Continuing with our weekly effort to notify our membership on what is happening with bans and other regulatory action statewide, here is our local roundup:
This week, two of the most prominent cities in the State, Portland and Salem, picked up the topic of regulating legal marijuana.
Neither has implemented a ban, although Salem is expected to discuss the possibility of banning early sales from medical marijuana dispensaries on Monday August 31 (today). The Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on how to proceed, although they are also preparing language to allow adults to purchase marijuana from medical marijuana dispensaries as of October 1, 2015. They do not expect to vote at this meeting, but if they do decide to proceed with a ban, a vote will take place at the next meeting. They released a FAQ with more information on the current agenda item, and a local blogger HinesSight wrote up his concerns with the lack of public attention given to the meeting and the pressure from the League of Oregon Cities statewide to further restrict legal marijuana. The League of Oregon Cities has released updated information, along with templates for ordinances to ban marijuana licensed activities and this information is attached with the agenda item. While the meeting is not a public hearing, they will be accepting public testimony via email through the next meeting when any action is anticipated. You can send comments to [email protected].
The City of Portland also held a third and final town hall to discuss regulating marijuana sales. The City Council is expected to hold a first hearing on September 16 at 2pm. KPTV reports that the city is soliciting input on pending regulations that will require that marijuana stores be at least 1000 feet from all other marijuana stores, as well as discussing licensing fees and sighting requirements. Comments can be sent to [email protected] or by phone at 503-823-4411. While there hasn’t been much media hype about the City of Portland regulations, there does appear to be quite a bit of information at the first link above on the status of the conversation for Portland and the city wants to hear from the public on this issue to inform their upcoming decisions.
The current list of those who have opted out through the OLCC, which is updated frequently, includes:
Those to be voted on the 2016 General Election Ballot with a moratorium in the meantime:
- Douglas County
- City of Brownsville
- City of Sandy
- City of Sutherlin
- Junction City
- City of Creswell
- City of Sweet Home
- City of Manzanita
Those which will not be voted on and become effective immediately:
- City of Ontario
- City of Vale
- City of Nyssa
- Island City
- Umatilla County
- Harney County
- Malheur County
- City of Jordan Valley
- City of John Day
- Crook County
- City of Adrian
If you live in a city or county that has implemented a ban, or is considering banning licensed activity, contact them and discuss their concerns and your perspective. They need to hear from you! And if you’re in a locality that will be voting on this issue in the 2016 Election, be sure to write Letters to the Editor in your local news and reach out to the community in other ways to help sway the vote!
And don’t forget: Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on what is happening around the state.
Repeal 91 .. Take the power away from organized crime .. The OLCC is no different than the Sinaloa Cartel or any other major drug cartel .. Who was the idiot that voted for this cartel … All marijuana activists should be locked up in prison for treason against the Oregon people ..
Well, aside from the whole bribing the federal government thing. And the dissolving its rivals in acid thing. And the shooting up parties full of teenagers thing. And the decapitating police and hanging their bodies from the bridge thing. Yeah, other than that, the OLCC is just like the Sinaloa Cartel.
I’m pretty sure legalizing marijuana would be the quickest method of taking away power from organized crime. You don’t see an Al Capones around nowadays, do you?