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The Washington County Sheriff, district attorney and several police chiefs say they are against medical marijuana dispensaries being established in the county.

(Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian)

Several police chiefs in Washington County as well as the sheriff and district attorney say they are against medical marijuana dispensaries in the county, citing public health and safety concerns.

The Washington County Law Enforcement Council announced in a statement Monday that making marijuana more available could have negative effects on children, health treatment, crime, traffic and the community.

The statement comes as Oregon legislators authorized distribution of medical marijuana at registered sites beginning this year and while several Washington County cities are considering their own stances on medical marijuana shops.

Tualatin and Hillsboro have passed temporary bans on the shops and Beaverton will be holding a public hearing Tuesday on a dispensary-related ordinance during a meeting. Sherwood is also considering a ban on the facilities within city limits.

Here's the full statement from the law enforcement council, signed by the Washington County Sheriff, district attorney and police chiefs of Beaverton, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, King City, North Plains, Sherwood, Tigard and Tualatin:

"It is the position of the Washington County Law Enforcement Council (LEC) to oppose the establishment of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries within the city and county limits of Washington County. The possession, distribution, and manufacture of marijuana, although permissible under provisions of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) and related statutes and rules, are a violation of Federal Law.

While the member agencies of LEC will consistently and fairly enforce established laws and ordinances of our communities, we believe the proliferation of marijuana use and availability outside the scope of the OMMP is a serious public health concern and has negative implications for the welfare of our community. We believe expanding the availability of marijuana, even under the auspices of the OMMP, will harm the general welfare of our community because of the significant potential to increase marijuana use among our youth, place a higher burden on emergency room care, drug treatment and other health care systems, increase marijuana-related exposure cases, and increase illegal interstate drug trafficking. Marijuana impairment doubles the risk of deadly traffic crashes and is a major causal factor in high school dropouts.

We believe medical marijuana dispensaries will have additional potential negative secondary effects on the community. These secondary effects include, but are not limited to the following: criminal activity, loitering, increased traffic, noise, litter, and a loss of trade for other businesses located nearby by interference. Local government control of land use and organized development helps promote local community values.

The member agencies of LEC have an ethical duty and statutory obligation to ensure the safety of our communities. Medical marijuana dispensaries are harmful to the surrounding community and its residents and constitute a public nuisance contrary to our community values which support Washington County as a safe place to live, work, and raise a family."

-- Everton Bailey Jr.