AUBURN STANDS BY AS LEGISLATURE MULLS FATE OF MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

With the battle over the future of medical marijuana dispensaries in
Washington raging in the state Legislature in Olympia, Auburn is
prepared to gauge the potential impact of dispensaries opening in the
city.

Resolution 4701, if passed, would impose a one-year moratorium on
medical marijuana dispensaries, to allow the City time to assess the
zoning implications and impact on citizens, according to City attorney
Dan Heid.

"It's not a permanent ban, it's a 'hold off until we figure this out'
moratorium," he said. "We just do not have an evaluation to what
factors should go into designing an appropriate zoning use.

"Zoning concerns have to be addressed so you don't put these
dispensaries in inappropriate locations by schools or parks," Heid
added.

Although fully drafted, the resolution did not move out of the city's
planning and development committee, and the likelihood of it going
anywhere soon is doubtful.

"It did not go forward," Heid said. "Because the governor will likely
veto the Senate bill. There is not reason for us to go forward."

In 1998, 59 percent of Washington voters approved an initiative to
legalize medical marijuana.

On April 21, the Senate and House passed Senate Bill 5073, which would
establish a regulatory system for medical marijuana dispensaries and
growers and provide protection from criminal prosecution for patients.

The bill passed through the House with a 54-43 vote and through the
Senate with a 29-20 majority.

Locally, 31st District Sen. Pam Roach (R-Auburn) and Rep. Cathy
Dahlquist (R-Enumclaw) voted against the bill with Rep. Christopher
Hurst (D-Enumclaw) voting yes. In the 47th District, Sen. Joe Fain
(R-Auburn) and Rep. Pat Sullivan (D-Covington) voted to pass the bill
and Rep. Mark Hargrove (R-Covington) voting no.

Now the bill is in front of Gov. Chris Gregoire, who said she will
review it to ensure state workers wouldn't be held liable for breaking
federal law if the regulatory system was implemented. Gregoire has the
option of vetoing the whole bill, or just parts of it.

"If I have my state employees intimately involved in a
commercialization of growing operations, they could be subject to
being called before the court as criminal defendants," Gregoire told
the Associated Press. "I will not put state employees in that position."

With the future of the SB 5073 in question, the Auburn resolution
might not be necessary. However, the resolution is already drafted and
ready to provide the City time to study the implications of legal
dispensaries in the city limits in case the veto is overridden.

"We are not yet equipped for that," said Councilwoman Lynn Norman. "We
don't have the zoning or the codes yet to decide how that will be
done. The moratorium will allow us time to hold a public hearing and
develop code and zoning regarding the marijuana dispensaries."