The Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee today approved Senate Bill 558, a proposal to expand marijuana samples, advancing the proposal to the full Senate for consideration.
Introduced in January by State Senator Floyd Prozanski (D), the bill would expand how licensed marijuana businesses can distribute product samples. It would allow marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers to provide samples at trade shows and temporary events registered with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), as well as to their own employees.
Under the bill, marijuana wholesalers could sell directly to retailers at industry events, streamlining business-to-business transactions. Licensed producers would also be allowed to give marijuana seeds and immature plants to their workers, while producers, wholesalers, and processors could provide limited samples of usable marijuana, concentrates, extracts, and packaged cannabinoid items to employees.
The OLCC would be tasked with overseeing the new sample distribution framework, developing rules to regulate and monitor compliance. Supporters say the measure would give businesses a valuable marketing tool and allow employees to better understand the products they work with. Opponents may raise questions about regulatory oversight and how samples are tracked.
If passed by the full Legislature, SB 558 would take effect 91 days after the end of the 2025 legislative session.
