BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners heard hours of testimony from concerned citizens Wednesday, on whether to ban marijuana businesses in rural parts of the county. Commissioner Tammy Baney tells KBND the board wants to hear by those likely to be most impacted by the businesses. "We're not mandated to have a hearing, but we wanted to hear from the community because our vote was not a landslide [in Deschutes County] for ballot Measure 91. So, for us, we really wanted to hear from the unincorporated areas. What impacts are you concerned and not concerned about? What really do you want to see transpire in those areas?"

Baney says if they choose to ban commercial pot operations, it wouldn't necessarily be permanent. "This really would be a moratorium for a year. HB 3400 allows us to have this conversation with our community. Yes, the voters in Deschutes County voted yes for Measure 91; but, yes, they also have HB 3400 that guides us in allowing a one-year opt out until November 2016, of which the voters would again be able to vote whether or not to go forward with a ban into perpetuity."

Sheriff Shane Nelson was the first to speak Wednesday in favor of a ban. "I think the moratorium allows an opportunity for the citizens to get the information and weigh-in with their vote on what they would like to see this county do. From a Sheriff's point of view, and a community member's point of view, I do not think this is good for public safety." Sheriff Nelson says his agency devotes a lot of resources to deal with crime associated with black market marijuana, and he fears it would only increase if businesses were allowed to move into rural areas.

Hunter Neubauer owns OreGrown in Bend, a local cannabis business, and he serves on an OLCC marijuana advisory committee. He argued to Commissioners regulation will address those safety concerns. "I'm also a father and a husband. I'm a part of a generation that looks at this new industry as an opportunity to help regulate an industry that has been in the black market for decades. To comment on a lot of the safety concerns, I agree. And, I think the best way to navigate a lot of those safety concerns is to have a well regulated system."

If Commissioners vote to ban pot businesses in unincorporated Deschutes County, it would only be in place until voters could decide on a future ban, in November 2016. Commissioner Baney expects they will make a decision within the next two months.