Grant County voters often run counter to the statewide trends, and the local vote against legalizing pot was no exception. While Measure 91 drew strong support statewide, local voters rejected it 2 to 1.

It’s not surprising many county residents see this as another case of a liberal west side ramming a liberal policy down the rural east side’s throats. They worry about how a loosened drug policy will impact police, family, health and mental health services that are already overburdened on the frontier.

It’s also not surprising that some folks already are eyeing a Monmouth-style prohibition. The small college town on the west side drew some quirky fame for its ban on sales of alcohol, a prohibition that lasted for decades until merchants and residents got it overturned in 2002.

As the discussion evolves, however, it’s important to note that while Monmouth did stop sales of booze, it wasn’t really a dry community. People still had access to alcohol just a few miles away, and you can bet many local residents had their liquid stash.

When it comes to a local opt-out on marijuana, that’s a key distinction to remember. The League of Oregon Cities and Association of Oregon Counties are looking into the potential for local jurisdictions to opt out, by initiative vote, and bar pot businesses in their jurisdiction. The trick is, it looks as if those bans couldn’t be established until the November 2016 election, and by then the marijuana industry could be in full swing across much of the state.

In addition, a ban on businesses doesn’t mean an end to personal possession of marijuana, which will be legal under state law. That means in a remote county like Grant, users likely could get their pot delivered by a black market that would not just thrive but grow – again, increasing the burden on law enforcement.

We urge local officials to study the possibilities carefully before rushing into a quick fix that may have unintended consequences. And meantime, we urge legislators and state officials to give rural communities the tools and the funding they need to enforce impaired driving violations, address substance abuse issues, and protect children from marijuana, come next July. – SC