Seattle: City to Introduce Plan for Shutting Down Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
Seattle city officials held a private meeting recently where they presented a tentative resolution that will soon be presented to the City Council that would separate medical cannabis establishments into tiers, with the goal of shutting many down in the coming months.
Under this proposal – which is designed in response to the passage of Senate Bill 5052 – the first tier would include those distributing medical cannabis to patients under 21 (which is now illegal), and those with a business license obtained after January 1st, 2013. The second tier would consist of outlets that have delivery services, and those that allow medical cannabis consumption on-site. The third tier would consist of outlets that distribute cannabis that has not undergone microbial or potency testing, and those located within 500 feet of another licensed or unlicensed cannabis establishment, playground, public recreation center or a park, or within 1,000 feet of a school.
Under this plan, outlets in the first tier would receive a letter, likely within 1-2 months, demanding they cease operations, with those in tier two and three likely receiving a letter shortly after. Outlets that don’t fall into these tiers would be given the opportunity to continue operating until the July 1st, 2016 deadline established by SB 5052.
Senate Bill 5052, signed by Governor Jay Inslee in April, specifically allows the state’s Liquor Control Board to conduct sting operations on collective gardens to determine if they’re allowing those under 21 to participate.
The resolution is planned to be introduced to the Council later this month. A public forum is being planned for late-May/early-June to discuss the new state of cannabis in Washington (and how it relates to local enforcement).
[Update: A source from within city hall has clarified to us that the resolution is being put forth by city officials, and not solely City Attorney Pete Holmes; the article has been updated to reflect this.]
– TheJointBlog
frankielee
Halt! You there! Show me your papers, macht schnell!
Moirraine
And all of this is illegal and not one new outlet is listening.
Joe Kennedy
Bellevue Business Journal would love to post more honest, well thought out blog posts about this travesty.
David M
The new prohibition is against medical. Now Oregon’s medical program is facing major legislative tinkering. Sounds familiar Washingtonian’s Many of Oregon’s Senator’s are suddenly pushing the “One store to rule them all” plan as has been passed against medical patients rights in Washington. Now in the aftermath of the passage of Oregon too. Measure 91, is now up against proposed OR Senate Bill 964 in Oregon’s State Senate.
This bill would upend medical patients rights and in essence end Oregon’s Medical Marijuana law as originally written. This founding law should be left alone and not made part of recreational as has happened in Washington, which has been no less than a complete sell-out of WA. medical patients by State cartel store lottery winner’s.
Many medical patients remain gravely ill, Be it from cancer’s, ALS ,MS, Post Polio Syndrome, Chronic unrelieved pain etc. These people should be free to purchase what they need where they feel most comfortable. They should be left alone to concentrate upon either getting, or at least feel better.
Joe Kennedy
It’s all about the money. They are not supposed to be taxing medicine – or going against the will of the voting people. I saw throw them all out.
Don
Your are sick in the head people like you need to change 40 years of being lied to about the benefits of this go against the voters and people that changes there world you need to be thrown out of office
Dennis
All subversive tactics against the will of the voters! !
Throw them all out of office! PERIOD.
meschief
Attention Medical MJ Patients, Black Market is back in full swing… Go WA
VaporSeller
All about the money.
calicorock
If the public buys into this Trojan Horse, it will probably spell the end of Oregon’s 1998 medical law. They want the same thing to happen in Oregon that has already happened up here in Washington. Luckily for the people in Oregon, you have young people who actually seem to give a shit about their future. So unlike 2014 Washington young people , your key 18-29 year old voting demographic actually vote.
Here they’re too apathetic and lazy to even lick a stamp and mail in their voter ballots. WA. experienced the lowest 18-29 voter’s in 50 years . Asa result Washington isnow run by farRight-wing Republican’s out of power 40 years and FINALLY the year cannabis reform needs to happen Washington ends up with cannabis hating Republicans running the legalizatiob scheme. The Seattle Mayor’s as bad if not worse. He’s now trying to out rightwing the Senate Republicans.
I know so many people, especially medical patients preparing to leave Seattle. No one I’ve talked wants to live in another legalized State until California’s sorted out. Moi? I’m moving to Honolulu. They are opening medical dispensaries on Oahu. Aloha .