Up to 12 Oregon rec shops may be fully operational

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Oregon’s marijuana industry has begun a new chapter.

At least 26 recreational cannabis retailers in the state have now been fully licensed, the Associated Press reported. And up to a dozen of those were in a position to begin adult-use sales this past Saturday, the official start of Oregon’s full recreational marijuana market.

Although medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon have been allowed to sell limited amounts of cannabis to recreational users since October 2015, adult-use customers have been allowed to purchase only up to a quarter ounce of flower at a time and only were allowed to begin buying edibles and extracts in June.

Under the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s new retail license, that limit has been increased so the 26 shops with permits will be allowed to sell up to an ounce of flower to each customer.

There are also bigger limits on the amount of edibles, extracts and other products a customer may purchase in a single transaction, and that is expected to increase sales across the board for the industry.

Of 1,432 applications that have been submitted, more than 300 recreational cannabis business licenses have been approved thus far by the OLCC, including retailers, cultivators, testing labs and wholesalers. Although licensing has been slow, it will continue on a rolling basis.

Medical dispensaries will be permitted to keep selling to adult-use customers through the end of the year and then must only serve MMJ patients unless they receive an OLCC rec license.