit proof of service pay $20. On the other hand, veterans who grow their marijuana and submit proof of disability rating of at least 50% resulting from service and are discharged under conditions that are not dishonorable don’t pay a fee.

Oregon Dispensary Rules

If you wish to own a dispensary license, you need to apply. For detailed information on how to apply for a dispensary license, visit here.

Dispensaries in Oregon are permitted to sell cannabis, but they have certain regulations, and it is important to pay attention to these Oregon dispensary rules. These rules are as follows:

• Dispensaries must be located 1000 feet from the nearest school or dispensary.
• Dispensaries may not be located in a residential area.
• Mobile dispensaries are prohibited.
• Dispensaries cannot be located at the same address as a grow site.
• Dispensaries cannot share premises with any other business.

Oregon Medical Marijuana Act

The genesis of medical marijuana in Oregon is the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, also known as Issue 67. It was on the ballot for the November 1998 election, and voters approved it, thereby legalizing medical marijuana in Oregon.

The act legalized the possession, cultivation, and use of medical marijuana by any resident with a qualifying condition and a doctor’s recommendation. 

Apart from the qualifying conditions, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act also contains rules that regulate other aspects of medical marijuana. These are as follows:

Possession Limits for Medical Marijuana

The possession limits for patients and caregivers who have an Oregon medical marijuana card is as follows:

• 24 ounces of usable marijuana.
• 50 seeds
• 16 ounces of a solid medical cannabinoid product
• 72 ounces of a liquid medical cannabinoid product
• 16 ounces of a cannabinoid concentrate, whether sold alone or contained in an inhalant delivery system;
• Five grams of a cannabinoid extract, whether sold alone or contained in an inhalant delivery system
• Four immature marijuana plants
• 50 seeds

Medical Marijuana Home Cultivation 

Can Oregon medical marijuana patients grow their marijuana? Yes, they can, but there’s a specified limit. A patient and their caregiver can jointly possess no more than six mature plants and 12 immature plants.

Medical Marijuana Purchase Limits 

How much medical marijuana do Oregon medical marijuana cardholders buy? Oregon MMJ cardholders can buy 8 ounces of marijuana per day and 32 ounces per month. 

Elevate Holistics: MMJ Guarantee in Oregon

Navigating the world of marijuana is smooth and seamless when you have Elevate Holistics behind the wheels. We are a team of professionals committed to providing you with the best experience when it comes to information and services related to marijuana.

Do you need help getting your MMJ card, finding a physician, or locating a dispensary? Get in touch with us today, and let’s get started.