On March 17, 2014, the Board of County Commissioners established a moratorium on the operation of marijuana dispensaries in any area subject to the jurisdiction of Deschutes County. This ordinance included a sunset clause resulting in its repeal on May 1, 2015. In anticipation of this repeal, staff is proposing text amendments that define, permit, and establish standards for medical marijuana dispensaries.
The record is now open for public and agency comments. A public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners is scheduled for April 8, 2015, at 10am in the Deschutes County Services Center, 1300 NW Wall Street, Bend.
Medical marijuana dispensaries are proposed to be a “conditional use” in the Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) Zone and an “outright permitted” use in rural commercial (i.e., Tumalo, Terrebonne, Sunriver) and industrial zones. Dispensaries will also be subject to site plan review and specific use standards. Hours of operation are limited from 7:00am to 10:00pm. The proposed definition of medical marijuana dispensaries and specific use standards are primarily structured to be consistent with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (ORS 475.300-346).
The Deschutes County Planning Commission held a public hearing on March 12, 2015, and made a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners to adopt the proposed amendments with the following revisions:
• Changing the permitted hours of operation to 10am to 7pm.
• Not allowing dispensaries in the Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) zone.
For more information, visit:
www.deschutes.org/cd/page/medical-and-recreational-marijuana-land-use-regulation
