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CONTINUING COVERAGE: MARIJUANA Medford council bans all pot grows Councilors say the city has heard many informal complaints Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 3:15 PM Updated Nov 12, 2015 at 6:12 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 3:15 PM Updated Nov 12, 2015 at 6:12 PM » Social News The Medford City Council banned outdoor and indoor pot grows Thursday, citing the threat of increased crime in the city and complaints from neighbors about odors and other issues. The council approved the ban on both recreational and medicinal grow sites on a 6-2 vote. The vote came after Medford police Lt. Kevin Walruff gave a presentation showing statistics that crimes related to pot have decreased despite the legalization of cannabis in Oregon starting July 1. Some councilors questioned the ban given those statistics. “We’ve gotten 27 complaints, and we say, ‘Oh, this is such a huge problem,’ ” Councilor Kevin Stine said. However, Walruff also said the ban could reduce the department's investigative workload. Walruff oversees the interagency Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement task force. Other councilors said that while residents may not want to file complaints against their neighbors, they have sent in emails complaining about odors and delivery trucks that appear to be picking up packages, possibly related to shipping marijuana products. “After a while, you don’t complain because you want to get along with your neighbors,” Councilor Dick Gordon said. He said he and his wife moved out of a house they had lived in for 29 years because of issues with a neighbor, but said they had never filed a formal complaint. Gordon didn't specify what the issue was about. The ordinance, which makes marijuana growing a violation and not a criminal charge, will come back for a second reading because the vote wasn’t unanimous. Councilors Stine and Clay Bearnson voted against the measure. Walruff told the council that of the 27 complaints his office has received, 22 have been investigated and five are still under investigation. Walruff said most of the cases have been resolved through mediation. “No citations have been issued,” he said. Police displayed charts showing how many pot-related crimes, including theft, burglary, robbery and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. In 2012, Medford had 17 criminal cases involving pot, which was the most in the past five years. This year so far, the city has had eight cases. In 2014, there were 12 cases, and in 2013, there were seven. "In the last couple of years, it has declined," Walruff said. Councilor Tim Jackle, who has been the most outspoken critic of efforts to legalize pot in Medford, said he's received numerous complaints from constituents about indoor and outdoor grows. He said some neighbors have seen courier vans showing up at residences where pot is growing, apparently to ship packages. Councilor Daniel Bunn said the city just passed an ordinance allowing medical marijuana dispensaries starting Dec. 1, which will give patients the option to buy their medicine in the city. While he didn't think the pot grow ban was a perfect ordinance, he said he thought it would be a good step for the community. "I think it's going to reduce crime," he said. Mayor Gary Wheeler said, "I'm worried more about indoor grows rather than outdoor grows." He said many areas of the city have older homes with outdated wiring systems that wouldn't hold up under the electrical load required by the lighting needed for an indoor grow operation. "I don't want to see things cobbled together with extension cords," he said. Bearnson, who has said he plans to open a marijuana dispensary in Medford, said the council was being "myopic," particularly since voters legalized cannabis July 1. Medical marijuana patients have been able to grow marijuana legally since 1998 in Oregon. "Patients have the right to grow their medicine," Bearnson said. While medical marijuana could be purchased in dispensaries after Dec. 1 in Medford, Bearnson said many patients grow it because they can't afford to buy it. The council has indicted it will discuss a possible ballot measure asking voters if they want to allow sales of recreational marijuana in state-licensed stores within the city and to allow a 3-percent tax on the sales. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at @reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 3:15 PM Updated Nov 12, 2015 at 6:12 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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