Pubdate: Fri, 03 Aug 2012
Source: Covington Reporter (WA)
Copyright: 2012 Sound Publishing, Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/BpVOFZ4G
Website: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/cmv
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5075
Author: TJ Martinell

COVINGTON CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO EXTEND MORATORIUM ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA 
COLLECTIVE GARDENS

The Covington City Council voted unanimously to extend the moratorium
on medical marijuana collective gardens at its July 24 meeting.

City Manager Derek Matheson stated that city wants to wait until next
year to see if various changes to state and federal laws are made
before proceeding with any other course of action.

"Our legal counsel believes that there are very legitimate reason to
press the pause button on regulations," he said.

Matheson said the city added language to the moratorium, which was
extended for six months, to include any business related to medical
marijuana, including management companies.

A medical marijuana dispensary called Covington Holistic Medicine is
located within the city limits. Because it opened before the
moratorium, it has remained open.

According to the meeting minutes, no one spoke during the public
hearing.

In terms of ban of collective gardens, Matheson said,"We haven't
evaluated the pros and cons of an outright ban," he said. "We'll
evaluate that in six months."

The issue has proved far less contentious than in nearby Maple Valley,
where the City Council voted in late June to ban collective gardens
after a medical marijuana management company opened in April.

Matheson stated that this may be due to the fact that the city
previously allowed a dispensary to open up in the city.

"I can only guess that it's because we already have on medical
marijuana business and it hasn't been an issue for the community," he
said. "Medical marijuana businesses therefore don't see Covington as
an opponent."

The Covington City Council first passed a year-long moratorium on
collective gardens in August 2011 after the Planning Commission voted
to recommend it.

The current issue facing the city arose in April 29, 2011 when Gov.
Chris Gregoire vetoed portions of a bill passed by the Legislature
amending the state law allowing the use of medical marijuana.

Initiative 692 was passed by state voters in 1998 allowing a defense
for possession of marijuana for qualifying patients or designated providers.

Covington City Attorney Sara Springer said in August 2011, "The
problem with (Gregoire's veto) is there are still many uncertainties
and ambiguities how to apply this legislation on a local level."
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MAP posted-by: Matt