People are still growing pot illegally and there are a number of reasons for it. Experts say the answer lies in the demand for marijuana outside Oregon rather than within the state. While Oregon has positioned itself to be a legal export state if and when the federal status of marijuana changes to allow interstate sales activity, export is still illegal to states that haven’t legalized marijuana.
While selling cannabis across state lines is the main driver of illegal growing, there are also people who grow with the intent of selling the unlicensed marijuana for a profit in Oregon, intending to undercut the prices at licensed marijuana shops and dispensaries.
Oregon is considered the state with the best weed. Leaders in the state have been aggressive in the marijuana legalization area. In 2019, then-Gov. Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 582 into law, legalizing the transportation of cannabis across state lines. But the law itself is aspirational — even licensed growers and distributors are prohibited from acting on it. Under the law, cross-state transportation would only be allowed between states that have legalized marijuana, and even that export isn’t permitted until the federal government changes the status of interstate cannabis sales.
Smoking weed is legal. The state legalized possession and use in 2015, after voters passed Ballot Measure 91 the previous year. There were nearly 800 active marijuana retail licenses in Oregon as of Feb. 15, 2023, according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
There are too many barriers and some facts that has prevented many from going the legal route. Getting licensed can be difficult. The application costs $250. Growers also have to prove that all their workers are also licensed, which costs $100 per worker. Completing this process and getting approved also depends on whether Oregon is currently accepting license applications. Right now, it isn’t.
The process can be a bit much. For instance, growers have to fill out an initial form, complete a land use compatibility statement, provide a map of the premises and information on the structure of the business, and fill out a marijuana applicant questionnaire, an individual history form and a producer property owner informed consent form. Oregon currently allows people to grow up to four plants per household.
