What: an overview of the City cannabis program (2026-405) and a proposed amendment to the Marijuana Regulatory License Procedure and Requirements Code, PCC 14B.130 (2026-407): remove fixed dollar amounts from code, raise the deferred-payment down payment from $500 to 50 percent, replace two late fees with a single $300 late fee, and lift the ban on drive-thru and walk-up windows at retail.
Where it stands: continued without objection to the December 8 City Life Committee meeting; no vote taken. Councilor Ryan is to convene the bureau and industry on possible amendments.
Gaps: the proposed code text and fee schedule have not been read; figures come from live captions and may be misheard.
Staff covered the program's history, 357 active licenses, the state moratorium on new licenses since 2022 and a $3,970 license fee, plus fee reduction, deferred payment and relief programs.
About ten industry speakers described falling sales, high fees and taxes and businesses considering leaving Portland, and some said the 50 percent down payment would strain cash flow.
Avalos was undecided; Ryan was not comfortable advancing the code and wanted staff to respond to the feedback; Morillo suggested one license for identical non-retail sites.