Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home City Council is no longer entertaining proposals that would prohibit marijuana in Sweet Home.
The council is scheduled to meet for a work session at 6 p.m. on June 2 in the Jim Riggs Community Center, a meeting that will be open to the public but not necessarily to public comment. The council will consider how members would like to regulate time, manner and place for marijuana use and commerce.
The council has been mulling what to do about marijuana since Councilor Jeff Goodwin in March proposed an all-out ban on marijuana in Sweet Home. Since that time, Goodwin has proposed several additional ordinances that include options to prohibit recreational marijuana and medical marijuana.
Goodwin, who is an attorney, said that marijuana is illegal under federal law, and he believes that it is possible a ban could survive a challenge in court.
The Public Safety Committee considered Goodwin’s initial proposal, with a recommendation to hold a public meeting, and members initially suggested going to voters at that point.
At the next council meeting, held on March 24, Goodwin proposed different draft ordinances. The council agreed to vote on April 14 whether to have the proposals on the agenda for its April 28 meeting but instead set the May 6 meeting.
Councilor Bruce Hobbs moved to dismiss the ordinance proposals, but the motion died for lack of a second.
In response to the proposals, the council called the public meeting, held on May 6, to hear from citizens.
Twenty individuals provided comment, 16 supportive of legal marijuana and four against recreational marijuana.
Pete Taraski, a local pastor, noted to the council that more would likely have shown up to comment against recreational marijuana if the meeting had not been set for Wednesday night, when some churches have scheduled meetings.
Goodwin said he no longer plans to pursue prohibition. He has heard from a lot of people that medical marijuana has been beneficial, but he believes it should not be used in smoked form. While he personally favors prohibiting recreational marijuana, he doesn’t believe the council will support his proposals, he said.
Goodwin said he would vote for prohibition; but despite his efforts so far, he won’t even try to get a petition going to put the issue in front of Sweet Home voters, who, under Measure 91, are authorized to prohibit retail recreational outlets by a general election vote, which would be in November 2016.
“If people want to pursue it, I’ve given them the tools to do that,” Goodwin said.
The council has yet to act on any of the proposals, including an additional ordinance proposal that would make illegal activity occurring on a property a zoning violation.
In the meantime, supporters of legal marijuana said they plan to begin a recall petition against Goodwin, who took office in January. A recall cannot begin before a councilor has served six months.
The process has narrowed down what the council is interested in doing, Goodwin said. He said he would have liked to have heard more feedback at last week’s meeting on possible regulations, whether it is better to tax sales of marijuana or register plants and ways to keep it out of the hands of children among a variety of topics.
Present at the meeting were councilors Greg Mahler, Dave Trask, Goodwin, Mayor Jim Gourley, Hobbs and Ryan Underwood. Marybeth Angulo was absent.
At the end of the meeting, Trask told the crowd that the council’s goal was not to tell people they cannot have recreational marijuana in Sweet Home. If anything, the issue of whether to prohibit recreational marijuana dispensaries would go to the voters.
“I’m not against medical marijuana,” Trask said. “I’m not so sure I’m in favor of a (medical marijuana) dispensary. I don’t like the recreational side of it. This board in my opinion is not going to make this decision. This has nothing to do with us. It has to do with voters (if someone puts together a Measure 91 petition).”
If a proposal is not covered in Measure 91, the council is probably not going to move in that direction, Gourley said.
Mahler said that one individual blew the issue out of proportion on Facebook. That’s what stirred it up.
The purpose of the May 6 meeting was get feedback from the public, Mahler said, and he does not support prohibiting marijuana in Sweet Home.
The public meeting was necessary “to clear the air about what our intent was on the council,” Trask said. “My position has been to put it before the people to vote.”
Among comments that evening, Taraski told the council that he didn’t think marijuana should be legal for use in public.
“I have a lot of concerns about that. It’s not good.”
He was concerned about drivers under the influence of marijuana as well.
“I don’t know how many of you have been around Sankey Park at lunch time,” said his son, Mark Taraski. “It gets flooded with students who use marijuana.”
Students who use marijuana become less concerned about life and don’t care, he said. “The majority of students already have access to it.”
Legalizing it will allow easier access to more students, he said.
Judy Wallace said it’s an issue of privacy.
“The fewer laws we have to live together, the better,” she said and asked the council to respect her privacy. “I’ll respect your privacy.”
Mary Boyd said she was jazzed about all the research going into marijuana now. She stressed the value of medical marijuana to patients dying from cancer, who would otherwise live in excruciating pain when morphine and other drugs don’t work.
Theresa Brown said that over the past 45 years, she has known many marijuana users who go to college and then work productively as professionals, IT managers, program managers and more.
She said that Goodwin’s arguments hinge on a claim that marijuana is dangerous.
“Based on my experience, that’s not backed up by anecdotal evidence or facts,” Brown said. She asked how many police calls the city has had and the last time a police officer has been called out for “reefer madness.”
Rather, she asked about meth-addicted thieves stripping copper from poles or those who put no food on their tables over a gambling addiction.
Tobacco, alcohol and opiates are dangerous, she said.
Another person told the council that she used to oppose any use of marijuana, but after back surgeries, without marijuana, she would be unable to walk.
Rev. Thomas Grenz said he spent 27 years in Humboldt County, Calif., and saw just how dangerous recreational marijuana can be.
“I’ve seen my generation’s hope and ambition for this nation go downhill,” he said. “Sweet Home does not need marijuana recreation in this town, this county or even in this state. We should have moral values rather than (opening minds to spirits). Our minds should be under control at all times.”
Prohibition breeds crime and hidden agendas, said Robin Ackeret. “It’s not morality. Choice is morality.”
“Marijuana is not the problem,” said Michael Landi. The problem is no education, cuts to government, children with no futures, corporations stealing.
“Jesus Christ himself anointed people with cannabis,” he said. “We need to be together as a group of people. Let’s not fight about marijuana. Let’s get rid of meth. How about alcohol?”
Sheila Kent said Landi probably ought to read his Bible: “That’s not true what he said.”
Kent said she doesn’t oppose medical marijuana, but “marijuana that’s just for fun and pleasure, I think that would be really bad. I think we ought to get back to what God says.”
One person asked why ban it and why not just control it.
If people are concerned that children may have access, Korene Smith said that parents should parent and that education is key, just like with alcohol.
“If my kid has access, I will be the parent,” she said.
Another said he is not a criminal, while another said people are just scared because they’ve been told marijuana is evil for so many years.
“Some people told us we are not supposed to have fun,” Cheryl Kopp said. “Well, that’s crap.”
She suggested Sweet Home might host a hemp festival and bring thousands of people to the area.
Gary Jarvis asked the City Council to make no decision and to let the current process, at the state level, to regulate marijuana continue. He was concerned about where the city would find the money to fight lawsuits resulting from a decision to prohibit marijuana at a time the city is moving money around to fix the Police Department budget.
Shawn Aman, owner of Going Green medical marijuana dispensary, promised opposition to any law prohibiting marijuana.
“I’m pledging $200,000 to fight you on this. Capiche? You’re wasting everybody’s time. You’re getting everybody anxious.”