Oregon public health officials reverse course on popular marijuana extracts

Oregon's medical cannabis-extract market has been saved from potentially derailing legislation which would have made it illegal for medical marijuana dispensaries to buy concentrates (oils, wax, hash) from unlicensed operations. The problem is that the licensing process for concentrate businesses does not even begin until April 1, and could potentially take months to get going. Extract businesses claim the halt in production would not only terminate their business and employees, but take the highly profitable concentrate market back into the black market. Despite being signed into law by Gov. Kate Brown, the bill was shut down and followed up by allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to purchase extracts from companies who have submitted their completed application and a $4,000 fee. 

The co-chairs of a joint legislative committee overseeing marijuana implementation weighed in on the policy last week, urging Lynne Saxton, director of the health authority, to "find a path forward that would enable safe production of cannabis extracts to continue without undue interruption."