Cannabis crackdown: County, state target ‘unlicensed’ marijuana businesses in unincorporated area; City Council discussion ahead too

| West Seattle news | White Center

Tomorrow morning in White Center, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg and King County Sheriff John Urquhart plan to brief the media on what their advisory describes as an “effort aimed at closing down unlicensed marijuana businesses operating in unincorporated King County,” which includes WC. Sources tell us they’ve already been circulating letters to some of those businesses. Some unincorporated-area community advocates have long been expressing concern about the proliferation of medical-marijuana enterprises in North Highline, particularly White Center; it’s been a frequent topic at North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meetings, including one we covered in April. This follows passage of a new state law requiring that medical marijuana be handled as a sideline in state-licensed recreational-marijuana shops. (One of the latter recently opened in downtown White Center.)

Here in the city, Seattle is moving toward a crackdown of its own – the issue is, in fact, on the agenda for the City Council’s Finance and Culture Committee tomorrow afternoon.

justadude July 7, 2015 (4:57 pm)

I love it. This was published at 4:19pm. One minute too soon!

WSB July 7, 2015 (5:19 pm)

Sorry, Dude, I get a little too lost in the work and don’t watch the clock enough to catch subtleties like that!

Nick July 7, 2015 (5:26 pm)

I don’t see a problem with a lot of them. The state created an over regulated cartel which is unfortunate because it should be a regulated free market. In white center those will all just go back to being vacant spaces like they were for years. Not to mention this state is making medicinal cannabis too expensive to be an affordable medical treatment by design and this is all in the name of greed by the state and the lucky few who got licenses which paid off re legislature. People should be able to grow there own cannabis our state should have done this like Colorado or Oregon which have actual free markets and competition with regulation. Not state stores with limits based on some bureaucrats mood. There are no real limits on where you can buy alcohol.

wscommuter July 7, 2015 (5:44 pm)

Don’t harsh my mellow …

Oakley34 July 7, 2015 (6:16 pm)

Ultimately more regulation is good for the long term health of the industry and the long term proposition of legality. I say this because I fear a presidential candidate exploiting this issue to win votes in key states. So keeping a tight ship will hopefully keep this baby afloat in any rough waters ahead. I completely agree with Nick that we should move forward and add a provision for people to grow a few plants in their own homes. Just pondering that last bit throws some light on how ridiculous cannabis policy has been/still is in this country. The right to grow a plant in one’s own home is a criminal act while we have so many other rights that make it possible for us to cause great harm.

Gill July 7, 2015 (6:47 pm)

“Tomorrow morning” Do you know what time?

WSB July 7, 2015 (7:01 pm)

10:30.

JoB July 8, 2015 (12:37 pm)

the problem with the regulated cartel is that there is no incentive to produce medicinal products that don’t produce highs…

anonyme July 9, 2015 (7:53 am)

Strict regulation, as well as taxation, was part of the legalization package. Shocking as it is that our local government would actually enforce anything, this is the law. Far as I know, pot shops are not exempt from licensing requirements; they are like any other business, and must follow the same guidelines.

Question Mark July 9, 2015 (10:06 am)

Some of us in unincorporated King County are concerned not only with the proliferation of unlicensed medical marijuana dispensaries, but also with state-licensed marijuana stores in areas like Skyway. In addition to the two already open in Skyway proper and one of Renton’s stores open a block outside Skyway the state is actively moving forward to license *three more* stores in Skyway.
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We wonder why the hundreds of thousands of unincorporated residents outside White Center and Skyway, who also voted for legalization, aren’t going to be served by convenient access to a retail store and why some areas are being over-served.