Rural Central Oregonians who are bothered by the smell of a neighbor’s legal marijuana crop may face an uphill battle when it comes to getting changes made.

Oregon has a strong law protecting farmers’ right to practice agriculture that for the moment seems to make change difficult.

For those living in town, things may be a bit different. Up to four plants may be grown for personal use, but if it’s done outside it must be screened so it is not visible to neighbors. City ordinances generally do not address the smell, good or bad, of what one grows in one’s yard.

Oregon’s right-to-farm law changes the situation for rural dwellers. While it does not discuss weed, the law clearly identifies “odor” as one of the results of agriculture that is protected. In addition to such things as noise, dust, pesticides and the mist from irrigation, the law says farm odors are not nuisances.

The law itself was adopted more than 20 years ago and has been updated at least twice, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Like the law creating exclusive farm-use zones, it is designed to ensure that farmers can farm, despite urban refugee neighbors.

That is as it should be.

Of course, with pot, there is an additional concern that the Legislature and the farmers will have to address. Pot farmers will essentially be growing a drug. There could very well be people inclined to do some pot rustling, whether they be professionals or teenagers looking to get high. Security of pot fields will have added importance to the farmer and to the neighbors.

Strong smells are part of living in agricultural areas. Just because the odor is from marijuana plants doesn’t mean it should enable neighbors to block farmers from growing it.