Medford considers hemp ban

MEDFORD, Ore. — Medford city leaders are considering a ban on growing hemp within the city.

The Mail Tribune reports the Medford City Council this week reviewed possible code changes that address the city’s concerns. The city previously banned growing recreational cannabis.

The council also reviewing where hemp processing facilities might be located, most likely in areas zoned industrial or heavy commercial.

The city currently doesn’t have any hemp grows inside city limits, though there are hemp grow sites just outside the city, including one near an elementary school.

The city doesn’t have any language in its ordinance that restricts hemp production or processing, though the city passed a number of ordinances from 2015 to 2018 related to marijuana, with councilors concerned about the impact on neighbors particularly because of the flower’s strong odor.

After the recreational cannabis ban in Medford, Jackson County saw a massive influx of hemp grows, surpassing the acreage of pears and grapes combined.