Citizens to vote on marijuana businesses

Residents who live within Sisters city limits will have the opportunity in the November 2018 general election to vote on whether or not marijuana-related businesses should be allowed in the city and whether a three percent tax should be levied on the sales.

Despite the fact that Sisters voters approved state Measure 91, making recreational marijuana legal, with a 51-49 percent split, and the measure carried statewide, Mayor Chuck Ryan told Council at their March 14 workshop he thinks lots of things have changed since that vote.

"I think we owe it to the public to put it (allowing marijuana businesses) to a vote," Ryan said.

Although voters said yes to recreational marijuana, they previously voted down amending the City code to allow medical marijuana dispensaries, indicating mixed reactions to marijuana in this community.

Even though recreational marijuana is legal statewide, the previous council maintained the status quo by relying on the wording in the City's business license application to keep marijuana-related businesses from opening in Sisters. The current wording states that no business will be issued a license if what it does is against any local, state, or federal law. Marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the federal government and therefore, a banned substance.

Councilor Andrea Blum suggested, "We need to take the temperature of the community again."

"I always hate it when government makes a decision for the people," said Councilor Richard Esterman. He agreed the people should get to vote. "When this many people show up (indicating a full chamber at the Wednesday, March 14 meeting) we need to vote."

Council President Nancy Connolly countered that she has been out in the community talking to a wide range of citizens. Many of them support allowing marijuana-related businesses in town but they don't attend the public meetings to speak in favor due to the stigma attached to marijuana by some people.

Councilor David Asson did not want to see a vote because the results would be "unpredictable." He would rather have the citizens express their thoughts and feelings thoroughly now in public meetings and not wait until November for a vote.

Connolly initially stated she didn't think the City needed another vote and that the Council needed "to do what we were elected to do. We need to do the work of the people - for or against." In a final head nod by councilors, Connolly said she wouldn't oppose a ballot measure.

Although Ryan initially said he thought work on time, place, and manner (TPMs) regulations could be put on hold until after the November election, by the end of discussion, all five councilors agreed that City staff and legal counsel should proceed to draw up TPMs regarding marijuana-related businesses. By doing that, if voters approve having such businesses in Sisters, the regulations are all in place. If voters defeat the ballot measure, and at some time in the future the federal government legalizes marijuana, the regulations are already in place.

The City would have the results of the ballot measure to back up prohibition and would not have to rely on the wording of the business license application.