Corvallis, OR Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

Corvallis regulates public marijuana use in Chapter 5.03.040, Article 5.03.040.020, first enacted by Ordinance No. 2015-09, Section 1, May 4, 2015, following Oregon's 2015 legalization of recreational marijuana. Section 5.03.040.020.04 makes it unlawful for any person to engage in the use of marijuana items in a public place, and a violation is a Class B violation, meaning a citation and fine rather than a criminal charge. 'Public place' is defined broadly in Section 5.03.040.020.01(5) to include hallways and lobbies of apartment buildings and hotels outside actual residential units, plus highways, streets, schools, places of amusement, parks, playgrounds, and public transportation premises, so smoking or vaping in a downtown parking lot, a park along the Willamette riverfront, or an apartment building hallway all qualify.

A related provision, Section 5.03.040.020.05, separately bans keeping or growing homegrown marijuana where it can be readily seen by normal unaided vision from a public place, also a Class B violation. Possession limits are set out in Section 5.03.040.020.02, capping usable marijuana at one ounce in a public place and eight ounces in a household, referencing ORS 475B.245 for allowed plant counts. The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act provides an affirmative defense under Section 5.03.040.020.02(3). First-time possession offenders may petition the Municipal Court for a diversion agreement under Section 5.03.040.020.08. None of these city provisions extend onto the Oregon State University campus, which sits outside city jurisdiction.