MEDFORD, Ore. — A recent court decision in Josephine County may open the door for cities and towns to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. The city of Medford has made it their intention to ban dispensaries altogether, something that remains illegal under state law.
The court decision in Cave Junction basically said communities have the right to ban marijuana dispensaries.
“The moratorium is really just another aspect of that same push pull, people living in fear, people looking towards the future,” said Peter Gross, Chief Operating Officer of Green Valley Wellness.
Jackson County Commissioners say Medford City Council meetings have discussed outright bans of marijuana. Other communities in the area have done the same.
“Those communities that have banned marijuana completely within their communities would receive no funding from the state to take care of law enforcement when people are using within their community or growing within their community,” said Commissioner Doug Briedenthal.
Green Valley Wellness is up and running in Talent. The medical marijuana dispensary said the moratorium has turned into a push and pull from one town to the next.
“If they wish to deny it over there, we are over here up and functioning. We have one of the finest establishments in the area, so we’ll be here to provide what they seek to deny,” Gross said.
This comes just before Oregon voters will decide on Measure 91, which would not only legalize recreational marijuana but standardize taxation across the state.
“That’s why a lot of these communities are making such a big push to put the taxes in place prior to because if they can do that, then they have them on the books,” said Briedenthal.
Jackson County has been discussing different options about marijuana over the past year. On Wed., Oct. 22 commissioners will discuss the first reading of a new ordinance to be able to tax medicinal and recreational grows as well as points of sale.
