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RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA County tops OLCC pot license list 111 producers have applied so far By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted May. 25, 2016 @ 4:54 pm Updated May 25, 2016 at 5:46 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted May. 25, 2016 @ 4:54 pm Updated May 25, 2016 at 5:46 PM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Jackson County ranks at the top of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s list of recreational marijuana grower applications in the state, according to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. As of May 24, 111 producers have applied for licenses to grow cannabis in this county. Josephine County is second highest on the list, with 80 applications to grow recreational marijuana. Multnomah County has 60 grower applicants and the most applications overall — 165 — for labs, processors, producers, retailers and wholesalers. Jackson County’s overall number of applications is 132, second highest in the state, followed by Lane County at 117. Statewide, OLCC has received 983 applications from those seeking marijuana licenses, of which 676 are for producers. Apart from these applications for recreational marijuana producers, Jackson County has 3,247 medical marijuana grow sites, according to the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Michael Monarch, owner of Green Valley Wellness, said he’s not surprised at the high number of applications at the OLCC. "There are a lot of investors who are interested in the marijuana business," he said. Monarch said he’s gearing up for a large operation in the Talent area, but it won’t be growing anything until next year. “It takes two to three months to get a license, and that just wouldn’t work for us this season,” he said. Monarch said he plans to grow 400 plants on a one-acre property, and he estimates the cost to set up the operation at $300,000 to $500,000. Investors are more than happy to spend money on cannabis growing operations, he said, noting that a friend in California received $20 million for a 7,500-plant operation. Monarch, who also has a medical marijuana growing operation, said he anticipates phasing out of medical marijuana eventually and just concentrating on recreational marijuana at his other business, known as Epic Family Farms. OLCC has been approving licenses this year as the state-controlled recreational marijuana program begins to fully roll out. Licensees can receive one of two types of licenses to grow marijuana. Tier 1 growers, who pay $3,750 for an annual license, can grow a canopy of marijuana that covers up to 10,000 square feet. Tier 2 growers, who pay an annual license fee of $5,750, can grow a canopy of up to 40,000 square feet. The annual license fee for labs, processors, wholesalers and retailers is $4,750. Applicants undergo criminal background checks and are trained in a tracking system. In addition, applicants must receive local land-use approval. Phil Carvalho, who owns Patients Helping Patients in west Medford, said he’s in no rush to get a recreational marijuana license and is content to continue growing just medical marijuana. “A lot of people are doing the wait-and-see approach,” he said. Carvalho’s dispensary sells only medical marijuana. Recreational marijuana sales are currently banned in the city of Medford. But Carvalho said a state recreational license comes with a high cost and involves more requirements than medical marijuana. “You almost have to have $100,000 to get into that industry,” he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/reporterdm . Marijuana applications to the OLCC by Mail Tribune By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted May. 25, 2016 @ 4:54 pm Updated May 25, 2016 at 5:46 PM » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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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