Trustees debate whether to ban marijuana use on golf course property; board asks attorney to research authority and liabilities

Trustees debated whether the Took Municipal Golf Authority can prohibit marijuana use on golf course property after a trustee reported encountering people smoking during a scramble. The board asked the attorney and staff to research legal authority and liability but took no formal action.

Trustee (Speaker 7) said two players "pull out their marijuana and they smoke marijuana the whole way around" during a recent scramble and asked whether on‑property use is legal and what the authority could do. Legal discussion followed: one speaker who provided statute‑oriented guidance said the authority "does have the authority to regulate the use on the trust property" and advised the board that governments may regulate on‑property use even where voters approved broader changes at the ballot.

Speakers discussed the interplay between prohibiting possession brought onto the course versus allowing controlled sales of alcohol. One speaker noted that selling alcohol requires additional licensing and creates monitoring obligations for staff (server licenses and liquor liability insurance), which shifts liability and compliance responsibilities to the seller and the authority. The attorney‑like speaker warned that both approaches carry negligence exposure and recommended research into how local municipal code, voter‑approved measures and state statute interact.

Board members asked the city attorney to research whether medical cannabis card holders have a protected right to consume in public spaces in their jurisdiction, how municipal code and voter referendum language interact, and the appropriate enforcement approach. No ban or policy was adopted at the meeting; trustees requested a formal review and follow‑up from legal staff.

Quotations in this report come from the meeting transcript, attributing statements to trustees and staff as recorded during the discussion.