3A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016
Oregon cities setting rules Unemployment slightly
after opting in to legal pot higher in county than US
‘This is the fi rst time
we’ve had to step in and
develop and regulate
a marketplace for a
controlled substance
since 1933.’
By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
SALEM— Some 30
counties and cities in Ore-
gon approved some type of
marijuana businesses in last
week’s election, and offi -
cials in those communities
now must establish rules for
every step in the production
and supply chain.
When voters legal-
ized recreational marijuana
statewide two years ago, the
communities — from the
cowboy town of Pendleton
to Sweet Home in the Wil-
lamette Valley — opted out.
But many switched it up
this month, voting to allow
at least some form of the pot
industry, including medical
marijuana.
“No one has done this in
Oregon since liquor Prohi-
bition,” said Scott Winkels,
a lobbyist with the League
of Oregon Cities. “This is
the fi rst time we’ve had to
step in and develop and reg-
ulate a marketplace for a
controlled substance since
1933.”
Local offi cials must
determine operating hours
for marijuana retailers,
growing farms and proces-
sors. They also were try-
ing to fi gure out whether
the businesses should be
allowed near parks and what
sort of security and odor
controls the businesses must
provide.
The rule-setting also was
happening in other states
that have legalized recre-
ational marijuana.
In California, which
approved pot last week,
the San Jose City Council
imposed a temporary ban
— including on outdoor
gardens — to give offi cials
time to develop regulations
for sales and farming.
The Daily Astorian
Clatsop County posted a
5.3 percent seasonally adjusted
unemployment rate in October,
according to the state Employ-
ment Department.
Unemployment was down
from the previous month and
the year prior, both 5.5 percent.
The county had the 10th-low-
est unemployment among Ore-
gon’s 36 counties, tied with
Wasco County. The state posted
a 5.3 unemployment rate, and
the U.S. 4.9 percent.
The state compares sea-
sonally expected changes with
employment realities to create
seasonally adjusted fi gures.
Clatsop County shed 570
jobs in October, 10 fewer than
expected. Total nonfarm payroll
employment was 17,970, 360
more than the year prior, for a
growth rate of 2 percent.
The private sector lost 710
jobs in October, while govern-
ment employment rose by 140.
Scott Winkels
a lobbyist with the League of Oregon Cities
2012, the rules were still
being tweaked.
This month, Denver
became the fi rst U.S. city
to allow people to use mar-
ijuana in bars and restau-
rants, though state licensing
offi cials announced a rule
Friday that prohibits busi-
nesses with liquor licenses
from allowing pot con-
sumption on their premises.
The move strikes a major
blow to the voter-passed
initiative.
In Oregon, the Liquor
Control Commission didn’t
begin fi nalizing regulations
and licensing businesses
until this year. The commu-
nities that approved mari-
juana businesses on Elec-
tion Day are now starting to
look at regulations.
“Most have been bor-
rowing from each other,”
said Rob Bovett, legal coun-
sel of Association of Oregon
Counties, describing efforts
to establish ordinances.
Opt-in ballot measures
go into effect in January,
Bovett said. If the juris-
dictions want to reap the
tax benefi ts at the earliest
opportunity, they should
have the regulations fi nal-
ized before then so mari-
juana companies can seek
licenses and start doing
business, liquor commis-
sion spokesman Mark Pet-
tinger said.
The
League
of
Oregon Cities has drawn up
a guide to help struggling
Colorado
In Colorado, where vot-
ers passed marijuana in
local offi cials.
It says cities may impose
restrictions on the hours
of operation and the loca-
tions of producers, proces-
sors, wholesalers, as well as
retailers and medical mar-
ijuana grow sites, process-
ing sites and dispensaries.
They may also regulate pub-
lic access and how the busi-
nesses operate.
“Probably most cit-
ies will use (the guide) as
a template,” Winkels said.
“The easiest way is to cut
and paste the ordinance
in ... though some will
probably be making local
adjustments.”
Robert Snyder, lawyer
for the town of Sweet Home,
said forming the rules is
“going to take work” and
that it will be up to the city
council to decide whether to
get public input.
One marijuana ballot
measure that passed last
week imposed a 3 percent
local sales tax on marijuana
products, on top of a 17 per-
cent state sales tax, Bovett
said.
Even counties and cities
that decided to prohibit mar-
ijuana businesses hedged
their bets by approving the
additional tax so they can
be prepared to impose it if
voters eventually say yes to
pot.
“All (of Oregon’s) 111
cities and counties voted
yes on the local tax,” Bovett
said.
Jobless rates
for October *
Area
Clatsop
Oct. Sept. 1-yr.
2016 2016 ago
5.3
5.5 5.5
Columbia
6.6
6.8
7.1
Tillamook
5.5
5.6
5.8
Oregon
5.3
5.5
5.6
U.S.
4.9
5
5
*Preliminary, seasonaly adjusted rates.
Source: Oregon Employment Department
Daily Astorian graphic
Leisure and hospitality cut 380
jobs over the month, along with
80 lost by retail trade, 70 in pro-
fessional and business services
and another 70 in food manu-
facturing. Local government
education added 190 jobs with
the start of the school year.
Over the past year, the pri-
vate sector has added 280 jobs,
and governments another 80.
The professional and business
services sector has added 230
positions over the past year,
along with 60 in leisure and hos-
pitality. Manufacturing lost 60
jobs over that time frame.
Columbia County posted
a 6.6 percent unemployment
rate in October, down 6.8 per-
cent from the month prior and
7.1 percent from a year ago.
The county’s nonfarm payroll
employment was 10,730, with a
growth rate of 1.7 percent from
the year prior.
Tillamook County posted a
5.5 percent seasonally adjusted
employment rate in October,
down from 5.6 percent the year
prior and 5.8 percent a year ago.
The county’s nonfarm payroll
employment was 9,000, with a
growth rate of 1.9 percent from
the year prior.
No marijuana ban in Manzanita
‘I wasn’t surprised. We had
a very engaged citizenry
behind the initiative.’
Prohibition fails
by wide margin
By LYRA FONTAINE
The Daily Astorian
MANZANITA
—Recre-
ational marijuana is still legal to
sell and buy in Manzanita.
While Cannon Beach citizens
brought the marijuana question to
voters, the Manzanita City Coun-
cil decided to put a measure on
the ballot asking voters whether
recreational marijuana sales and
processing businesses should be
prohibited within city limits.
The ban failed, with 308
Manzanita voters, about 67 per-
cent, against it and 149 votes in
favor of prohibition.
Manzanita is part of the Pine
Grove precinct, which voted in
favor of marijuana legalization
in 2014. However, it was unclear
Brant Kucera
Cannon Beach City Manager
how many of those who voted
“yes” were Manzanita residents,
which led to the council to bring
the question to voters, said Kris-
tin Grasseth, city of Manzanita
administrative assistant.
There have been no mari-
juana business applications since
the recent failing of the ban.
If the ban had passed, Ore-
gon Coast Cannabis would have
only been able to sell medical
marijuana, not recreational. The
Manzanita shop has been sell-
ing both.
“That was all just pending
on what the city’s fi nal decision
was, whether they would be able
to continue selling the recre-
ational or if they would have to
cease,” Grasseth said.
While the two cities had sim-
ilar proposals, Manzanita’s mar-
gin of victory surpassed that of
Cannon Beach.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Can-
non Beach City Manager Brant
Kucera said. “We had a very
engaged citizenry behind the ini-
tiative. If you look at Manzanita,
they had a similar (measure).
The council put it on the ballot,
and it went down by a far, far
greater margin than ours did.”
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