New Oregon Ballot Measure Would Legalize Cannabis Cafes

A newly proposed ballot measure in Oregon would legalize cannabis cafes—licensed locations that could offer food and drinks while also allowing on-site marijuana consumption.

Though Oregon voters approved adult-use legalization through a 2014 initiative, consumption is technically allowed only at home or on private property.

Titled “The Amendment for the Licensing and Operation of Cannabis Cafes,” the new prospective ballot intiative would give regulators at the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) authority to license cannabis cafes across the state. Local jurisdictions would be able to set limits on the location, size and operational hours of the facilities.

Organizers are hoping to qualify the measure for the state’s November 2026 ballot.

“These establishments would allow customers to consume cannabis on-site, providing a safe and legal environment that aligns with Oregon’s existing laws and standards,” an overview of the proposal says. “Cannabis cafes would also create new economic opportunities, expand tourism, and contribute to the state’s ongoing commitment to responsible cannabis consumption.”

Smoking and vaping marijuana would be allowed in designated areas in the cafes, which would be required to install high-efficiency ventilation systems that would capture airborne particles and prevent smoke from infiltrating non-smoking or food preparation areas.

Would-be operators could apply for licenses “to operate at cannabis cafes under the new regulations within six months of enactment,” says the proposal filed last week with the Oregon Secretary of State. The businesses would begin operating about 18 months after passage, according to a separate summary.

“The State has recently approved our petition initiative however we still need 1,000 signatures in order to get this drafted for the ballot,” Justyce Seith, the chief petitioner on the proposal, told Marijuana Moment in an email.

That threshold is needed to receive a ballot title from state officials. After that, activists would need to collect a total of 120,413 valid signatures to qualify the measure to appear on the ballot.

Seith is the founder of the Oregon Cannabis Cafe Coalition, a Portland-based group that advocates for the legalization of smoking lounges and cafes where consumption of infused edibles is permitted.

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Seith said that organizers are planning events to build support for the ballot push.

“We will be hosting local events to gain recognition and raise awareness for the initiative,” she said. “So stay tuned!”

Alcohol would be forbidden at cannabis cafes, according to a summary of the initiative provided by Seith. Tobacco use would also be prohibited, she said—meaning no blunts or spliffs at lounges—though that isn’t mentioned in the summary itself.

Cafes would also need to have on-site security and would “work closely with local law enforcement to ensure that no patrons leave the premises under the influence of cannabis or engage in impaired driving,” the summary says.

“It’s bewildering to me that Oregon is such an innovator and a leader in the cannabis industry and, somehow, other states are surpassing us on this issue,” she told Willamette Week, which first reported the ballot measure effort. Nearly a dozen states already allow some form of on-site cannabis consumption.

The publication also notes that Portland briefly hosted a hemp-focused consumption lounge from 2021 to 2023:

Portland actually did already have a cannabis cafe (of sorts) a few years ago. Hemp Bar opened at 6258 SE Foster Road in May 2021 and served hemp pre-rolls, hemp blunts, CBD-infused mocktails and edibles—just nothing containing more than 0.3% THC. Hemp Bar closed in 2023.

Separately in Oregon, marijuana businesses recently sued the state seeking to block the implementation of a voter-approved law mandating that cannabis licensees enter into labor peace agreements with workers.

Read an explanation of the initiative proposal from the Oregon Cannabis Cafe Coalition below:

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