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CONTINUING COVERAGE: MARIJUANA Jackson County company among first to win recreational pot license Jackson County company among first eight licensees Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted May. 3, 2016 at 5:32 PM Updated May 4, 2016 at 10:31 AM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted May. 3, 2016 at 5:32 PM Updated May 4, 2016 at 10:31 AM » Social News A Jackson County company is among the first eight businesses statewide to receive a coveted recreational marijuana growing license from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. The OLCC this week announced the first recipients, which include Southern Oregon Cannabis Co. LLC., located off East Evans Creek Road north of Rogue River. "It is very exciting for sure," said owner Devin Ellis. He said about a dozen family members and friends work for the company. After receiving the license, they planted marijuana seeds, which are beginning to sprout. Southern Oregon Cannabis is allowed to grow recreational marijuana outdoors, with plants covering 20,001 to 40,000 square feet, according to the OLCC. In its first year, the company probably will have about 10,000 square feet of plants, said Ellis, who previously worked in real estate before venturing into the marijuana industry. "Next year we should be able to fill out the maximum area," he said. Charles Brooks, doing business as Loved Buds and based in Josephine County, was the other Southern Oregon grower to secure one of the first licenses under Oregon's legalized recreational marijuana system. Loved Buds can grow marijuana outdoors with plants covering up to 20,000 square feet under the state's tiered system. Oregon voters approved a measure to legalize recreational marijuana in 2014, leading to a scramble among state and local governments to develop regulations for the burgeoning industry. Other companies to get licenses are in Lane, Tillamook, Washington and Clackamas counties. “These licensees reflect the pioneering spirit Oregon is known for,” OLCC Chairman Rob Patridge said in a prepared statement. “They come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and possess the entrepreneurial spirit of this industry.” The OLCC estimates it will issue about 850 recreational producer licenses this year — but expects to receive up to 2,000 applications. As of Tuesday, the OLCC had received 107 recreational producer license applications from Jackson County and 73 applications from Josephine County. More applications have come from Jackson County than any other county in the state. Clackamas County, which stretches from the southeast Portland metro area to Mount Hood, ranks second, with 89 recreational producer applications, according to OLCC data. Faced with a deluge of recreational producer license applications, the OLCC said it is focusing most of its efforts for now on outdoor growers. The licensees can start operating legally after paying their annual license fee. The annual fee for a smaller Tier 1 grower is $3,750, and the annual fee for larger Tier 2 growers is $5,750, the OLCC said. “All applicants go through rigorous scrutiny before they’re even considered for a license,” Patridge said in a statement. “They undergo criminal background checks, must receive land-use approval from local governments, and be trained to use the Cannabis Tracking System, which is the key public safety component for the regulated recreational marijuana system.” OLCC investigators reviewed the applications and inspected the locations to ensure the applicants met all state laws and regulations before their applications were presented to the commission for approval, the OLCC said. The OLCC did not disclose the locations of the growers, other than to name the counties in which they plan to grow recreational marijuana. Information about grow sites is kept confidential for security reasons, said OLCC spokesman Mark Pettinger. With the recreational system still under development, it became legal to sell medical marijuana to adult recreational users via medical marijuana dispensaries in October 2015. Medical marijuana has long been legal in Oregon. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted May. 3, 2016 at 5:32 PM Updated May 4, 2016 at 10:31 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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