Pubdate: Tue, 01 Sep 2015
Source: Bulletin, The (Bend, OR)
Copyright: 2015 Western Communications Inc.
Contact:  http://www.bendbulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/62
Author: Ted Shorack

LA PINE TO CONSIDER MARIJUANA BANS

City Council Discusses Future Regulations for the Recreational Pot Industry

The city of La Pine will begin drafting ordinances that would 
temporarily ban recreational marijuana sales and future business ventures.

A potential permanent ban would have to be brought to La Pine voters 
during the November 2016 general election.

City Council members discussed recent legislation allowing the ban 
and future local regulations of marijuana businesses at a special 
meeting Monday.

Two medical marijuana dispensaries exist within city limits. Although 
the two businesses would be grandfathered in and not affected by the 
ban, the owners told city councilors their businesses would be harmed 
as they seek to attract more customers through the recreational 
legalization of marijuana.

"That's really ultimately what we want, or at least what I want," 
said Matt Toepfer, owner of High Desert Botanicals in La Pine, about 
selling recreational pot.

"I deal with the community all the time, and I know the community is 
for it," Toepfer said. "This would be a big letdown."

Fourteen Oregon cities and five counties have passed ordinances 
instituting a permanent ban because at least 55 percent of their 
populations voted against Measure 91.

Crook County has adopted a marijuana ban, which would only apply to 
unincorporated areas and not the city of Prineville. The city of 
Madras has scheduled a meeting at 6 p.m. today to discuss a possible 
ban. The cities of Redmond, Bend, Sisters, Prineville and Jefferson 
County have not decided whether they'll consider the local "opt-out" option.

Deschutes County commissioners are scheduled to discuss the issue at 
a 1:30 p.m. work session Wednesday.

Cities and counties that didn't meet the 55 percent threshold in the 
legalization vote must choose a moratorium in the interim between now 
and November 2016. Voters will then determine whether to agree with 
the moratorium and make it permanent.

The opportunity to ban pot retail shops and other businesses was 
afforded local governments by House Bill 3400. Medical marijuana 
dispensaries can begin temporarily selling recreational pot Oct. 1 
through Senate Bill 460. The bill requires those sales to end Dec. 31, 2016.

Up to $7.4 million in tax revenue is expected to be generated between 
January 2016 and July 2017 and placed in a state shared account.

Cities and counties will each receive a 10 percent portion of the tax 
revenue for the initial period based on population size.

La Pine was last estimated to have a population of 1,670 residents 
and would receive minimal revenue from the state. Cities that pass a 
ban are cut off from all of the shared revenue.

City officials said Monday that the discussion of the ban would 
center on policy and not potential tax revenue.

"It's really not about income for us," City Manager Rick Allen said. 
"It's not particularly a financial issue."

"I don't think we need to have people selling recreational out of the 
medical dispensaries," Councilor Stu Martinez said.

The City Council will likely vote next month on an ordinance banning 
recreational sales at the two dispensaries in the city ahead of Oct. 
1, when they could legally sell to the general public in addition to 
medical marijuana cardholders.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom