Oregon Cannabis Laws

Oregon Cannabis Laws: Recreational Marijuana, Medical Access, and Legal Changes Over Time

Updated October 11, 2026.

Recreational and medical cannabis are legal in Oregon. Adults 21 and older can buy from licensed retailers, possess cannabis within state limits, and grow a limited number of plants at home. Registered medical patients have separate allowances and program requirements.

Oregon has a long history of cannabis reform, beginning with small-possession decriminalization in 1973. Medical legalization followed in 1998, recreational legalization was approved in 2014, and personal-use provisions took effect in 2015. Later changes increased the public possession limit and addressed licensing and earlier convictions.

Oregon Cannabis Laws at a Glance

Consult ORS Chapter 475C, the OLCC consumer FAQs, and medical program FAQs.

History of Cannabis Laws in Oregon

1973: The First State to Decriminalize Small Possession

Oregon became the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in 1973. The change reduced punishment for specified possession rather than creating a legal commercial market.

The Legislative Revenue Office’s Measure 91 report describes this early history. Decriminalization and legalization are different milestones: the former reduces penalties, while the latter authorizes conduct within a regulatory framework.

1998: Medical Marijuana Is Legalized

Voters approved Measure 67 in November 1998, establishing the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act and the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, commonly called OMMP.

The law provided a route for qualifying patients to possess and use cannabis and established medical cultivation and caregiver provisions. Oregon’s medical statutes and rules page links the current framework, which has been amended since the original vote.

2014: Voters Approve Measure 91

On November 4, 2014, voters approved Measure 91, authorizing regulated recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. The measure established personal-use allowances and a licensing framework for commercial activity.

The Secretary of State’s regulatory overview identifies Measure 91 as the foundation of Oregon’s adult-use market. The medical program continued alongside recreational legalization.

2015: Personal Use and Early Retail Sales

Personal possession and home cultivation became legal under Measure 91 on July 1, 2015. Early recreational sales through participating medical dispensaries began October 1, 2015.

The Oregon Health Authority’s early-sales bulletin explains that transitional system. The licensed recreational market subsequently developed under the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, or OLCC.

2021 Reform: The Public Possession Limit Increases

SB 408, enacted in 2021, increased the usable-marijuana allowance in public from one ounce to two ounces. It also addressed other aspects of industry regulation.

The Legislature’s bill overview confirms the possession change. Older summaries repeating the original one-ounce public allowance are not an accurate statement of the current limit.

2022: Pardons for Specified Earlier Possession Cases

On November 21, 2022, Governor Kate Brown issued pardons covering specified single-charge marijuana possession cases involving adults 21 or older, one ounce or less, and no victims.

The Oregon Judicial Department’s pardon information explains the covered cases and sealing process. This relief did not extend automatically to every marijuana offense.

2024: Business License Caps and Moratorium Rules

HB 4121 addressed marijuana licensing through license caps and moratorium provisions. These commercial restrictions concern entry into the regulated industry rather than ordinary adults’ possession or personal growing rights.

The OLCC licensing page identifies the current licensing framework. A lawful home garden does not become a licensed cannabis business merely because recreational use is permitted.

Adult Possession and Product Categories

Adults may possess two ounces of usable marijuana in public and eight ounces under the household allowance. Other categories include 16 ounces of solid cannabinoid products or concentrates, 72 ounces of liquid cannabinoid products, and one ounce of qualifying retail-purchased extracts.

Oregon distinguishes concentrates from extracts, so a single generalized “concentrate limit” can be misleading. Product classification and sourcing matter. Review ORS 475C.305 and 475C.337.

Exceeding limits or engaging in unlicensed sales can still trigger penalties. Medical authorization may provide different allowances, but it is not interchangeable with ordinary recreational eligibility.

How Much Can You Buy in a Day?

The OLCC’s retail guidance lists these recreational limits at one time or within one day:

• Two ounces of usable marijuana;
• 16 ounces of solid cannabinoid products;
• 72 fluid ounces of liquid cannabinoid products;
• 10 grams of extracts or concentrates;
• 10 grams of cannabinoid products intended for inhalation;
• Four immature plants; and
• 10 seeds.

Purchase limits and possession limits are different. A daily purchase does not reset possession allowances, and a retailer’s ability to sell a product does not authorize public consumption.

Can You Grow Cannabis at Home?

Adults 21 and older may grow four recreational plants per household. The allowance does not multiply with the number of adults living at the address.

Personal growing does not authorize selling the harvest or running an unlicensed production business. Rental restrictions and other property requirements can also affect a garden.

Registered medical growing follows different plant-count and site rules. Patients should not simply add recreational plants to medical plants without reviewing the OMMP requirements for the particular address.

Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Program

OMMP patients must meet medical eligibility and registration requirements. An attending provider must document a qualifying condition and the appropriate medical basis for participation.

Patients and their caregivers generally may possess up to 24 ounces of usable marijuana, and a patient’s six mature medical plants must be grown at a registered site. Additional rules address immature plants, multiple patients, reporting, and growers.

Medical patients can receive benefits that differ from recreational access, including qualifying tax-exempt purchases. Review the OMMP FAQs. A medical card does not remove restrictions on public use or impaired driving.

Visitors and Interstate Travel

Adults 21 and older can purchase recreational cannabis without Oregon residency, using acceptable identification. An out-of-state medical card should not be assumed to provide Oregon medical tax or possession benefits.

State legalization does not authorize transporting cannabis across state lines. Rules on federal or tribal land may also differ from Oregon’s general state framework.

Consumption, Driving, and Employment

Public cannabis use is prohibited. This includes public locations even when possession itself is lawful. A dispensary purchase does not provide permission to use cannabis inside the store or in its public surroundings.

Driving under the influence remains illegal. Oregon’s health authority guidance explains the public-use and driving restrictions.

Legalization also does not create a general requirement that employers permit marijuana use or disregard drug policies. Employees should understand their workplace requirements, including rules involving impairment and federally regulated duties.

Cannabis Taxes in Oregon

Recreational marijuana sales carry a 17% state retail tax. With voter approval, cities and counties may add a local tax of up to 3%, making the combined marijuana tax as high as 20% where that local rate applies.

The Department of Revenue’s local-tax page explains the framework. Oregon does not impose an additional general statewide sales tax.

Qualifying sales to OMMP cardholders are exempt from marijuana tax. Medical credentials and transaction requirements matter; ancillary merchandise should not automatically be treated as a medical marijuana purchase.

Earlier Marijuana Convictions

Beyond the 2022 pardons, Oregon provides procedures for setting aside or reducing qualifying marijuana convictions. Eligibility depends on the offense and applicable legal requirements.

The Judicial Department’s marijuana forms provide a starting point. Legalization alone does not mean every past conviction or related record automatically disappears.

Oregon Cannabis Law Today

Oregon permits recreational retail sales, household cultivation, and registered medical access. The two-ounce public limit, eight-ounce household allowance, daily retail limits, and four-plant household rule are distinct requirements.

For updates, consult OLCC, the medical program, and current Oregon statutes.

This article provides general legal information, not individualized legal advice.