Oregon Universal Cannabis Symbol & Medical Grade Symbol Labeling Guide

Keep your cannabis products compliant in the state of Oregon

Keeping compliant with both recreational and medical marijuana product labeling can be difficult to keep up with.

The laws and regulations governing the packaging of products containing any type of THC containing compound are ever-changing, with each year bringing new requirements and stipulations it seems, specifically keeping up with the proper Oregon cannabis labels.

Oregon state's cannabis packaging and labeling requirements are no different, with many changes to the packaging and labeling requirements for cannabis products over the past few years.

The most recent changes (as of this writing Jan. 29, 2018) were implemented in May 2017.

Note that the Oregon State Marijuana and Cannabis market is overseen by Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

[caption id="attachment_8587" align="alignright" width="300"] Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed recreational marijuana bill in 2015. Oregon state and her citizens have been laughing all the way to the bank with around $10 million a month in marijuana tax revenue.
Credit: Andrea J. Wright / Wikipedia Commons, The Wright Pictures for U.S. Department of Labor[/caption]

Oregon Marijuana Legislation History

While Colorado and California may snag the headlines for progressive marijuana stances, the Beaver State has been at the forefront of the nation's progressive marijuana legislation.

Oregon was the first state to decriminalize marijuana and while California was the first to legalize medical cannabis,  Oregon was not far behind.

In 2015, recreational marijuana use was signed into effect by Governor Kate Brown.

In 2016, the state collected $54 million in tax revenue from marijuana sales - showing just how widespread recreational marijuana's use was from the outset in Oregon.

Universal Symbol and Medical Grade Symbol Usage Guide

The fact that Oregon has a medical marijuana program in addition to legal recreational marijuana serves to complicate the packaging and labeling guidelines for each type of cannabis product.

In this article we are only going to cover the rules that govern the usage of the Universal Symbol and the Medical Grade Symbol in Oregon, as of the time of this writing.

PLEASE NOTE: The information provided here is only a brief summary of the rules.  There are additional requirements that you must comply with.  You are responsible for complying with OAR 845-025-7000 to 845-025-7060 and OAR 333-007-0010 to 333-007-0100. 

The Universal Symbol Labeling in Oregon

In general, the following holds true for all required information on marijuana packaging in Oregon:

1. Be at least 8 point Times New Roman, Helvetica or Arial font, although the font can be larger

1. Be in English, but the information can be included in other languages; and

1. Be unobstructed and conspicuous, meaning that all required information must be visible on the outside of the package.

Specifically, the following information applies to the Universal Symbol:

...Additionally, every label must contain:

1. A principal display panel as defined by OAR 333-007-0020. (See the Principal Display Panel Section for more information).

1. The universal symbol (at least 0.48 inches wide by 0.35 inches tall); and

1. All of the information required by rule for the specific product type (plant, seed, usable marijuana, edible, topical, concentrate, extract, or tincture).

1. The universal symbol must be on the principal display panel and must be at least 0.48 inches wide by 0.35 inches tall.

1. The universal symbol must be red, black, and white and cannot be changed from how it appears in the example below.

[caption id="attachment_8579" align="aligncenter" width="300"] To order these labels for your products, you can shop these and other Oregon cannabis labels here: Oregon Cannabis Labels - FREE Shipping[/caption]

These are the pertinent details regarding the Universal Symbol Labeling in Oregon. Note, however, that this guide is not exhaustive. For more details, please see the Packaging and Labeling Guide from the state of Oregon.

The Medical Grade Symbol Labeling in Oregon

The medical grade symbol was established by the Oregon Health Authority and made available to OLCC licensees.

The medical grade symbol is a symbol that is used only by OLCC licensees that produce cannabinoid products, concentrates, or extracts that have a THC concentration that is above the recreational concentration limit.

The medical grade symbol is used only on products sold at OLCC licensed retail stores. Products that contain a medical grade symbol can only be sold or transferred to a designated primary caregiver or patient, for use by a patient.

Licensees who want to produce medical grade products must follow the requirements set out in OAR 845-025-3300, as well as the rest of the rules. Any licensee that wants to process or sell medical grade products must register with the OLCC by completing the form found here: http://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Documents/Lic ensing_Forms/mj_opt_med_reg_FILLABLE.PDF

Specific Label Display Requirements:

• The medical grade symbol must appear on the principal display panel.

• The medical grade symbol must be at least 0.35 inches in diameter.

• Any medical grade product should also contain the warning “For use by OMMP patients only” rather than the recreational warning, “For use only by adults 21 and older.”

[caption id="attachment_8611" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Medical Grade Symbol for Oregon[/caption]

For more information visit: http://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Document s/Packaging_Labeling/PackagingandLabelingGuide.pdf.

Visual Guide to Oregon Universal and Medical Symbols and Downloadable PDF

If you'd like to download or print this information in a more concise manner, we have created this visual guide to Oregon's Universal Symbol and Medical Grade Symbol labeling requirements.

Just click the image below to open the PDF version of this guide.

You can also purchase Universal Symbol and Medical Grade Symbol labels here. The labels meet the size requirements for the symbols and come 1,000 labels per roll, made from high quality materials in the USA.

Updates to Labeling Requirements and this page

Thank you for checking out our guide on the Universal Symbol and Medical Grade Symbol labeling for Oregon. We hope you found it helpful.

We will do our best to keep this page up to date as changes occur in the future.

If you've noticed a change to the labeling requirements that hasn't been noted on this page, please contact josh.dickson@labelvalue.com to let us know.

Thank you for reading and happy labeling!