Oregon voters approved Measure 91 on November 4, 2014, legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older by 847,865 votes (56.11%) to 663,346 (43.89%). Possession and home growing became legal on July 1, 2015, and adults could buy cannabis at existing medical dispensaries starting October 1, 2015. Oregon became the third state to legalize, after Colorado and Washington, and its system run by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) is still in place.
What Happened
Qualifying IP 53
The measure began as Initiative Petition 53, sponsored by New Approach Oregon with chief petitioner Anthony Johnson. The campaign needed 87,213 valid signatures by July 3, 2014, and turned in about 145,000 (NORML). On July 22, 2014, state election officials announced it had qualified with 88,584 valid signatures, about 1,400 to spare (MJBizDaily). It went on the ballot as Measure 91.
What the measure did
Measure 91 let adults 21 and over carry up to 1 ounce in public, keep up to 8 ounces at home and grow up to four plants per household. It put the OLCC in charge of licensing growers, processors, wholesalers and stores, and required the agency to start taking license applications by January 4, 2016. Tax revenue was earmarked mainly for schools, state police, local law enforcement and mental health and addiction services (Measure 91 summary; full text, Ballotpedia).
The campaign
Supporters included the Democratic Party of Oregon, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Sen. Jeff Merkley and the editorial boards of The Oregonian and The Register-Guard. Merkley said in October 2014 that he would “most likely” vote yes; our archive reported it at the time as the first public backing of a legalization measure by a sitting U.S. senator. The Oregon District Attorneys Association and the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association led the “Vote No on 91” campaign, joined by the Oregon Republican Party and the Oregon Pediatric Society. Polls in the fall were close; one we cited in October had supporters ahead 46% to 44%.
On election night the measure won by more than 12 points, carrying 14 of Oregon’s 36 counties, including Multnomah. The same day, Alaska passed Ballot Measure 2 and Washington, D.C. passed Initiative 71.
Background
Oregon was the first state to decriminalize marijuana, in 1973, making possession of up to an ounce a fine-only violation. Voters approved medical marijuana in 1998 with Measure 67. Earlier legalization attempts failed: Measure 5 in 1986, Measure 74 (medical dispensaries) in 2010, and Measure 80 in 2012, which lost about 53% to 47% (Cannabis in Oregon). Measure 91’s backers wrote a more tightly regulated proposal modeled on alcohol control, and it worked.
What Happened Next
- July 1, 2015: Possession, use and home growing became legal for adults.
- October 1, 2015: Under a law the Legislature passed that summer, medical dispensaries began selling limited amounts of flower to any adult. Sales topped $11 million in the first week.
- January 2016: The OLCC began accepting license applications.
- January 2017: Recreational sales required an OLCC license. The number of licensed retailers grew from 99 to 260 in about a month.
The Legislature also replaced the measure’s original tax structure with a retail sales tax, now 17% state plus up to 3% local, and many cities added the local tax after 2016 votes.
Where It Stands in 2026
More than a decade later, Oregon’s licensed market is well established. Adults can buy up to 2 ounces of flower per day at OLCC-licensed stores, and the total retail tax tops out at 20%. Our Oregon marijuana laws guide covers current limits, taxes and public-use rules, and our Oregon dispensary directory lists licensed shops. Federal law still treats adult-use marijuana as Schedule I; see our federal marijuana law guide. For the other 2014 votes, read our story on D.C.’s Initiative 71.
Oregon Measure 91 FAQ
When did Oregon pass Measure 91?
On November 4, 2014, with 56.11% of the vote: 847,865 yes to 663,346 no.
When did recreational marijuana become legal in Oregon?
Possession and home growing became legal July 1, 2015. Adults could buy at medical dispensaries starting October 1, 2015, and OLCC-licensed stores took over recreational sales by January 2017.
What was IP 53?
Initiative Petition 53 was the signature drive that became Measure 91. It qualified on July 22, 2014, with 88,584 valid signatures, just above the 87,213 required.
Who regulates marijuana in Oregon?
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), which was the Oregon Liquor Control Commission when Measure 91 passed.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.