Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Coos Bay - Marijuana took center stage at Coos Bay's city council meeting Tuesday night.
The council unanimously approved two proposed ordinances: one to amend the city's business license program removing the prohibition of state registered and licensed marijuana businesses and another that enables the city to collect taxes on recreational marijuana.
It was also unanimously voted to place a six-month moratorium on the processing of cannabis related products.
"I'm for it. I think the citizens have spoken," Councilor Stephanie Kramer said.
"When I was young - and this was when marijuana was first coming out and it was real scary: if you got caught with a joint you were thrown in jail and if you were caught in a house where somebody had a joint, you got thrown in jail. So the other day, my husband and I were driving by [a dispensary] and I said 'Let's go in and buy something because we can.'"
The council's action was greeted with enthusiastic applause from marijuana activists and proponents in attendance at the night's meeting.
"As far as the money, I think our dispensary at 3 percent [of sales taxed], probably would have paid somewhere around $40,000 a year to this city," said Jim Deatherage, owner of Herbal Choices dispensary in Charleston. "The city has really been kicking us under the bus for a while - this should've happened a year ago - but it's going to be a good thing and it's going to be good for the city."
On Nov. 8, Coos Bay approved Measure 6-157, which allows recreational marijuana to be sold within city limits.
That same night, voters also approved a 3-percent sales tax on recreational marijuana.
Rob Taylor, of Bandon, said the move to allow sales and tax the plant were what voters wanted.
"No matter what you do, there is going to be a market," he said, adding that street sales of marijuana still occurred regardless of city law. "It's nice to be legal."
Stefani Eaton, of Coos Bay, also spoke in favor of the proposed ordinances but cautioned the council against approving the six-month moratorium on processing.
In a work session on Nov. 22, the council had expressed concerns relating to fire hazards that come from processing and extracting the plant's compounds.
"The processing of marijuana is more than just the highly flammable part," she said. "You're looking at topical [medicine] to make lotion, [processing] to make edibles, brownies, cookies, gummies - any of that kind of stuff, you have to have this processing license. You wouldn't believe the amount of licensing a marijuana business has."
City Manager Rodger Craddock noted that the city had yet to receive a request for a processing facility but "plenty of dispensary requests."
Gene Landrum, of Coos Bay, said that even though he was not morally in favor of recreational drugs, the marijuana industry had "a cast of thousands" and that the city should move to approve the ordinances.
"Without any outlets, there is no industry," he said. "So if you don't have a way to get your product to market, you might as well shut the market down in your area."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CB City Council Approves Marijuana Ordinances
Author: Spencer Cole
Contact: The World
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The World
The council unanimously approved two proposed ordinances: one to amend the city's business license program removing the prohibition of state registered and licensed marijuana businesses and another that enables the city to collect taxes on recreational marijuana.
It was also unanimously voted to place a six-month moratorium on the processing of cannabis related products.
"I'm for it. I think the citizens have spoken," Councilor Stephanie Kramer said.
"When I was young - and this was when marijuana was first coming out and it was real scary: if you got caught with a joint you were thrown in jail and if you were caught in a house where somebody had a joint, you got thrown in jail. So the other day, my husband and I were driving by [a dispensary] and I said 'Let's go in and buy something because we can.'"
The council's action was greeted with enthusiastic applause from marijuana activists and proponents in attendance at the night's meeting.
"As far as the money, I think our dispensary at 3 percent [of sales taxed], probably would have paid somewhere around $40,000 a year to this city," said Jim Deatherage, owner of Herbal Choices dispensary in Charleston. "The city has really been kicking us under the bus for a while - this should've happened a year ago - but it's going to be a good thing and it's going to be good for the city."
On Nov. 8, Coos Bay approved Measure 6-157, which allows recreational marijuana to be sold within city limits.
That same night, voters also approved a 3-percent sales tax on recreational marijuana.
Rob Taylor, of Bandon, said the move to allow sales and tax the plant were what voters wanted.
"No matter what you do, there is going to be a market," he said, adding that street sales of marijuana still occurred regardless of city law. "It's nice to be legal."
Stefani Eaton, of Coos Bay, also spoke in favor of the proposed ordinances but cautioned the council against approving the six-month moratorium on processing.
In a work session on Nov. 22, the council had expressed concerns relating to fire hazards that come from processing and extracting the plant's compounds.
"The processing of marijuana is more than just the highly flammable part," she said. "You're looking at topical [medicine] to make lotion, [processing] to make edibles, brownies, cookies, gummies - any of that kind of stuff, you have to have this processing license. You wouldn't believe the amount of licensing a marijuana business has."
City Manager Rodger Craddock noted that the city had yet to receive a request for a processing facility but "plenty of dispensary requests."
Gene Landrum, of Coos Bay, said that even though he was not morally in favor of recreational drugs, the marijuana industry had "a cast of thousands" and that the city should move to approve the ordinances.
"Without any outlets, there is no industry," he said. "So if you don't have a way to get your product to market, you might as well shut the market down in your area."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CB City Council Approves Marijuana Ordinances
Author: Spencer Cole
Contact: The World
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The World
