Newport has joined the list of Oregon cities placing a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries. Springfield has decided against a ban and Creswell may enact a moratorium.
At their Monday meeting, Creswell City Councilors voted in favor of a year-long moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries. 4 of the 6 current council members were present and the vote was 3 to 1 to enact a ban. The council will vote again on the ban April 21st--City Administrator Michelle Amberg says Creswell requires 2 readings of an ordinance before it's passed.
Amberg: "One of the things that this moratorium does is it allows cities some time before a dispensary actually is placed to get some of their own regulations in place. If you don't have regulations in place it's very difficult to have an impact once a business is already established."
Amberg says regulations could include requiring buffer zones between pot shops and schools. Other cities that have approved moratoriums on pot dispensaries include Florence, Oakridge and Junction City.