A week to go before recreational marijuana sales

Phoenix, Ore — If you’re not a medical marijuana patient and you don’t have friends who are, it’s difficult to get your hands on marijuana, even though it’s perfectly legal for adults 21 and up.

On July first of this year it became legal for anyone over 21 to possess and use marijuana, but a lot of people don’t have access to it.

That all changes in one week when dispensaries are allowed to sell the flower, and local dispensaries say they’re ready.

Since July first of this year recreational marijuana has been legal for anyone 21 and older in Oregon, but getting it is proving to be a major issue for some.

“Right now you need an OMMP Card, you need to be a member of the program to be able to access the dispensary and the products that are in here,” said Peter Gross of Green Valley Wellness.

That all changes on October 1st as many medical marijuana dispensaries in the state will open their doors to everyone 21 and up.

“We’re gearing up for massive increase in volume of customers and of course we’re still trying to take into consideration and make sure all our medical patients still have easy access,” said Crystal Plotner with Pharm to Table in Phoenix.

That means more customers, more business and the need to hire more employees.

“Had to add more computers, more cash registers, and expanded our counter and storage space,” said Plotner.

Starting on October 1st what you can do is buy up to seven grams, what you can’t do is buy any edibles, topicals or concentrates.

“Of course there’s going to be security concerns when you’re dealing with an increased volume for any purpose but we still want to make sure that it feels like a normal retail experience for people,” said Plotner.

Dispensary managers tell me all these changes are just the beginning as Oregon continues to work out the kinks of recreational marijuana.

Recreational marijuana will go untaxed by the state until January 4th when it jumps up to a 25 percent tax.

For more information on what’s legal and where visit WHATS LEGAL OREGON

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Matt Jordan is the Chief Meteorologist for KOBI-TV NBC5. Matt joined the NBC5 weather team in 2014 after a year as a reporter and anchor in Alexandria, Louisiana. His experience with the severe weather of the Deep South and a love of the Pacific Northwest led him to pursue a certification with Mississippi State University as a Broadcast Meteorologist. You can find Matt working in the evenings of NBC5 News at 5, 6 and 11 as well as online. Matt also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. In addition to being passionate about news and weather, Matt is a BIG Oregon Ducks fan. When not rooting for the Ducks or tracking down the next storm over the Pacific, Matt can be found outdoors in the Oregon wilderness with his wife, his daughter and their dogs Stanley and Gordi.
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