Workers Compensation

Like all employers in Oregon, businesses in the cannabis space are required to have Workers Compensation policies in place if they have more than 1 employee who is not an owner.  Obtaining these policies can be challenging, but Oregon has a non-profit workers compensation insurance company dedicated to servicing all employers across the state.  It is important to remember a couple of things regarding these policies.

1.  They are based on risk associated with the type of work the employee does.  Risk is calculated based on the likelihood of a claim.  Someone who is nailing waterproof roofing mat is going to be at greater risk for a claim than someone stocking clothing at a department store.
2. In the cannabis industry, most activities for marijuana are in a legal grey area and that will cause many insurance companies to deny someone seeking a policy, or write in so many exemptions to the policy that it becomes very burdensome to make a claim when a loss occurs unless very detailed records are kept regarding the actions of an employee.
3. For plant touching marijuana businesses, often times these insurance policies are not even used or claimed, merely held to fulfill business license requirements and this needs to change.  Most businesses rely on the security insurance provides.  You pay the premium, they make the business whole if there is an unforseen event that causes a loss.  When that exchange is not reciprocal, there is ample room for someone to carve out a new space in this industry.

Source: https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/pages/mj-tax-compliance.aspx