Oregon pot shop bummer: State says go, locals say no

SALEM, Ore. — About a dozen Oregon medical pot shops are in limbo, holding state licenses that say they can operate but facing local ordinances saying they can’t.

The state’s dispensary law was intended to move dispensaries onto firmer legal footing, but the Legislature in early March passed a bill allowing communities to bar them locally.

By May, more than 140 cities and 26 counties had adopted moratoriums set for anywhere from a few months to a full year.

The law allows dispensary owners in those areas who are already registered with the state to surrender their licenses for a refund of the $4,000 fees, but few have.

Several owners say they’re hanging on, hoping to ride out the moratoriums or work with local governments to get them lifted early.