News Release - County to Host Public Hearings on Marijuana Land Use Regulations

News Release - County  to Host Public Hearings on Marijuana Land Use Regulations

Release Date: 4/25/2016

The Board of County Commissioners will hold two public hearings on proposed land use regulations that establish the time, place and conditions under which both medical and recreational marijuana may be grown, processed and sold in unincorporated Deschutes County. 

The public hearings are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, May 2 at the Deschutes Services Building, located at 1300 NW Wall Street, in Bend.

Members of the public who are interested in providing testimony at the hearing are asked to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Testimony will be limited to 2-3 minutes per person. Oral and written comments should be concise.
   
• Oral and written comments should clearly state what is being addressed – medical and/or recreation marijuana and the specific uses (medical production, dispensaries and/or processing; recreational production, processing, retail, and/or wholesale).
   
• Comments related to quality of life issues should be specific about what needs to be addressed in the proposed rules in order to preserve livability. 
   
• The scope of the public hearing will not address Ballot Measure 91. When Oregon voters passed Measure 91, they legalized recreational marijuana for personal use. The County’s role (and subject of the public hearing) is to decide how and if marijuana can be commercially grown, processed and sold in rural Deschutes County. 

In December, the County Commissioners voted unanimously to temporarily ban or “opt-out” of marijuana businesses in unincorporated Deschutes County.

In February, the Commissioners appointed 13 residents to the County’s Marijuana Advisory Committee (MAC). That group worked diligently to recommend what reasonable land use regulations might look like. 

Deschutes County staff will provide a report of the MAC’s recommendations and an overview of outstanding issues for Board consideration on April 27th in preparation for the May 2 public hearing. Public comments will not be accepted at the work session on April 27th.

For additional information, please visit www.deschutes.org/marijuana.

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