Concerning cannabis: HR city, county leaders discuss ‘changing landscape’

Hood River County School District Superintendent Dan Goldman said legalization of marijuana “doesn’t affect our policy at all,” and possession of marijuana at school is still illegal.

For adults 21 and over, possession of marijuana (for both recreational and medical purposes) was legalized in Oregon July 1. However, commercial sale of marijuana won’t be legal until Oct. 1, when local dispensaries plan to participate in the state’s early sales program. Use of marijuana remains illegal for minors.

“The legal landscape isn’t changing very much,” said District Attorney John Sewell. “It used to be called possession of less than an ounce of controlled substance. Now it’s MIP (minor in possession) marijuana.”

Sewell said MIP marijuana results in a $650 presumptive fine, which can be reduced if the minor comes to court and sees a judge. The “one most single interesting change in the law,” Sewell said, is that the first offense is typically handled informally like an alcohol MIP, without the offender’s driving privileges being suspended.

Hood River Police Chief Neal Holste said law enforcement is “pretty much at status quo” apart from this change.

“What our focus is gonna be is keeping marijuana out of the hands of youth,” said Hood River County Sheriff Matt English.

Come October, recreational sales will bring “a whole new component” for enforcing safe driving, English said. “One of the things we’re really concerned about is the safety on our roads.”

Kirsten Cook, owner of Gorge Greenery medical marijuana dispensary, stressed the importance of education of youth and parents about marijuana. She explained her dispensary will be hosting bi-monthly conversations and classes on the topic in the future.

On the planning side of marijuana dispensaries, city planner Cindy Walbridge and county planner John Roberts weighed in.

Walbridge said the city has approved four medical marijuana dispensaries in town, and is considering applications from two more. She said the city could sustain a maximum of eight dispensaries.

Roberts said dispensaries and retail marijuana businesses aren’t allowed outside of city limits. However, there are numerous cannabis growing operations — most he toured have been discrete. “You really have to (try) to see them,” he said.

Gordon Zimmerman, City Administrator of Cascade Locks, reported that in July the city prohibited marijuana businesses within the city’s limits via time, place and manner restrictions. Marijuana dispensaries cannot be sited closer than 1,000 feet from each other or from a school zone. This rules out the small downtown stretch of Cascade Locks, Zimmerman indicated.

After the panel came a round table discussion. Each group offered some recommendations on where focus should lie for the public — education and family communication ranked highest.

“Our concerns come from the belief that it’s not harmful,” said Pepe Quintanilla, of Mid-Columbia Center of Living treatment for dependency.

The County presented a “marijuana talk kit” to everyone who attended, which provides information on what’s legal regarding cannabis, and suggests methods for talking to kids “to help navigate through a changing marijuana landscape.”

Those interested can find the talk kit at www.drugfree.org.