Oregon Cannabis Cafe Initiative Clears First Hurdle, Ballot Title Expected July 23

The Oregon Elections Division has certified that Initiative Petition 2026-040 has received the required number of valid sponsorship signatures. As a result, the Secretary of State has requested that the Attorney General draft a ballot title, which is due by July 23.

Filed in March by the Oregon Cannabis Cafe Coalition, the initiative would legalize state-licensed cannabis social lounges starting in January 2027. The venues would be open to adults 21 and older and would allow on-site marijuana consumption. However, cannabis could not be sold or distributed at the lounges—patrons would need to bring their own. Alcohol and tobacco products would be prohibited.

Lounges would be allowed to sell unmedicated food and beverages, including those infused with hemp-derived CBD as long as THC levels do not exceed 0.3%. Operations must comply with strict health, safety, and ventilation standards, as well as local zoning laws.

The initiative also limits eligibility for licenses to microbusinesses and explicitly excludes existing marijuana retailers from operating lounges under their current licenses. All applicants would need approval from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and their local governments.

Organizers say the next step will be to gather more than 117,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the 2026 ballot. In a recent post, chief petitioner Justyce Seith celebrated the milestone and called for volunteers to join the campaign, emphasizing the importance of creating safe, regulated spaces for social cannabis use across the state.