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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 Medford radiologist and son will participate in first regatta to Havana since 1959 ... Our View: Ashland can't ease past travelers issue ... Letters to the editor: Oct. 28, 2015 ... Medford radiologist and son will participate in first regatta to Havana since 1959 ... Our View: Ashland can't ease past travelers issue ... Letters to the editor: Oct. 28, 2015 ... MARIJUANA Rural Jackson County residents wary of pot 'gold rush' Rural land being used for marijuana grows Many rural Jackson County residents are worried about safety, environmental and quality-of-life problems associated with marijuana grows. Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 21, 2015 at 8:54 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 21, 2015 at 8:54 PM » Social News Many residents in rural Jackson County say their peaceful way of life is being threatened by people grabbing up land for marijuana grows. "We've got a little gold rush going on. People have their minds set on profit and getting fabulously rich," said Rich Fairbanks, who lives in the Applegate Valley near a marijuana grow with plants as tall as small trees. He said marijuana growers are buying up rural residential sites with water and power, displacing homebuyers and using up scarce well water. "It's a perfect storm that has created a lot of tension and potential for violence in what used to be nice neighborhoods," Fairbanks said. Jim Reiland, who also lives in the Applegate Valley, said he and his neighbors are not personally opposed to the legalization of marijuana in Oregon. But the marijuana grows seem to be going in with little regulation or concern over impacts to the surrounding community. "A lot of us have pretty significant plantations right next door," he said. During all of September and October, neighbors are putting up with skunk-like odors as the marijuana plants mature and become ready for harvest, Reiland said. But worse than that, Reiland said marijuana growers have little regard for the community and long-time residents. "Growers are not bad people, but they don't have the same commitment to the area," he said. "They're just looking at it as an opportunity to make a boatload of money in a hurry. Their issue is getting it grown and getting it out." With Southern Oregon in a drought, many rural residents don't believe wells on rural residential and woodland resource lands should be tapped for high-intensity marijuana grows. They think marijuana growers should instead obtain legal water rights and use water from irrigation districts. The residents are also worried about woodlands being cleared for marijuana plants, and they say grow lights and industrial fans are disturbing. They have called on Jackson County officials to develop more regulations governing marijuana grows. Rural resident Cathie Sabados said she lives within 100 yards of a medical marijuana grow. Cars come up and down the driveway at all hours of the day and night, flashing their lights and honking to be let into the grow site, which is guarded by eight to 10 dogs that bark constantly. Shots have been fired at night and the grower family has shined a spotlight on her husband. "They had the 5-year-old out planting one day," Sabados said. She and her husband feel they can no longer use their hot tub or host barbecues because the situation outdoors has become unbearable. "We've actually put our house up for sale," she said. Several other neighbors, including those in Sams Valley and near Talent, said the smell of ripening marijuana is unbearable. "The smell is outrageous. It's like having a skunk living under your house this time of year," said Roland Kari. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 21, 2015 at 8:54 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... 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