Oregon has started accepting applications for recreational marijuana business licenses, setting off a scramble among entrepreneurs hoping to open retail stores, cultivation sites and processing operations.
Applications from outdoor cultivators and laboratories will be reviewed first, since product needs to be produced and tested before it can be sold to retailers, a liquor commission official told the newspaper.
Regulators aren’t expected to approve the first applications until after state legislators return to session next month and potentially make changes to the licensing rules.
Officials said they expect many applicants to ask for waivers on certain requirements, which could slow down the review process.
The Oregon Health Authority oversees medical marijuana, including dispensaries that currently can sell to recreational customers, but the liquor commission will take over management of the recreational program by the end of the year, according to the Oregonian.
