On Monday, August 2, 2021 the OLCC officially became the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. The Oregon legislature approved the name change to more accurately reflect the work the agency has been doing for the state of Oregon since voters approved Measure 91 in November 2014.
Letter from OLCC Executive Director Steve Marks
OLCC’s mission is to support businesses, public safety, and community livability through education and the enforcement of liquor and marijuana laws.
The OLCC is the agency responsible for regulating the sale and service of alcoholic beverages in Oregon by administering the state’s Liquor Control Act and regulating the production, processing and sale of recreational marijuana in Oregon through the Control, Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Act. The agency also regulates the production, processing and sale of medical products sold to Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) cardholders in OLCC licensed marijuana retail shops.
The agency is comprised of four major operational programs; the Distilled Spirits Program, the Recreational Marijuana Program, the Public Safety Program and the Medical Marijuana Program. All four programs are supported by the Administration, Financial Services, and Support Services divisions. Revenue generated from these programs helps support state and local government programs.
The Distilled Spirits Program oversees the distribution and sale of distilled spirits in the state. The Distilled Spirits division centrally purchases, warehouses and distributes distilled spirits to Oregon’s independently operated liquor stores. OLCC’s Public Safety Program licenses and regulates businesses in the alcohol industry such as manufacturers, wholesalers, bars, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores.
The Recreational Marijuana Program is exclusively authorized to make recreational and medical grade marijuana available to consumers and licensed businesses through retail marijuana stores. The program also tracks the growing, transporting, processing and selling of recreational marijuana products. The Public Safety Program is responsible for licensing and regulating the operation of the recreational marijuana industry in Oregon.
The Medical Marijuana Program is responsible for the tracking of any OMMP grow (producer) that is registered to produce marijuana for three or more patients, OMMP processing sites and OMMP dispensaries. The Oregon Health Authority administers the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program.
The OLCC also enforces the Bottle Bill. Under this law, most beverages sold in Oregon have a 10-cent refund value and stores and redemption centers must redeem empty containers.