POULSBO PASSES MORATORIUM ON POT DISPENSARIES

POULSBO -- The Poulsbo City Council approved a six-month moratorium
prohibiting the establishment of medicinal marijuana dispensaries
within city limits Wednesday night.

The emergency ordinance was passed as medical marijuana dispensaries
pop up in other cities. Legislators in Olympia are also considering at
least one bill that would legalize and license medical marijuana or
cannabis dispensaries. The bills under consideration would also allow
cities to enact zoning, licensing and taxation regulations for these
types of businesses.

Poulsbo's moratorium also prohibits the establishment of facilities
that produce or process medical marijuana.

Calling the moratorium a "proactive stance," Mayor Becky Erickson said
the ordinance was proposed last minute to help the city be prepared
for whatever decision comes out of Olympia.

"We're preparing with the idea that, if some of these bills pass, it
will be legal to open these types of businesses in the city," she said.

If dispensaries become legal, the moratorium would give the city time
to determine if they would be a compatible use for the city, Erickson
said. No dispensaries operate in the city now, and no businesses have
expressed interest in opening in the city at this time, she said.

The city has planned a public hearing on the ordinance and is
requesting people provide feedback on how the city should proceed with
its zoning code. The hearing is April 13 at 7:15 p.m.

Wednesday's moratorium also directed the city's planning director to
develop draft regulations for how marijuana or cannabis dispensaries,
production facilities, and processing facilities might fit into the
city's zoning. The regulations would then be reviewed by the Poulsbo
Planning Commission and passed on to the council for possible
inclusion in the city's zoning ordinances.

Public feedback from the April 13 meeting will be considered while
drafting the regulations, Erickson said.

The city of Port Orchard passed a similar emergency ordinance last
month for the same reasons.