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Up until about a decade ago, growing, buying, and selling cannabis in Portland were secretive and counter-cultural acts. Since it became legal for recreational use and possession by individuals over 21 in Oregon in 2015, transactions have become mainstream. In fact, the Travel Portland website now spells out what tourists can and cannot do as it relates to cannabis, lists places to buy edibles, and describes a cannabis-focused tour of the Rose City.

As of April 2024, cannabis is legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia. However, even though marijuana is no longer an underground phenomenon, it is still illegal on the federal level. That’s part of the reason why the industry is highly regulated and extremely transparent. Even so, the National Cannabis Industry Association predicts that sales are expected to increase to $53.5 billion by 2027. State legalization, advancements in technology, and novel product use are helping to power this upsurge.

Transforming Growth Through Technology

Industry experts have turned to Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics to help increase cannabis yields and do it more quickly. Technology allows growers to more easily observe environmental circumstances, balance nutrient levels, and improve plant well-being to not only increase cannabis yields and speed up the growing time but also to produce a better-quality product.

Growers aren’t the only ones benefiting from technology. With the advent of cannabis-focused apps that list strain suggestions, dosage standards, and product reviews, 2024 buyers have become much more educated and sophisticated.

Wellness Uses

Many buyers have shifted cannabis consumption to products targeting their health and well-being, including edibles. CBD-infused products (with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties) have also made their way into skincare regimens, creams and lotions, pain management, and treats for pet anxiety.

Legal Landscape 

Portland city government requires retailers and dispensaries to be at least 1,000 feet from any K-12 schools. Its Cannabis Program also safeguards the creation of jobs, a diverse workforce, and safe, legal options for customers.

Certain types of insurance for marijuana businesses do exist, but because the industry is new, constantly changing, and illegal at the federal level, not all carriers offer cannabis insurance. That’s where Portland’s Cannabis Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) comes in. The Portland City Council has placed over $1 million of the city’s cannabis tax revenue in an emergency fund for the local industry to help when businesses are impacted by robberies, wildfires, and damage by vandals.  

Additionally, Oregon workers are looking to share in the cannabis industry's profits. They’d also like improved benefits and better healthcare and security safeguards. If state ballot measure 119 passes in November 2024, retailers and processors of cannabis must remain neutral when labor organizations attempt to speak with their employees about collective bargaining rights. In other words, cannabis workers could join a union if they wanted to, but union membership isn’t required.