photo by Andrew Koczlan
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Putting on the
g r e e n light
Marijuana industry finds
challenges in Clackamas County
■
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BY MATTHEW R0WNING
To the joy of smokers,
business owners and the
56 percent of voters who
voted yes on Measure 91,
recreational m arijuana
became legal statewide
Oct. 1. A quick search of
the Oregon Liquor Control
C o m m issio n ’ s list o f
registered dispensaries
turned up 132 places to buy
marijuana in Portland.
T here are fou r
Clackamas County.
in
While Multnomah County
has seen a “ green rush” of
sorts, Clackamas County
has seen a dramatically
different situation. Not only
are there fewer pot-related
businesses, but some are
working to keep marijuana
out of their towns and
neighborhoods entirely.
W ith this, the business
owners, employees and
growers in this area face an
additional set of challenges.
“Yes, there are [additional
challenges],’’ said Courtney
Davis at Oregon Bud
Company on SE 82nd Dr.
Clackamas County more
profoundly regulates the
licen sin g of m arijuana
d i s p e n s a r ie s
th a n
M ultnom ah, she said. A
dispensary can’t be within
2,000 feet of a school.
A quick fact check with
the county commissioner’s
draft on marijuana laws
from M arch 10 found
that there a're even more
restrictions than Davis
suggested. In Clackamas,
m arijuana dispensaries
must be 2,500 feet from
each other, 2,000 feet from
schools, 1,500 feet from
light rail stops, libraries,
parks, adult foster care,
public housing and liquor
stores and 500 feet from
a child care facility. In
addition, they must be 100
feet from a residence.
The restrictions go on.
Aside from Clackam as,
County’s laws, Chapter 9.06
of Sandy municipal code
says, “ No person, business
or entity may establish a
marijuana facility within
city lim its.”
E ffe c tiv e ly , th ese
restrictions corral the
dispensaries into certain
neighborhoods.
There is room for three
dispensaries onMcLoughlin
Boulevard (there are two
operating now).
There is additional room
for five more in Clackamas:
two on old 82nd drive
(Oregon Bud Company is
one, another could open
near the former Clackamas
E lem en tary ), one on
Highway 212 (Stony Only)
a fourth near Clackamas
Promenade, and the final
near the intersection of
92nd and Johnson Creek
Blvd.
This equates to three
more dispensaries county
wide for a total of seven.
The state is doing
a very good job”
Courtney Davis
At the Maritime Cafe on
M cLoughlin, budtender
Daniel Hanna said he didn’t
have worries for his own
dispensary, at least.
“ I feel like Oregon didn’t
realize how many smokers
there were,” said Hanna,
addressing the amount
of business. Hanna was
unperturbed about future
concerns. He said, “ I think
there will be a lot of tourism
involved,” and that they
had a large number of first
time marijuana smokers
come in.
State regulation did creep
into his thoughts as he
mentioned starting Jan. 1,
there will be a 25 percent
sales tax added at all shops.
Maritime’ s own $6 to $10
grams will stay the same
price, but the taxWill stack
on at the register.
Hanna said he knew
some shops were preparing
for the tax by adding the
25 percent in now, but the
Maritime was staying cheap,
at least for the moment.
Aside from co.unty and
municipal laws, at least one
home owner’ s association
is attempting to ban the
growing of marijuana in
their neighborhood. Local
grower and Clackam as
Community College alum
Zack S. (who asked that his
last name not be used) says
his homeowners association
is at least considering it. A
new proposed bylaw would
ban marijuana growth oil
the grounds of smell, but
Zack isn’t worried. He said,
“ I’ m not really breaking
any (state) laws here and
I don’t feel like I’m doing
something immoral, so I’m
not too worried.”
W ould a ban on
marijuana growing in his
neighborhood slow him
down?
“ Would it stop me? N o.”
“ I understand that it
could be grounds for a fine
or worse, but there’ s no
real way for them to prove
that I’m a grower of pot. I
haven’ t exactly heard their
specific arguments against
it, so I’m skeptical of their
attempts to ban growing.
If their concern was
rooted in a logical thought
process, like if we were in
a drought and there were
concerns of too much water
being consumed I Could
understand. But it strikes
me that ... it doesn’t sit
well with their traditions
or greater plan for the
neighborhood as a whole.
I’m less understanding of
these concerns,” said Zack
S.
“ This is the age of the
‘mom & pop’ grows with
normal... people growing a
pot plant in their own home
as a hobby much just as they
would with chili peppers or
flowers,” said Zack.
On M cLoughlin, the
Little Amsterdam Wellness
Center is co-owned by a
husband and wife. Three
budtenders worked steadily
in a Very clean large room.
The blonde budtender
behind the counter said,
“ It’s good they are taking
baby steps,” in regard to the
edibles and the legislation
surrounding them. Edibles
are harder to regulate, as
the amount of THC in each
one can vary dramatically.
Her words were echoed
by Davis at Oregon Bud
Company. “ The state is
doing a very good job,” she
said. Marijuana business
owners arid workers seem
to agree that the state’ s
regulations are good for
the industry. Each seems
willing to follow the rules,
even gladly, for their
chance to run a business
selling something they are
passionate about.