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Medford council spars over pot greenhouses Friday Dec 9, 2016 at 4:58 PM Dec 9, 2016 at 5:09 PM Damian Mann Mail Tribune @reporterdm Questions about marijuana greenhouses sparked a testy exchange among Medford councilors Thursday night as they confronted a potential loophole in the outdoor grow ban. Mayor Gary Wheeler said he didn't envision a bunch of greenhouses popping up in the city as a way to get around the ban that was approved unanimously by voters in November. "Is this what we want in a city?" Wheeler said. Councilor Kevin Stine received a question from a local resident that prompted the discussion among councilors: Do greenhouses qualify as indoor or outdoor grows, and what exactly qualifies as a legitimate greenhouse other than a few plastic pipes and some Visqueen? The council indicated Thursday it wouldn't take any action on the issue until next spring to see whether greenhouses generate any complaints from local residents. Also, the city doesn't have a specific language that spells out exactly what a greenhouse is. Wheeler said there is a lot of marijuana being grown throughout the valley and is available at local stores, so he said he thought local residents had plenty of opportunities to obtain cannabis other than growing in their backyards. Councilor Clay Bearnson said the council had a "freak-out" after the city received about 20 complaints in 2015 over outdoor marijuana gardens. He said that reaction led to the grow ban. Bearnson said the ban affects many poor people who can only afford to grow medical marijuana rather than buying it at a store. "It costs money to grow indoors," Bearnson said. He said it showed a lack of compassion from the council if it didn't allow some flexibility to grow marijuana in greenhouses. Councilor Dick Gordon said to Bearnson, "I don't appreciate your saying that councilors don't care." Gordon said he personally received dozens of calls from residents worried about pot grows, including concerns about dogs, motion lights and people coming and going day and night. "There are a lot of people out there who are afraid of anybody growing drugs," he said. Gordon said he has received fewer calls this fall compared with last fall. Councilor Chris Corcoran said to Bearnson, "You don't know how I feel." Corcoran, who has tangled with Bearnson over marijuana issues during other meetings, said he has family members who have used marijuana for medical reasons. Bearnson apologized to the council for suggesting they didn't care for poor people. But he said that for all the pot being grown in Medford, only a few people have caused problems for their neighbors. "It's not fair for everybody else to pay for the actions of a few bad apples," he said. He said half the medical marijuana growers he knows live on some form of government assistance, and in some cases survive on less than $1,000 a month. "I ask you to walk a mile in their shoes," he said. Councilor Michael Zarosinski said he understands that some people can't afford to buy marijuana at retail prices. He suggested that local residents who have a private backyard could potentially grow without attracting the attention of their neighbors. "If I could grow undercover, I would do it," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm.