PORTLAND, Ore. — A renewed effort to bring cannabis cafes to Oregon is gaining momentum, with advocates hoping to create Amsterdam-style marijuana lounges where adults can legally consume cannabis in social settings. Spearheaded by the Oregon Cannabis Cafe Coalition, the campaign recently reached a major milestone by collecting nearly 1,500 signatures—well above the 1,000 required to move their initiative forward.
The initiative was first submitted in February, and with the threshold of initial signatures surpassed, the next step is official signature verification by the Oregon Elections Division. If all signatures are confirmed valid, the state will begin the ballot titling process, allowing the measure to appear before voters in the 2026 election cycle.
Coalition founder and chief petitioner Justyce Seith is optimistic about the potential for cannabis cafes to make a meaningful impact on both social culture and the state’s struggling cannabis economy. In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Seith said she will soon travel to Salem to submit the collected signatures for review.
“This is a democracy state,” Seith said. “We have the opportunity to let the people vote in new measures rather than just the government. Not every state allows this. So let’s not waste it! Let’s show them how this benefits the people!”
Cannabis cafes have been discussed before in Oregon. In 2016, the state’s Indoor Clean Air Act effectively banned smoking in workplaces and near building entrances, creating a legal barrier for on-site cannabis consumption.
Seith, a Portland budtender with six years of industry experience, believes now is the time to revisit the idea. She argues that cannabis cafes could revitalize Oregon’s saturated and struggling cannabis market, which has faced declining demand and oversupply in recent years. By providing a legal and social space for consumption, she says, cannabis cafes would offer new opportunities for local businesses and encourage tourism, community engagement, and safe consumption practices.
Seith is also calling on others in the cannabis industry—budtenders, brand representatives, and business owners alike—to join in gathering more signatures to help the initiative reach the ballot. The campaign represents not only a shift in cannabis policy, but also a larger movement toward normalizing responsible, adult cannabis use in public social settings.
If successful, Oregon could soon join a growing list of states looking to expand cannabis access beyond dispensary doors.
