Redmond plans to draft rules, send marijuana dispensary measure to fall ballot, Mayor Ed Fitch says

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Redmond officials plan to draft proposed regulations for marijuana dispensaries, not allowed currently in the city, to put before voters in November, Mayor Ed Fitch announced at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Redmond councilors have had discussions and plenty of public testimony on the topic recently since Fitch became the newly elected mayor at the start of the year.

Fitch has favored allowing dispensaries, as Bend does, so residents don't have to travel to purchase it. It's a position contrary to his predecessor as mayor, George Endicott, who pointed to its still-illegal nature at the federal level, along with other issues, as reasons not to join other cities around the state that allow them.

“We’ve had a lot of discussion regarding marijuana dispensaries,” Fitch said Tuesday night. “We have listened to experts, citizens.”

Fitch said the council will ask city attorney and staff to draft “time, place and manner” regulations that should be ready for public review within a month or two.

“Our plan is to put this out on the ballot in November, so the voters can decide what they want – if they want any dispensaries."

Fitch said while he doubts Congress will decriminalize marijuana at the federal level this year, he believes it could well happen at “some time in the future.”

If that happens, and the city doesn’t have such regulations in place – “in the wing,” he said – “they could go anywhere in town, except as prohibited by state law.”

So he cites two purposes for a ballot measure – to “give voters an opportunity to determine if they want any at all in Redmond,” and also if the federal law does change and marijuana is made legal at the federal level, “we won’t be caught with our pants down.”