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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 NEWS NOW No rule said Jackson County deputies couldn't dismiss tickets ... Police: Klamath Falls resident arrested in Tuesday shooting ... Jacksonville will use existing rules to deal with pot grows ... No rule said Jackson County deputies couldn't dismiss tickets ... Police: Klamath Falls resident arrested in Tuesday shooting ... Jacksonville will use existing rules to deal with pot grows ... LEGAL MARIJUANA Medford council may ban backyard pot growing Medford officials also look long-term at dispensaries, retail stores By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 11, 2015 @ 8:45 pm Updated Jun 12, 2015 at 11:19 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 11, 2015 @ 8:45 pm Updated Jun 12, 2015 at 11:19 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> A ban on pot gardens in Medford may take place before marijuana becomes legal on July 1, the City Council proposed Thursday night. "It's incompatible with residential neighborhoods," Councilor Tim Jackle said. The council instructed staff to devise two possible ordinances. One would ban marijuana gardens inside city limits, and the other would create a nuisance ordinance that could give citizens a means to initiate a complaint against a neighbor growing marijuana if the odor was objectionable and interfered with someone's lifestyle or well-being. Ballot Measure 91 takes effect July 1 and allows a household to grow four plants for recreational use. Medical marijuana patients can grow six plants. At the same time, the council wanted to look at a more long-range solution that could allow dispensaries and potentially recreational marijuana stores within the city. Currently dispensaries are banned. Many councilors said they thought an odor ordinance would be difficult to enforce and could prove time-consuming for police. For now, the city has dropped the idea of requiring special fences around pot gardens that was suggested a couple of months ago. Councilor Dick Gordon said that by the time the city processes the complaints for odor, the growing season would be over.  Instead, he said, "I support Tim (Jackle) — No growing in residential communities." Jackle said he thought the kind of intensive farming in pot gardens within cities is more suited to agricultural areas. Councilor Clay Bearnson disagreed, saying, "Four plants in a backyard is not a heavy farming use." Bearnson said he thought the city would open itself to legal action if it enacted a ban. "I guarantee it that by denying them the right to grow in our backyards, money will flow into that battle," he said. "I think this is a nightmare no matter how you look at it." The council hopes to make a decision before July on whether it wants an outright ban on backyard grows or whether it wants an odor ordinance. Councilor Chris Corcoran said, "I don't want marijuana growing outdoors." Councilors said they wanted to make the effort to come up with reasonable rules concerning dispensaries and recreational cannabis shops. Deputy City Attorney Kevin McConnell said the city could continue to ban dispensaries while it works on a lengthy process to create regulations around the time, place and manner of where dispensaries could be placed. McConnell said the city will also have to look at processing facilities for marijuana, which create tinctures and edibles. He suggested that the empty car lots near the downtown as one possible location. McConnell told the council that marijuana, whether someone likes it or not, is something that Oregonians have legalized. "It's hard to get your head around marijuana being normal," McConnell said. "You've heard all your life that marijuana is bad." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or  [email protected] . Follow on Twitter at @reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 11, 2015 @ 8:45 pm Updated Jun 12, 2015 at 11:19 AM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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. 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. 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