Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Cannon Beach - Retail cannabis shops could be located in any of three commercial areas, according to a Cannon Beach City Council vote this week. But whether any retail recreational shops will come to Cannon Beach at all will be at the discretion of the voters.
A group of residents successfully submitted a petition with 155 certified signatures to put an initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot asking voters if recreational marijuana shops should be banned in Cannon Beach. The question on the initiative led by citizens is, "Shall recreational marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers be prohibited in Cannon Beach?"
A separate vote initiated by the city will ask residents if a 3 percent tax should be applied to recreational marijuana sales.
Jeremy Randolph, Marlene Laws, Nancy Giasson, Gary Laws and Molly Edison formed the committee that brought the opt-out initiative to the city.
The petition was presented to City Council on Tuesday as part of the election process, with the city acting as a "conduit," Herdener said. City recorder and city elections official Colleen Riggs will process required paperwork for county election officials to put the initiative on the ballot.
Randolph said the council showed "inaction on a major issue" when they did not vote to legalize or ban marijuana shops in April.
"There's nothing to stop you from reconsidering your inaction," Randolph said during the public hearing on the marijuana ordinance. "If you choose not to do that, I'd ask that you consider the fact that there is no good place in Cannon Beach for recreational marijuana sales."
He said he "moved to Cannon Beach for a very specific purpose. I wanted to live in a village. This is not a tourist town; this is a resort town."
Randolph said councilors' inaction "is a grave disappointment to an awful lot of people," Randolph said.
Measure 91, which legalized recreational marijuana in Oregon for people 21 and older, was approved by 63 percent of Cannon Beach voters in 2014.
"I felt it was inappropriate for five council members to decide that those two-thirds of the population did not know what they were talking about," Benefield said. "Therefore, we said, 'Let the citizens take it to the ballot with an initiative,' and that's been done."
"Everybody here agreed that we want voters to make that decision," Higgins said. "We all agreed that 63 percent voted in favor of it, but not all 63 percent voted in favor of it in their community and we wanted the community to tell us."
The council could amend the adopted regulations to apply to medical marijuana only - even if residents vote to ban recreational marijuana in Cannon Beach.
"The law states that citizens can only opt out of four recreational retail activities," City Attorney Tammy Herdener said.
Randolph said marijuana sales are illegal under federal law, and "by not voting to ban both medical and recreational sales of marijuana, the council members that made that choice violated their oath of office, which is to uphold the law."
"I voted for the legalization but I did as a former prosecutor as it relates to cost-benefit analysis and what is more important for law enforcement to be involved with," Randolph said. "I certainly didn't vote for it to be stores with shuttered-up windows; this doesn't fit what Cannon Beach is."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Author: Lyra Fontaine
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Daily Astorian
A group of residents successfully submitted a petition with 155 certified signatures to put an initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot asking voters if recreational marijuana shops should be banned in Cannon Beach. The question on the initiative led by citizens is, "Shall recreational marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers be prohibited in Cannon Beach?"
A separate vote initiated by the city will ask residents if a 3 percent tax should be applied to recreational marijuana sales.
Jeremy Randolph, Marlene Laws, Nancy Giasson, Gary Laws and Molly Edison formed the committee that brought the opt-out initiative to the city.
The petition was presented to City Council on Tuesday as part of the election process, with the city acting as a "conduit," Herdener said. City recorder and city elections official Colleen Riggs will process required paperwork for county election officials to put the initiative on the ballot.
Randolph said the council showed "inaction on a major issue" when they did not vote to legalize or ban marijuana shops in April.
"There's nothing to stop you from reconsidering your inaction," Randolph said during the public hearing on the marijuana ordinance. "If you choose not to do that, I'd ask that you consider the fact that there is no good place in Cannon Beach for recreational marijuana sales."
He said he "moved to Cannon Beach for a very specific purpose. I wanted to live in a village. This is not a tourist town; this is a resort town."
Randolph said councilors' inaction "is a grave disappointment to an awful lot of people," Randolph said.
Measure 91, which legalized recreational marijuana in Oregon for people 21 and older, was approved by 63 percent of Cannon Beach voters in 2014.
"I felt it was inappropriate for five council members to decide that those two-thirds of the population did not know what they were talking about," Benefield said. "Therefore, we said, 'Let the citizens take it to the ballot with an initiative,' and that's been done."
"Everybody here agreed that we want voters to make that decision," Higgins said. "We all agreed that 63 percent voted in favor of it, but not all 63 percent voted in favor of it in their community and we wanted the community to tell us."
The council could amend the adopted regulations to apply to medical marijuana only - even if residents vote to ban recreational marijuana in Cannon Beach.
"The law states that citizens can only opt out of four recreational retail activities," City Attorney Tammy Herdener said.
Randolph said marijuana sales are illegal under federal law, and "by not voting to ban both medical and recreational sales of marijuana, the council members that made that choice violated their oath of office, which is to uphold the law."
"I voted for the legalization but I did as a former prosecutor as it relates to cost-benefit analysis and what is more important for law enforcement to be involved with," Randolph said. "I certainly didn't vote for it to be stores with shuttered-up windows; this doesn't fit what Cannon Beach is."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Author: Lyra Fontaine
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Daily Astorian
