At the public hearing, the commission considered amendments to the county鈥檚 land development ordinance to add what's known as "time, place, and manner" restrictions for psilocybin. The amendments would create zoning restrictions for a variety of psilocybin uses, from manufacturing and processing to testing and administering.
Many residents disagreed with the proposed zoning for service centers, the sites where the drug could be administered, which would be restricted to general commercial zones.
Solomon Panitz said the centers should also be allowed in rural areas to encourage a closer relationship with nature.
"I think having a service center in a non-commercial area in a more rural retreat environment is more peaceful. To, say, put a psychiatrist鈥檚 office in the middle of a metal shop with noise going on is not appropriate," he said.
The zoning proposals "knock out any chance of a rural retreat," said Mike Arnold, the CEO of Silo Wellness, which hopes to operate a psilocybin retreat center in Jackson County. The proposed regions where service centers would be allowed "just wouldn鈥檛 really work very well for getting people in touch with nature," he said.
Other residents said the centers should not be allowed in rural areas.
"I have some serious concerns to having these retreat-style facilities in a rural community. If I were to call 911 in rural Jackson County, the response time for the sheriff is far less desirable by nature than it would be in the city of Medford," said Amanda Hurley.
Voters in Ashland and Medford have opted into allowing psilocybin within city limits.
Oregonians voted to legalize the use of the psychedelic drug psilocybin in supervised facilities in 2020. But 27 of the state鈥檚 36 counties now have the issue on their ballots again, which was a provision of the original voter initiative. Jackson County will vote on whether or not psilocybin should be allowed in the county on November 8. If voters choose not to allow it, the zoning considerations under discussion would be moot.
County Council Joel Benton said the restrictions will be needed if the community opts in, since the Oregon Health Authority will begin accepting applications for licenses in January.
"This case right now is, if psilocybin is allowed in Jackson County, the question before the Planning Commission is, what are the rules and regulations related to that? So the Planning Commission does not have the ability to propose prohibiting all psilocybin," he said.
on the proposed ordinance amendments will be continued next week.
