Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is celebrating the agency’s 75th anniversary. The OLCC was established in 1933 just days after the national repeal of prohibition . On Dec. 15, 1933, Gov. Julius Meier signed the Liquor Control Act, giving the state exclusive rights to sell distilled spirits and fortified wine as well as the authority to license private businesses to sell beer and table wine by the bottle and the glass. "The OLCC is committed to promoting public safety and supporting economic development,” said OLCC Executive Director, Steven Pharo. “The work we do enables business people to be viable in their sale of alcohol while ensuring that customer interests are met in a socially responsible manner.” Over the years, the OLCC has seen many successes including the Alcohol Server Education Program, Responsible Vendor Program, Clerk Training Program, and enforcement of Oregon’s Bottle Bill. "The OLCC is committed to promoting public safety and supporting economic develo...

This Friday, Dec. 5 marks the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, ending the 13-year stretch when alcohol was banned from coast to coast. In January 1920, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect making the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol illegal nationally. But, many years before that - even before Oregon was a state, Oregonians tried to control the manufacture and sale of liquor. The Anti-Saloon League, the leading prohibitionist organization in the early 20th century. In June of 1844, Oregon's provisional government enacted a prohibition law designed to “prevent the introduction, sale and distillation of ardent spirits in Oregon.” This law remained in effect until September of 1849, when the territorial legislature repealed it. Rather than total prohibition, Oregon passed various laws in the following decades designed to regulate liquor sales. These acts tended to specify certain licensing criteria for the selling of liquor, and in...