The City of Coburg voted Monday to ban all marijuana sales. Measure 91 allows cities whose voters passed pot legalization by less than 55 percent to make their own decision on marijuana sales.
In a 5-1 vote, the Coburg City Council approved an interim ban on the sale of medical and recreational marijuana. No dispensaries are currently located in Coburg. Mayor Jae Pudewell says voters in the community were divided on Measure 91.
Pudewell: “Coburg is conservative rural community and change takes place gradually and slowly here. And we’re very close to Eugene, but that doesn’t mean we’re part of Eugene. And I think that’s really what the vote both back in November and the vote last night recognizes.”
Measure 91 passed in Coburg with less than 51 percent. Pudewell says Lane County has an adequate number of medical marijuana dispensaries to serve the surrounding community.
He says a lot of uncertainty is associated with enforcing Measure 91 and it could create an increased demand on Coburg’s small police force. Pudewell says tax revenue from Measure 91 is allocated by population. The city council decided to forgo the few hundred dollars it could have received.