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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US: Phoenix bans commercial growth of recreational pot Buffy Pollock Mail Tribune Saturday 23 May 2015 City officials said the ban would give them time to see how state rules play out after Ballot Measure 91 takes effect. The measure, which passed in November 2014, makes it legal for adults 21 and older to grow up to four marijuana plants for recreational use and to possess up to eight ounces of dried cannabis flowers. It makes retail sales legal on Jan. 1, 2016. "Right now, the sticking point for a lot of cities is the state of Oregon has not given direction on how this will be regulated, so we're banning it until they figure it out," said council member Terry Helfrich. City Manager Steve Dahl said in an email to the Mail Tribune that city officials want to ensure careful management of the growing of marijuana for retail sales. "The City was concerned that we would have people come in and buy up old buildings to start growing recreational marijuana," he wrote. "The City doesn’t want to have a bunch of old buildings closed off to the public in our Main Street area when we are trying to increase the use or availability of the area for shopping, homes and development. This ordinance gives the city time to see what the State rules for marijuana growth will be, then enact rules that fit within that framework that the City believes will be the best for Phoenix." Helfrich said residents will have the right to grow recreational and medical cannabis for their own use. But those who choose not to also are entitled to their rights. "The council is respecting the votes of the citizens that voted for marijuana to be legal, and they're allowing it to be grown at their homes, but they're giving the Planning Commission time to look at how the city should regulate ... growth of marijuana to ensure the rights of all citizens," Helfrich said. "The state of Oregon hasn't even decided how they're going to regulate it, so we're saying we're going to wait and establish some rules. We're just trying to not have growers of it or big fields of it inside city limits. The city is open to changing its rules as soon as the state decides how it wants to regulate it." Mayor Jeff Bellah said it may be "some time" before the Oregon Liquor Control Commission decides on rules for the governing of Measure 91, and the city wanted to protect citizens "until sufficient safeguards" are put in place. The ban on recreational grows was approved at Monday's council meeting. Bellah said Phoenix Planning Commission members are working to establish restrictions and rules for growing marijuana for personal use. A proposed ordinance could be under review as early as mid-June to regulate the private growth of both medical and recreational marijuana indoors and outdoors. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150523/NEWS/150529782/101064/NEWS
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