Now that marijuana is legal in Oregon, waves of people are jumping in line to open their own dispensaries. Even if you’re not gunning to open one yourself, you may be curious about just what it takes to get a cannabis dispensary up and running.
Before ground is broken on one of these retail stores, its owner must comply with all the steps set forth by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). OLCC marijuana licensing has quite a few steps, so we’re about to simplify for you by breaking it into two main phases. Keep reading to see what it takes!
Phase 1: Business Information
The first thing a prospective dispensary operator must do is gather and provide all of this information to the OLCC.
- Business Name: This will be your registered legal entity name, but not an Assumed Business Name (ABN). If you’re to be the Sole Proprietor, this will just be your full legal name.
- Secretary of State Registration Number: You must register your legal entity with the Oregon Secretary of State, and you’ll be assigned a business registration number.
- Type of Entity: This is where you fill in what kind of business you’re going to be. Examples include a corporation, a non-profit, and sole proprietorship.
- Contact Info: This is the info the OLCC will use to contact you, and it doesn’t have to be the physical address of the proposed business premises.
Once you’ve got that together, you need to disclose your funding sources by type and amount, as well as enter a description of the funding source.
You must also make a list of all the individuals who have a financial interest in the proposed dispensary that includes this information:
- Name
- Contact info
- Social security number
- The current state of residence
- States of residence for the past 10 years
- Criminal history
You’ll also provide the same information for any legal entities with a financial interest in your business, as well as list the type of interested entity.
Phase 2: Applying for a License
Now that you have the info gathering out of the way, it’s time to fill out the actual application for a license. To do so, you’ll need to fill in these.
- Type of License: There are many types of license, including those for producers, wholesalers, retailers, and more. For a dispensary, you’ll file a retailer application.
- Facility Manager Info: Provide the name and contact info for the person who will handle the OLCC marijuana site visits.
- Physical Address: To approve your license the OLCC marijuana branch has to know where it is. Include latitude and longitude of your proposed premises if available.
You’ll also need a few other documents before your store is opened, including a premises boundary sketch, floor plan, and operating plan.
Other Considerations
The OLCC marijuana licensing process is mostly one of gathering documents, and for the most part, compliance will be enough to get new dispensaries off the ground. However, there’s one more thing to consider: Oregon’s cannabis laws allow cities and even whole counties to prohibit retailers from operating in their jurisdictions. In fact, the OLCC has a list three pages long of cities and counties that prohibit the production, processing, wholesale, and retail sales of marijuana.
Even so, dispensaries are cropping up quickly wherever they’re allowed! We hope this guide to OLCC marijuana licensing has given you a little more insight into how you get your weed.
