Recreational marijuana becomes legal July 1, but state-licensed stores aren't likely to open until the fall of 2016. Ferrioli has suggested letting medical dispensaries start selling recreational weed in July.



One of the biggest obstacles to his plan: Is the state prepared to collect taxes on recreational weed if medical-pot dispensaries started selling it?



Now the Oregon Department of Revenue says it can be ready to collect recreational weed taxes by this October.



State Revenue Director James Bucholz told lawmakers last night that it would take his department four to six weeks to develop a "rudimentary but practical" system for collecting taxes from dispensaries.



"If July 1, 2015 was chosen as the start date," Bucholz explained in written testimony, "then the first dispensaries authorized to sell could collect the tax and remit it with a very basic tax return no later than October 31, 2015."