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CONTINUING COVERAGE: MARIJUANA Medford may ban outdoor pot gardens Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 16, 2015 at 2:26 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 16, 2015 at 2:26 PM » Social News Outdoor pot gardens may be banned in Medford next year, the City Council decided Thursday night after it approved allowing medical marijuana dispensaries starting Dec. 1. “We think we have the authority to ban all outdoor grows,” Councilor Daniel Bunn said. The council voted 5 to 2 to direct staff to prepare an ordinance banning outdoor grows, which could take a couple of months before it becomes law. Councilors Clay Bearnson and Kevin Stine voted against it. Bunn said the idea came up Thursday night in an attempt to head off a veto by Mayor Gary Wheeler, who had earlier opposed an ordinance that would have allowed medical marijuana dispensaries and recreational pot stores. In an effort to ease Wheeler’s concerns, the council Thursday night amended the ordinance to allow medical marijuana dispensaries but not the sale of recreational cannabis. The ordinance also would allow indoor production, wholesalers and laboratories to operate in certain areas of the city. The council is interested in asking voters in November 2016 whether they would support the sales of recreational cannabis in the city along with a 3 percent tax. Voters in Medford were almost evenly split over Ballot Measure 91, approved statewide last November to legalize marijuana for anyone 21 or older. Later Thursday night, Wheeler expressed his concerns about outdoor pot gardens, which have generated complaints from local residents mainly because of the smell. Bunn said the council agreed to study banning outdoor gardens in an effort to head off a potential veto from the mayor, but he said it would likely take about two months to iron out all the details. Wheeler has 10 days after passage of the marijuana dispensary ordinance to veto it, which would require a two-thirds vote of the council to overturn it. Wheeler said he hasn’t indicated whether he still will veto the ordinance given the compromises reached by the council. Bunn said if local residents have access to marijuana through dispensaries, they wouldn’t have to grow it in their backyards. The council will also discuss whether a ban would apply to greenhouses and to indoor grows, Bunn said. The council earlier this year passed an ordinance that gave residents recourse to deal with the smell of marijuana gardens. “The cops get lots of complaints about residential grows,” Bunn said. Medford police Lt. Kevin Walruff of Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement said the city has received 15 complaints about pot gardens this season. Two of the complaints were unfounded and three were sustained, he said. Police are still investigating the remaining 10 complaints. “I think it’s substantial the amount we’ve had this year,” he said. In addition, the police have responded to 12 cases of theft of marijuana, Walruff said. He said his office receives numerous complaints about pot odors countywide. Bearnson, who disclosed that he is seeking a state license to operate a dispensary in Medford, said he was generally excited that the city will allow medical marijuana dispensaries and other cannabis businesses. “There’s more good than bad,” he said. “It’s a monumental step in the right direction.” If the city decides to ban outdoor grows, he said he expects Medford to get some criticism from people who don’t want the expense of growing indoors or don’t want to spend money to buy their marijuana. “Patients will be upset because the state says they have the right to do it, but the city says they can’t,” Bearnson said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 16, 2015 at 2:26 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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