WASHOUGAL EXTENDS MEDICAL MARIJUANA GARDENS BAN

There will be no collective medical marijuana gardens in Washougal
until summer 2012 at the earliest after the city's council voted
earlier this week to extend its pre-existing six month ban to a year.

State law enacted July 22 allows for up to 10 people to grow up to 45
plants in collective gardens, a move marijuana advocates said would
make it easier for patients with terminal or debilitating medical
condition who can't grow their own crop to obtain it. But city
officials across Clark County are squeamish about how the law
conflicts with federal law banning all marijuana use.

Cities declared temporary bans on collective gardens in July in order
to give them more time to study details including where the gardens
should be placed and how the crop would be distributed.

Washougal's council moved Tuesday night to extend its ban, which
started in July, thus taking a wait-and-see approach on the
legislature. They joined Clark County commissioners, who last month
enacted a yearlong ban on collective gardens for the county's
unincorporated areas.

Meanwhile, Washougal's east Clark County neighbor, Camas, elected to
keep its six-month ban during Tuesday night's meeting. Both Washougal
and Camas have the option of extending their bans at a later date.

"We don't want to put our employees in violation of federal law,"
Washougal Planning Manager Mitch Kneipp said, explaining his city's
decision to increase the ban's length. He added, "We believe they are
going to have to address this issue again. Hopefully, (the
legislature will) address the conflict with the federal law."

1 councilor opposed

Washougal Councilman Michael Delavar was the only member to oppose
the extension of the ban. He does not believe the city should assume
liability should the ban expire.

"If we actively discourage any dispensaries, we're basically saying
the people's explicit desire to allow for medical marijuana should be
disregarded," Delavar said.

Gov. Chris Gregoire axed portions of proposed legislation allowing
dispensaries for medical marijuana. She did, however, allow for
collective gardens.

The Washougal council's vote followed a public hearing on the
collective gardens issue.

Only one person spoke about the gardens during Tuesday's public
hearing. The woman sought to learn how close the gardens could be
located to schools, churches or parks, Kneipp said. The state left
zoning issues up to individual cities' discretion.

Kneipp added he has received only one call from a resident interested
in the permit process for collective gardens. The person never
contacted him again, he added.

Camas, La Center and Vancouver each have six-month bans in place.
Ridgefield, Woodland and Yacolt do not.