Every week, we are trying to keep our membership up-to-date on what is happening around the state with local bans and regulation. Here is this week’s local roundup:
This week is the week! October 1st is the date when all adults can purchase limited marijuana legally from medical marijuana dispensaries, in localities where it is allowed. If you have a marijuana dispensary in your locality, take a moment to visit them and check out what legal marijuana looks like!
Portland: Portland tabled a 1000-foot buffer between marijuana shops after many testified against them at a recent City Council meeting, according to an article written by our Executive Director, Russ Belville, for Marijuana Politics.
Hermiston: Hermiston is proposing a ban on all marijuana businesses, although existing ordinances already ban any activity that is not in compliance with federal law. Two public hearings will be held in October: one on October 14 at 7pm and another on October 26 at 7pm. A letter regarding the ordinance is being mailed to approximately 1700 property owners.
Milton-Freewater: According to the East Oregonian, Milton-Freewater is putting a proposed ban on the ballot in November 2016. Only one of the five City Councilors opposed the ban, Brad Humbert, who felt that it was “akin to banning prescription drugs and liquor”, according to the East Oregonian, and Humbert “didn’t want to force residents to break the law by crossing the state line into Walla Wall” where cannabis can be legally purchased in Washington.
Wallowa County: Wallowa County will consider a ban on marijuana business at its Oct. 20th meeting, according to the Wallowa County Chieftain.
Woodburn: The Woodburn City Council voted down an ordinance to ban recreation sales from medical dispensaries on October 1st, according to the Woodburn Independent. Currently, Woodburn doesn’t have any medical marijuana dispensaries, but it is possible one could be opened between now and December 31, 2016 when the early sales clause sunsets. However, strict zoning effectively has made it extremely unlikely, since only one possible location is allowed and feasible and the property owners won’t allow a marijuana business to operate there.
Lake Oswego: Lake Oswego has banned marijuana sales through May 2016, and expects to revisit the issue in October when a new City Councilor, Charles Collins, joins the panel after a recent 3-3 impasse vote, according to the Lake Oswego Review.
Wasco County: Wasco County citizens overwhelmingly supported allowing marijuana businesses at a recent town hall, according to The Dalles Chronicle. The county has not made a decision yet, but is holding its next meeting on October 7.
Klamath County: Klamath County Commissioners voted to ban marijuana sales from both medical and recreational facilities, according to KDRV.com ABC 12 News.
Albany: Albany voted against allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell marijuana to adults on October 1st. The Albany Democrat-Herald has an editorial discussing the broader implications of this vote.
Clackamas County: Clackamas County is still weighing their options for marijuana and received mixed feedback at a recent meeting regarding proposed regulations for marijuana businesses, according to the Portland Tribune. Clackamas County currently has 10 dispensaries and is located in close proximity to Portland, where the majority of dispensaries are currently located in Oregon.
Interagency drug raids still happening in Oregon:
Damascus: Two medical marijuana growers were arrested for growing and possessing more marijuana than allowed under state law, according to the Oregonian. The address was registered for nine patients, which the Oregonian reports would authorize them for 54 mature marijuana plants and 13.5 pounds of dried marijuana. During the raid, 138 mature marijuana plants and 142 pounds of dried marijuana were seized.
I’ve also heard second hand that there are many similar raids taking place around the state that are not receiving the media attention they deserve - so if you know of a recent raid taking place in your locality, please email me information at [email protected].
And a simple traffic stop can still end in arrest if police discover too much marijuana:
Pendleton: Police stopped a Wilsonville man for a “routine traffic violation” and smelled marijuana in the car, which they claim he “tried to mask with a cigarette”, according to My Eastern Oregon Police discovered 11 pounds of marijuana “packaged for individual sale” in the vehicle and arrested him. Oregon law allows adults to possess up to one ounce of marijuana outside of the home.
The cities of Grants Pass and Klamath Falls have added their names to the OLCC ban list, along with Klamath County.
Subscribe to the Portland NORML Newsletter to stay up to date on what is happening around the state.
