“Optional” Marijuana Dispensary Bill enroute to Gov. Kitzhaber – Senate passes it overwhelmingly
Medical Marijuana
The Oregonian photo
By a 28-2 vote in the Oregon Senate, a bill that allows counties and cities in Oregon to ban medical marijuana dispensaries from opening until May of next year is now enroute to Governor Kitzhaber for signing. Once signed, SB 1531C allows local jurisdictions to outlaw medical marijuana dispensaries until May 1st, during which time it’s assumed that those cities and counties will be formulating regulations to manage the operations of medical marijuana within their jurisdictions. Under current law medical marijuana dispensaries are legal with state regulations in effect on facility operations – again as long as cities and counties don’t ban them until May 1st of next year.
Only the unincorporated areas of Lincoln County currently have a ban on those dispensaries. The League of Cities lists Toledo as having enacted a ban, but Toledo Clerk Recorder Nancy Bryant said she’s not heard anything of the sort in any public meeting.
