Cannabis Couriers

The Portland City Council recently voted to allow cannabis delivery businesses to operate within Oregon’s recreational cannabis market. This new type of legal businesses is being referred to as a “marijuana courier” business. Not only has the city lifted its ban on cannabis delivery, Portland has created a special license for those in the delivery service business to help create a more legitimate and legal model. Courier businesses are required to have a headquarters where they can produce their own cannabis and cannabis products. However, they are not allowed to sell to consumers from their headquarters, making delivery their exclusive sales platform.

The courier business headquarters must follow all the same zoning rules as any other dispensary, and must be at least 1,000 feet from any other cannabis business, although there are no rules dictating where they can deliver. Former Mayor Charlie Hales is in support of the growing recreational cannabis industry, “It’s great to see small businesses starting in the community, trying to do this the right way, and working with us trying to figure out the regulatory issues as we go along.”

“The Portland City Council are doing the cannabis industry a favor by increasing opportunities for small businesses to start out in the recreational market.”

The Portland City Council are doing the cannabis industry a favor by increasing opportunities for small businesses to start out in the recreational market. This will be the first time delivery services will be able to operate legally, without having their legitimacy called into question. This is awesome news for anyone who has a difficult time getting out of their house, or finding transportation to a dispensary. Other states have allowed cannabis delivery in the past, but never in the recreational market. It has only been allowed for medical patients, and even then only in special circumstances. So Oregon is once again blazing a new trail within the cannabis industry.

Several other new licenses were also created along with the courier license in January, one for growers with more than 625 feet of cultivated cannabis plants, one for those who have grow operations up to 1,250 square feet, and one for those selling seeds or plants purchased from wholesalers. Business hours for all dispensaries are now set in stone from 7am until 10pm, requiring Portlanders to operate with the same hours as those across the state. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) is in charge of making sure cannabis businesses not only have the proper licenses to operate, but are also following the industry guidelines. Commissioner Amanda Fritz is optimistic about the future of Oregon’s recreational market. “Since the state regulations keep changing and the industry keeps flourishing, we’ll keep coming back with multiple changes I’m sure. I look forward to that time.” Fritz leads the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, a division of the OLCC that could fine businesses up to $5,000 if code regulations are not met.

The Portland City Council voted unanimously for these new additions and changes to the city’s cannabis code. Along with the OLCC and the Oregon Health Authority, the City Council wants to ease financial barriers for entrepreneurs trying to get into the cannabis industry.

They also want to alleviate some of the burden on businesses trying to go from medical sales to recreational. Many owners were worried about getting shut down in the new year, but the OLCC is understanding of the difficult process businesses are going through, and have assured the public that nobody will get shut down as long as business are in the process of complying.

The city has received so many new cannabis business applications that there is quite a long wait list at this point in time. Out of the 534 applicants Portland’s Bureau of Development Services has received, about 100 have been approved. Many businesses are stuck waiting for license approval before they can set up shop. With such a booming cannabis industry in Portland, recreational licenses are in high demand. And with continuous changes in state legislation, Portland’s recreational guidelines will also continue to change until we have rules that work for everyone.