Published 7:46 pm Tuesday, April 21, 2026
By Berit Thorson | East Oregonian
PENDLETON — For at least six months, no new marijuana sellers are allowed to establish locations in Pendleton.
The change in the city’s approach to marijuana retailers comes after a 7-1 vote during the Pendleton City Council meeting Tuesday evening, April 21. Council followed special procedure, as allowed in the city charter, to hold a first reading and public hearing on the same night.
The six-month moratorium will allow city staff the chance to examine whether the market is oversaturated with the four established businesses in town and two sellers in the process of opening.
Discussions around the moratorium began in early March after Kind Leaf Pendleton’s Erin Purchase raised concerns about the market. Council met April 14 for a workshop to discuss the issue and requested the moratorium be added to the agenda.
Nancy Kerns, acting city attorney, said some of the considerations beyond the city’s adult population include Pendleton’s location close to two state borders and along an interstate as well as the number of people who come into town for work. Pendleton is also near a casino and has many tourists visiting town throughout the year.
“We’re recommending that you enact this moratorium tonight to give the opportunity for further study,” Kerns said.
Purchase, managing member of Kind Leaf, spoke in support of the temporary moratorium.
“Creating more stores in our community does not create more customers,” she said. “We do have a casino, we do have an interstate, but we’re not getting more customers.”
Kind Leaf’s attorney also spoke in favor of the moratorium on the business’s behalf.
Against the moratorium was Brandon Krenzler, owner of Project Innerbloom and one of the new marijuana businesses that’s in the process of opening. He said the market would figure itself out, so the city doesn’t need to make a decision for the consumers.
Councilor Sean Butler made the motion to invoke the moratorium, with Carole Innes seconding.
Addison Schulberg said he felt pulled in both directions by arguments on either side, but in the end, “120 days is a reasonable price to pay” in order to conduct research and make a more informed decision.
John Thomas provided the lone dissenting vote. He did not offer comment during council discussion about why he voted against the moratorium.
After 121 days, the moratorium will lift unless council takes further action to extend it or make it permanent.