Medford police say marijuana-odor citations will be complaint driven - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2015-10-04

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0 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   Our View: Gun lobby's influence exceeds its support       ...       County no longer will provide free storage for Storytelling Guild       ...       Guest Opinion: Coming to terms with our society's culture of violence       ...       Our View: Gun lobby's influence exceeds its support       ...       County no longer will provide free storage for Storytelling Guild       ...       Guest Opinion: Coming to terms with our society's culture of violence       ...           PUBLIC SAFETY Medford police say marijuana-odor citations will be complaint driven Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 3:31 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 3:31 PM »  Social News Medford residents who have a problem with the odor coming from a neighbor's outdoor cannabis plants have to be able to show police that the smell has had a long-term detrimental impact to their living situation if they want officials to get involved. The marijuana ordinance — 5.652 under city code — reads "No marijuana cultivator shall cause or allow an offensive odor of marijuana to emanate from a dwelling to any other property." Those who do may face fines of up to $250 per day and be required to relocate their marijuana garden. But Medford police Lt. Kevin Walruff said complaints about the plant don't apply to smoke or even occasional whiffs of the plants. "They have to be able to prove a livability issue," Walruff said. "It might be, 'We can't open our windows. I can't enjoy my backyard through the months of September and October because of this person's grow.'" "It's not just for that afternoon." Recreational marijuana has been legal for more than two months in Oregon. Walruff said the approach to dealing with complaints is the same as dealing with any odor that draws complaints from neighbors. "Somebody who thinks that trash, (for example), is not a problem, but it might be offensive to somebody else," Walruff said. "That person has to be able to articulate how it's affecting them." Walruff added police won't seek out and target individual grows, but will rely solely on neighbor complaints. "We're looking for compliance," Walruff said. "We're not looking to cite somebody. We're not telling them they can't grow. We're just telling them that if this person has a complaint, find an alternate location." The ordinance also says no home can have more than four marijuana plants at any time, starting Nov. 1. Walruff encouraged neighbors to try to solve the issue without calling police. Those who don't manage the odor after police are called could face citations and daily fines. "Then it could go to an abatement process. Just like we would for anything else," Walruff said. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 3:31 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