OCM submitted its proposed rules to an administrative law judge (ALJ) for final approval on March 24. The ALJ has 14 calendar days to approve, approve with changes, or disapprove the draft rules. Once approved by the ALJ, the final rules will be published in the State Register, at which time they are adopted and in effect. If the ALJ requires changes to the draft rules, those changes will need to be resubmitted to the Revisor’s office for drafting into final form before publishing in the State Register. OCM can begin issuing cannabis business licenses once the rules are formally adopted.
Find the draft rules as sent to the administrative law judge at the following link: PDF of the draft rules.
Read the press release announcing the submission of the final draft rules to the Office of Administrative Hearings.
Rulemaking is a multistep process. On Jan. 7, 2025, the office submitted a Notice of Intent to Adopt Expedited Rules. OCM posted its formal draft for public comment for 30 days from Jan. 13 to Feb. 12. Leading up to that point, OCM engaged with and reached out to key audiences in a variety of ways. For instance, OCM conducted a series of surveys that focused on specific rulemaking topics and held meetings with partners and interested parties, including cannabis management offices from other states. OCM shared the first draft of proposed rules and asked for feedback on that draft from July 31 through Aug. 30, 2024.
