Beaverton city councilors rehashed the topic of medical marijuana dispensaries during a work session on Tuesday, April 1.
Though the council in February approved a six-month ban on registering dispensaries in the city, recent state legislation requires cities that want to temporarily ban outlets to specify up to a year-long moratorium by May 1.
The city’s February ordinance might not hold up, city attorneys say, so the council is looking at options for enacting a formal moratorium under the new state law. The new moratorium would almost certainly be longer than the existing ban.
Councilors agree that the city needs time to determine how best to regulate dispensaries in terms of zoning and public safety requirements. Now the question is exactly how long Beaverton’s moratorium should be.
The original ban was set to last until September. City staff has asked that the date be extended until December 31, 2014. State law allows the moratorium to stretch into May 2015.
Councilors Betty Bode and Ian King urged a May 1, 2015, expiration date for the moratorium. King noted that the city can always cut the ban shorter, but they can’t extend it under the new state law.
Bode, who has been a vocal opponent of medical marijuana dispensaries ever coming to Beaverton, said she wants to push the date out as far as possible to see what happens at the federal and state level in the meantime.
Councilors Cate Arnold, Mark Fagin and Marc San Soucie said they would prefer a December deadline for the moratorium, though Arnold said she might adjust her vote after researching additional information on the necessary city planning processes.
The city attorney will draft an ordinance with a December deadline, which was tentatively favored by three of five councilors on Tuesday. The council will open a public hearing on that ordinance at their next meeting, and a vote will take place later this month.
–Kari Bray
Beaverton's medical marijuana moratorium could extend to December 2014 or May 2015 (Video)
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