Deadline for marijuana dispensaries to become recreational is fast approaching

MEDFORD, Ore. - Come January 1, dispensaries will have to switch their license from the Oregon Health Authority to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) and become a recreational shop if they want to sell to customers that don't have a medical card.

"85 percent of our customers are recreational and if we were not to switch to on OLCC license that would mean we would essentially have to lay off the majority of our staff," Pharm to Table owner Crystal Plotner said.

Plotner says without the license and the recreational sales, business would be difficult.

"The increased cost for small businesses to even try to produce a product is going to be incredibly strained," Plotner said.

Plotner submitted a special endorsement to sell medical and recreational grade at her shop last month and passed the inspection on Friday.

She now awaits her official accreditation with a sigh of relief.

"We're delighted that we'll still be able to sell to medical patients when we go fully recreational and still offer the medical grade products but it was a huge relief to us and to our staff that we'd be able to transition over to recreational," Plotner said.

Both Breeze Botanicals locations were the first dispensaries in the state to become accredited this past October.

Owner Brie Malarkey says she likes the OLCC model of incorporating both medical and recreational marijuana, but fears there may be over evaluation.

"Where is that fine line between enough regulation to ensure public health and to ensure that people operate legally but not too much that it stifles a brand new industry," Malarkey said.