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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW MADGE arrests six in raid on Medford home ... New Medford charter school on track to meet fundraising goals ... Police: Shoe thief arrested wearing stolen shoes ... MADGE arrests six in raid on Medford home ... New Medford charter school on track to meet fundraising goals ... Police: Shoe thief arrested wearing stolen shoes ... Medford council OKs limited outdoor marijuana growing Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 25, 2015 at 2:51 PM Updated Jun 25, 2015 at 2:54 PM Posted Jun. 25, 2015 at 2:51 PM Updated Jun 25, 2015 at 2:54 PM » Social News A divided Medford City Council compromised today to resolve an ongoing dispute over growing marijuana in the city by setting a four-plant limit per household and approving an ordinance to protect neighbors from foul-smelling gardens. “The train has left the station,” Councilor Eli Matthews said. “We need to find a middle ground.” The council voted 4-3 for the ordinance, which will require a second reading. Councilor Clay Bearnson said he was concerned about medical marijuana patients who are entitled to six plants under state law. “Essentially what you’re doing is putting a Band-Aid on this,” he said. City Attorney Lori Cooper said, “It’s a Band-Aid for now, but four plants will take care of a lot of complaints.” Councilors said they’ve received complaints from neighbors about larger grows in general, so they expect the four-plant limit should satisfy most concerns. Bearnson said the city had received 17 complaints about marijuana grows since March. “That’s one-fifth of 1 percent of the city,” he said. “Why are we concerned about such a minority?” Medford police said they expect the complaints to increase once the plants start flowering in August through October. Councilor Chris Corcoran also pushed for a middle ground after pointing out that his west Medford ward voted for Ballot Measure 91, approved by Oregonians last November to allow those 21 and older to have up to 8 ounces of marijuana at home, 1 ounce in public and to allow them to grow up to four plants per household. Corcoran said councilors in east Medford live in an area that voted against Measure 91, but west Medford residents voted for it. — Damian Mann MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 25, 2015 at 2:51 PM Updated Jun 25, 2015 at 2:54 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501