ROBBERY REVEALS MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY

MARYSVILLE -- A robbery where two suitcases stuffed with $50,000
worth of pot were taken at gunpoint has led to the discovery of a
medical marijuana dispensary here.

The holdup occurred Tuesday in Skagit County and involved 12 pounds
of cannabis reportedly intended for distribution at a new store
operating within Marysville city limits.

City officials had no idea that the business had set up shop at Smokey Point.

"We were not aware of it," said Marysville chief administrative
officer Gloria Hirashima on Friday. "We're going to be sending
someone out there right now to take a look."

The dispensary, called Elevated Medical Treatment, is in a converted
house in a commercial area off Smokey Point Boulevard. On its
website, it advertises a variety of cannabis with names such as
"purple rhino," "aifgoo" and "white widow" with tasting notes.
"Purps" has a "very strong unique smell (not discrete)."

On its website, the dispensary describes itself as "a legal provider
of medical cannabis" and a "non-profit, donation-based group."

The marijuana goes for a donation of $10 a gram or $260 per ounce.
Marijuana truffles cost a suggested donation of $8 each, or $35 for a
box. Brownies, cookies and pot-laced rice cereal treats are also
available, according to the website.

Elevated Medical Treatment applied for a business license with the
city in late March. On its application, it listed its intended
service as "holistic, herbal, alternative, organic remedies." There
was no mention of dope.

It's not clear if the dispensary had served any customers yet. Its
website announces, "We have a retail location!!!!" and "This week we
will be opening our doors in Smokey Point, conveniently close to I-5."

The two business contacts listed didn't return a phone call to their
Sedro-Woolley home Friday. No one answered the business number.

It's illegal to possess, buy or sell marijuana under state and
federal law. Medical marijuana dispensaries also aren't allowed, but
the rules regarding production and use of medical marijuana are
confusing at best.

Patients with a qualifying medical condition and a recommendation
from a doctor or medical professionals are allowed a 60-day supply of
marijuana -- defined as 24 ounces and 15 plants.

The amount stolen from the couple in Alger far exceeds that amount,
said Will Reichardt, the chief criminal deputy with the Skagit County
Sheriff's Office.

He said the couple waited 24 hours to call 911 because they were "a
little bit concerned about calling right away in case they'd be in
trouble for having this marijuana."

The Skagit County Sheriff's Office declined to provide the names of
the couple, but confirmed that they are involved with the dispensary.

The couple had just returned home from California, where they had
purchased the marijuana at a hempfest, a gathering for marijuana enthusiasts.

The 12 pounds of pot were divided into plastic bags and placed in two
suitcases. They had just pulled up to their driveway about 4 a.m.
when a truck pulled in behind them.

Three men jumped out with handguns and demanded the dope. Two of the
men were wearing ski masks and the couple described the third as a
big, bald man with a teardrop tattoo near his eye.

"Clearly, this wasn't a random crime," Reichardt said.

His office only plans to investigate the robbery, not the admitted
pot possession, he said.

State law allows a patient for whom a doctor has recommended pot to
grow their own medical marijuana or obtain it from a designated
provider who would grow it for them. A provider can only serve one
patient at a time.

The law around distribution is a hard one for cities to navigate,
especially when it comes to what kind of businesses are allowed,
Hirashima said.

"The whole issue is a disputed area," she said.

A few months ago, someone else applied to set up a doctor's office in
downtown Marysville to provide patients with the paperwork they'd
need to obtain medical marijuana. The business also planned to sell
marijuana-related supplies such as grow lights, she said.

That business didn't get off the ground.

As for the business application for Elevated Medical Treatment,
Hirashima said officials were "reviewing it carefully to see if it
conforms with state law."